Volcano Trail continued (Manderscheid)

Yep, I am still out and about and the days off feel like retirement. For the next two days I am back on the Volcano Trail and the weather plays along nicely.

The campsite at the Pulvermaar becomes my starting point. There it goes straight down into the funnel. Pulvermaar is the volcanic lake with the largest water surface and the greatest lake depth in the Eifel. At 74m, it is also one of the deepest lakes in Germany and was formed around 20,000 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the dense vegetation, there is hardly a view of the water. The trail then leads uphill again and past the Strohner Määrchen, one of the last raised bogs in the Eifel.

When trail markings disappear, I follow the signs of the Lava trail to the Holzmaar, another waterbody created by volcanic activity. The path leads across the plateau, through the village of Strohn and then to the third maar of the day. The Holzmaar was named so because its water was used in the 16th century to operate the wooden mill of the time.

I cross the Autobahn A1 and past the former Buchholz monastery. There is an oversized bench there, called the Eifel view, from which you can look out over the cornfields to the horizon. Next to the new church building, which dates from the early 20th century, there is a small Lourdes grotto.

Then I dive back into the forest. Belvedere lookout offers a great view over the town Manderscheid and its two castles from the 12th century, which stand directly opposite each other on steep mountain spurs. The structures, which were destroyed in various wars in the 17th century, are separated by the Lieser river, which cuts its way through the wooded rocky landscape in the valley. A steep path leads me into the river valley, where a suspension bridge takes me to the other side. Then it's another tough climb up, and more views of the castle ruins. After conquering the rocky path, I continue along the ridge for a while. Finally I arrive at the busy Trattoria Vulcano in Manderscheid, where I treat myself to an isotonic refreshment.

When I start talking to the landlady Steffi and ask about accommodation options, she immediately grabs her cell phone and makes calls, but to no avail. What a pity I think and check the bus connection home. Then she offers to take me to look at the staff room above the restaurant. The bathroom is across the hall, but the room looks cozy. We make a deal, and I move in. After a shower, I treat myself to a Cotolette du Tacchino al Limone (turkey schnitzel in lemon sauce). It was delicious!

Workum & Sneek

Impressions from Workum

Gertrudiskerk

Lovely old Bullies

From Sneek with brass

There was a brass festival in downtown and the city was packed with bands and spectators. It was a bit too loud and too crowded for my taste so we didn't hang around. The lovely water bridge however is quite the eye catcher.

We were back home in under four hours without traffic jam which was nice given the fact that our sojourn had included the long weekend of German Reunion Day.

Harlingen & Hindeloopen

Off course one will still find a lot traditional windmills, and more often than not they are in pristine condition, however they are only for show these days.

Happy cow?

Many villages played a major role in the middle ages when the Hanseatic League, a trade association during the time of 13th to 17th century was a thing, but are mostly catering to tourism these days. The brick architecture is very similar to what one would find in Eastern Frisia where my family comes from.

Harlingen

Hindeloopen

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