Day 11 – Secret

I rose at the crack of eight for a river-side wander, clear-blue and bright, eyes streaming with cold, fat geese pair, puffed and huddled, too chilled to move, almost trip over them. I find a ‘secret path’ up the hill opposite the old town – a nice place to come back to me thinks.

We wander down to Reigler’s bakery for a coffee and a little something before the day’s exploration and leave serenaded by men-at-work, “I don’t like cricket, oh no, love it”. Reigler’s got a whole 80’s English pop thing going off.

The first Christmas market demarks the start of the old town; gluhwein, some zermatt thing and this divine flame grilled fish tent – add sour cream and potatoes – yummy!

It’s like a video game. You can’t get to the next level unless you pass the necessary challenges. Challenge one – no entry to old town without hot breakfast gluhwein. Challenge accepted – we move on.

It’s Saturday and sunny and people are flooding in. There’s already sufficient crowds to know you’re on the wrong side of the street (the left side) and we swing right before being swept back to station one and forced to drink more gluhwein.

We veered into a couple of fun looking shops and re-veered (always ominous) into a handbag shop. Are you guys familiar with Senge’s left and right hand column analysis? Right column for what’s said, left column for what’s thought/felt? Ours went something like this; Jeff’s right column, “Another handbag? We’ve got time, why not sleep on it?” Jeff’s left column, “holy snapping duck crap, another handbag, really? Hope that idea gets buried in gluhwein and pastries.” Di’s right column, “sure, I’ll sleep on it, good idea.” Di’s left column, “tomorrow then, nice, I’ll get them to put it aside.”

We break from the steady stream at the old bridge where many have come, out of the shadowed laneways, to bask in the pale winter sun. Crossing we find my morning-found ‘secret’ passageway enjoying a steady stream of morning walkers – not so secret.

The path is on the right bank up a steep slope that looks back over the old town. The cobbled, stonewalled path, zig-zags through orchards and gardens till level with the palace on the other side and commands delightful views up and down the river and across to the old town.

We stop to rest in a nice little wooded garden with gravel paths, green-moss stone edging and large old bare winter trees. A mother is playing hide-n-go-seek with her young daughter and son (6 and 4?). They run and hide together behind a bush, giggling with excitement, unable to stop themselves from bobbing up like meerkats. The mum walks passed us, seated on a bench and, speaking loudly in German, voices and mimes words understood the world over, “you seen two kids? I can’t find them anywhere?” (giggles from the bushes) “no”, we say, “we haven’t seen them?” (more giggles). Mother and children are re-united with yelps of joy and the game starts over, “ein, zwei, drei…”

Wondering back down the hill through beautiful old Renaissance homes and gardens we pass a restaurant operating (on and off), since 1472, cross at the weir and head back into the old town ending up once again at La Boheme.

We planned to have a coffee and move on, but it was so nice kicking back and watching the people come and go that we stayed till tea time, Di knitting and I blogging and the both of us watching the world cup skiing events on the TV. I (Jeff) tried roast chestnut soup for the first time – sensational! The staff are (continue to be) wonderful. The girl serving us, finishing her shift, came over and wished us a merry Christmas and a safe and happy onward journey. Nice.

Dark now (perhaps as late as six!), we waddled back through the, now even thicker, Saturday crowds, stopping to purchase some chocolates and perhaps another gluhwein. It’s a very upbeat and festive atmosphere and even the black-flared, waste-coated, sombrero wearing bucks party, though a little worse for wear, were well behaved and enjoying the night (except for one bloke -he won’t be enjoying tomorrow either).

Back home for a restorative cup of tea.