A hill in a valley

Day 7: Obervellach to Kolbnitz

Hours walked: 10:00 - 4:00

Kilometres walked: 12

Quote of the day: “We’re heading to Italy - we’ll get there in two or four years, ha ha!” - Random hikers 

Jesuses seen: 10

It was hard to leave our guesthouse this morning - Tova and Zadie reunited with their new friends (the children of the guesthouse owners) and much preferred feeding pigs and petting bunnies to walking in the damp. When we finally got underway, Jakob instantly stopped us for coffee and strudel…so it was a slow morning. 

Tova, still upset by our departure and by the fact that we don’t own a farm, was emotional all morning. We all tried to be patient but it was harder than the uphill walk we were doing. Zadie, on the other hand, though open about the fact that she probably doesn’t like walking, is remarkably uncomplaining.  Tova’s mood calmed at the sight of snacks and Falkenstein Fortress, which looks like a cross between Hogwarts and Dracula’s castle. 

For some reason, children are not that keen on uphill. Although they liked the idea of Danielsburg and the playground and cafe that beckoned, it took stories, songs and sea creatures to get to the top. 

The path up to Danielsburg was on a steep trail through a thickly pined wood carpeted with blueberry bushes - unfortunately, weeks from bearing fruit. Fortunately, Hotel Herkuleshof was ripe for the picking: they rewarded our climb with hot drinks and lavish strudels (ice cream! Whipped cream! Three kinds of berries!) Herkuleshof is very ornate, traditional and full of character; while a group of us hikers sat outdoors eating (we finally met other hikers!) there was a wedding party inside the restaurant. The juxtaposition of lederhosen and Gore-Tex was charming. 

Full of sloshing hot liquid, we took in the scenes of the nearby church, which dates back to the 1300s and includes stones from the ancient temple to Hercules that used to sit in the same place. And then our sojourn in Danielsburg was over - we walked down the hill, and into Kolbnitz. We’ve been allotted a wing in our guesthouse for the night, and after a traditional dinner of garlic soup, kartner nudeln and pizza, we’re done for the day.