Trail #5

When I arrived yesterday I visited the Tourist Information center (called the TI and in almost every European tourist towns) to get some information on hiking.  The TI's are great as most there stuff is free and they usually have people who speak very good English.  That was the case with this one.  I was given a free map, but she asked now far of a hike I was looking for and I told her 15 - 20 kilometers (about 10-15 miles), she brought a map and suggested trail #5.  Only problem, the map was all in German and this one didn't have an English version.  It was only 4 euro's and she gave me some quick tips on translating the key items, so I bought it and set up to do it today. I am glad I had the map, as the trail makers were small and hard to find.  It was a very nice hike down the river valley and over rolling farm hills to a small town of Bettenfeld.   I can't say there was much to draw people there (I couldn't even find a place to buy water), but it was a good place to cross the river and come back on the other side.  Right at 12 miles round trip.  Very nice hike, but I wish there was a little more shade.  Weather has been great, but it's sunny and almost 90 today, so it was a little hot on the rolling hills. 

Markings along the way to show what path you are on.  Very small and hard to find

at times.  The bottom red one was my trail.  You can see the blue shell indicating this

links to the Camino de Santiago eventually.  Not sure what the Salamander is.

 

Look back at Rothenburg along the way.  Not sure of the crop

I think it may have been sugar beets.

 

Deer hiding in the wheat field (look for his head in the center).  He was running,

so as he loped, his head would keep popping up.

 

I wasn't sure at first what the deer felt compelled to hide from in the wheat, then

I noted hunting shacks.  There were a handful of them along the route.

 

Most of the trip was in the sun along the hills, fortunately the last 1/4 of the

hike was along the river and in the trees.  It was welcome shade.

 

It was an enjoyable hike, but after 12 miles mostly in the sun, I was very happy

 to see the town walls and a merchant with a 1 liter bottle of cold water.