After going up the Zugspitze during the second day at Ehrwald I decided to spend a couple more days there in its lovely surroundings and cool temperatures hoping to shake off the pain in my kidneys.

So after getting a map of the local walks from reception, I set off on a walk that was supposed to be a steady uphill climb of about three miles! Finishing at a chalet type restaurant at the bottom of the ski lift, where I thought I would have Apple Strudel and a beer, then have a nice down hill stroll back to the camp site. Well that was the plan! It all went well for about the first mile and a half where it said turn right, and on the map it showed the turning by the Zugspitze cable car terminal. So off I went on a steeper and steeper climb, also the map showed it bearing sharp right. After many false dead end turns and about two hours I was thinking I am going to give myself a heart attack here if I keep this up, and nobody will know where I am. By now I was walking and climbing up too and along the scree line and was saturated in sweat, and lost! Well not lost, only in relation to my destination.

Do I go back or keep going? Then a ski lift tower comes into sight, ‘Whoopee’, the restaurant and a drink cannot be far away. On reaching it I find out that I was at the top of the ski lift not the bottom! So now it was a long steep climb down. I don’t like downs they hurt my knees. On reaching the chalet I selected a table with a good view and ordered a large much needed beer and of course the Strudel with ice cream. Blow the figure I needed it after all that exertion.

Autumn Edition 2011

The Happy Wanderer in Europe 2010 - The Last Why Me?

Half way up my stroll

After about an hour’s rest I decided to follow the track back down. The track that I should have gone up! to see where I had gone wrong, when I came out on my previous track, I found I should have turned right half a mile before the cable car station, obviously the person who had drawn the map had never walked it? Although it had been a very hard walk the beautiful scenery had made it all worth while and no, I would not do the climb again! Once was enough!  I think a less strenuous walk was in order for the next day.

This was a much easier walk, across meadows to where I came across one of the smallest churches I have ever seen, it was a pity it was locked it would have been nice to have been able to get in. Although I doubt if I would have been able to read much of the writing inside, even if I had been able to get in.

Leaving the church behind I continued downhill through the woods until I came to a river, which I followed for a couple of miles and sometimes on a small road which ran alongside the river. Then I came across a bridge and was able to cross and get back into the woods on the far side, following the track which ran parallel with the river for a mile or so until reaching the outskirts of Ehrwald, where I stopped for coffee and some more Apple Strudel, before heading back across the meadows to the camp site.

The next day I decided to head for home as my kidneys were still hurting and I thought it was time to see a doctor as they had been  playing me up for far too long and I was in need of some antibiotics to clear up the infection. I had intended to go to Colditz castle from there but just did not feel up to it, and was starting to get a bit depressed. Making two more overnight stops on the way back to Calais, I arrived at the Ferry Port two weeks ahead of schedule.

Going to the ticket office, I just by chance went to the window with a Frenchman behind it, so I explained to him that I was not well and needed to get home to see a doctor and that was why I was two weeks early and needed to change my ticket! He informed me that it would cost me 72 euros for a new ticket. I then explained that I had paid less than that for the return ticket in the UK and only wanted to change my ticket for an earlier one, but I did expect an administration charge. But he was adamant, if you want to get on the ferry 72 euros! All I wanted to do was get home ASAP so paid up.

On driving onto the Ferry in the Motor Home behind me were a couple from Gosport, we sat together in the lounge and were talking when they told me “that they were returning early” my reply was, “so am I but don’t they charge for changing your ticket”. No! They said theirs had been changed at no cost; they had gone to the ticket office window with an Englishman behind it. It appears that my payment had gone into the Frenchman’s pocket. Why Me?

It seems from the very start of my journey I had been picked on and set up, it has made me think twice about travelling alone in Europe again without backup, as a woman travelling on her own is very vulnerable.

Mind you, the first “Why Me” was at Dover Castle car park.

I have enjoyed writing about my travels for St Georges News and there are some stories/ travels that I have not written up yet, which I may do some time in the future, God willing.

Thanks for putting up with my rambling over the years.

Christine L Culley

Alias “The Happy Wanderer”

Ehrwald