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| Up the hill and into the forest |
(more photos follow the aimless verbiage)
The Germans are outdoor people. Even in the midst of winter, you see people old enough to know better, creaking along, stabbing their canes in the snow as they tramp through a morning walk. When the weather turns fair, meaning anything above freezing, pouring rain or not, the multitudes come forth to walk, jog, or bike through the woods and fields. Quite often on the weekends and holidays, these walks are organized, with signs to guide you and refreshments at beginning and end. If you’re lucky, there are even souvenir prizes, like mugs, metals, or plates.
Clubs exist whenever two or more Germans share a passion, whether it’s classic cars, rowing, or cake decorating. One of my German friends is in so many clubs it’s tough to keep track: model boats, classic cars, hiking, rowing, et al. Very social folks these Germans.
Anyway, back to the subject of volksmarches. As you might imagine, there’s an organization for that also, dating from 1968, the International Federation of Popular Sports (IVV), or in German, Internationaler Volkssportverband. The essence of the sport is non-competitive walking. I like the non-competitive part, which not only gets people of all ages out in the fresh air and verdant forests, but also keeps me from igniting my competitive side and busting my hump in a never-ending quest not to be dead last.
There’s another aspect that draws me to IVV events. In a word, beer. In another word (as if any red-blooded male needed another one) is wurst.
You tramp through the woods, stop for a bier and a brat, then tramp some more. Hills. Dales. Forests. Past swaying fields of grain, cows, horses, Best of all, at the end there’s more bier und wurst!
This particular walk, near Heimkirchen, favored outdoor flavors. There was local wine, sausages and smoked bacon made from wild boar, as well as smoked trout from nearby streams.
Other culinary tours I’ve enjoyed, and plan to write more about, are walking tours through vineyards, and those sponsored by restaurants. Hey, I walk for food.
The volksmarches get you to quaint villages, through fertile fields, and into some of the most luscious forests on earth. The German passion for the outdoors is catching and I think I’ve got the bug.
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| Wheat fields are everywhere |
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| The social aspects are every bit as important as the exercise |
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| I love the quaint villages nestled in the countryside |
