While on holiday in Oberstdorf which is located in the Allgäu region (Bavarian alps) we were out everyday either walking in the meadows or hiking the numerous valley and mountain trails. From Dietrich and Reingard's house Sabena, Nora, Iain and I headed out each morning into the clear mountain air with the objective of improving our fitness level!
The meadows were full of flowers. There are numerous valleys to explore and in each of them it is possible to time it so one arrives at place where food is served. The menus on all occasions were full and varied: German beer, seasonal asparagus, local venison sausages, kartoffel kloesse (potato dumplings) or apple strudel.
Everywhere is tidy and tended. This graveyard of St. Jacob chapel (above village of Reichenbach) had flowers in every grave. The roadside religious statuary or little chapels (for this is a Catholic region of Germany) always had fresh alpine flowers placed in vases.
Horse-drawn carriages offered tourists, often elderly, a ride up the valley through avenues of apple blossom at this time of year. People live in the farms and the animals are still down in the valley grazing. The herds appear to be all diary cows.
The area is immaculate; no neon lights or turnstyles, no billboards, burger outlets, fun fares or race courses. The town of Oberstdorf has very up-market shops and all the winter sports activities (and there are a lot) are based in and around this centre.The sun shone the whole time we were there. As it is off-season it was not particularly busy and those visitors who were there tended to be older ... much like ourselves ... and of a mind to enjoy this most peaceful valley of meadows and mountains.
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