Still a Runner
A Blog by Mary Lou HarrisArchive for Garden
Walking in Solothurn – Day Four atop Weissenstein
On the fourth and perhaps my favorite day of our walk, we board the train from Solothurn to Oberdorf. There we hop on the gondola and ride to the middle station at Nesselboden for this beautiful mountain in the Juras chain, Weissenstein.
We did well, needing only one rest break on our way to the top.
The cattle grazing along the mountainside are responsible for the wonderful cheese and other dairy products we are enjoying during our stay.
Although rain was predicted, we don’t see any until we reach the summit where a fresh mist was coming down.
We watch a hand glider preparing to take flight
From the top of Weissenstein, Lucie leads us on a path that dips down several hundred feet to the Sennhaus restaurant. There we enjoyed a well-earned lunch of sausages and potatoes.
With our wonderful guide Lucie, dark clouds overhead at the top of Weissenstein.
Our trip down was shorter and steeper, and soon we were back to the gondola for a quick trip to the base of the mountain.
On our return to Solothurn, we joined in at the Cheese Market. We made our way through animals, hay bales, vegetables and an array of Swiss cheeses and chocolates to sample and buy.
After a long day, we hike back to the hotel to prepare for our final day of walking and hiking.
Thank you for a splendid day, Lucie, Karin, Urs and Jurg, our Swiss friends.
Walking in Solothurn – Day Three along the River Aare
Today, before our walk along the River Aare, we spend a bit of time with a historic walk through this lovely baroque town. There are three remaining gates to the city and we also see portions of remaining Roman wall jutting from the corner of a trendy shop.
The Solothurn Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Ursus, an early martyr of the church), was originally built in the early middle ages with changes over the centuries including a rebuild in the 1700’s.
The detailed history and design is worthy of a guided tour when you make your visit to Solothurn. As is the Church of the Jesuits, a relative newcomer built in the late 1600’s with a stunningly breathtaking interior.
We don’t leave the town center before seeing some of the many clocks, including one representing the cycle of life/renewal and death, a musical clock, and an 11-hour clock (the number 11 having a special designation in Solothurn – 11 steps to the cathedral, 11 of almost everything with a historical significance).
Leaving town, we follow the River Aare, passing cattle in pasture meadows, fields of crops as well as some industrial buildings along this lane.
The stork settlement at Altreu was a delight. In September, many of the young storks had already flown south. Those too old to make the trip stay to winter here.
Having hiked just over six miles from Solothurn, we boarded a boat on the River Aare for our return and to meet our dinner hosts.
Our day ended with small group dinners hosted by local Friendship Force members. My good fortune was to be included in a dinner in the neighboring city of Bern where we dined at the home of Urs and Ursula. We were treated to wonderful food, including dishes incorporating grapes, figs and apples from their garden. After enjoyable conversation and cuisine, we returned to Solothurn by auto. (Urs had rented an auto by the hour, a common practice when several people are traveling or large items must be transported. Otherwise, the order of the day is convenient bus/train combinations to get from town to town.)
Many thanks to our dinner hosts as well as day hosts Tamara, Kurt, Lucie and Jürg. Sleep tight and prepare for Day 4 – hiking up Weissenstein.
Walking in Solothurn – Day Two along the River Emme
Another beautiful morning in Switzerland finds us on Day Two of our 5-day walk with Swiss Friends.
Two rivers run through the city of Solothurn, the Emme and the Aare. Today, we are exploring the River Emme.
We meet with our hosts at the bus stop for a short trip to the train station, then on to Ulzenstorf.
Our trek begins with a green path, dotted with houses that seem to merge into the countryside and always surrounded by flowers and greenery. The beautiful Juras Mountains are at the horizon.
These homes with truncated hip roofs and large balconies or porches are a typical style found along our walk.
Every window ledge has a distinct look to catch the eye of passers-by
A short way ahead our feet find us at Landshut Castle. It was the seat of the Lords of Uzansdorf for about two hundred years.
The castle was rebuilt in the 1600’s and exchanged hands many times over the next 200 years.
What is a castle without a moat?
Today it is a Swiss heritage site housing the Swiss Museum for Wildlife and Hunting.
We stopped for a break and ate our packed lunches under the watchful eye of these outdoor sculptures and hangings.
More walking on our return, then a stop at the Coop, a cooperative grocery with a dining and refreshment area. Here we had the option to return by bus to the hotel or hike a bit further ending at our hotel. I opted to continue hiking.
More outdoor artwork along our return path:
Taking a break before our final stretch home
We were ushered to our destination by beautiful swans and ducks guiding our way. A hearty dinner at a nearby tennis club awaited us (water fowl were not on the menu).
Thank you to our Swiss hosts for the day, Jürg, Lucie, Marie-Therese and Thomas of the infectious laugh. You made another beautiful day possible for us.
Five-day Walk in Solothurn
An hour’s train ride out of Zurich took me to Solothurn, Switzerland. I was there to join 22 other walkers and hikers as well as a number of the Friendship Force Club of Solothurn/Swtizerland.
As a global journey, the majority of the hikers came from Friendship Force clubs located in Belgium, Canada, Russia and the USA.
Our itinerary included walks along river beds, in the Jura hills, to a mountain top and through several towns. During our stay, we were housed at a sports hotel where our adventure started each day. We became quite familiar with bus and train transport to our walk starts.
So with that introduction, let’s get started with …………..
Day 1 Walking with Swiss Friends
After a breakfast of meats, cheeses, yogurt and thick brown bread, we packed a similar combination for our lunch and met our Swiss friends at the Bus Stop. We began our journey by bus to St. Niklaus.
Hikers/walkers on the trail approaching the Gorge of Saint Verena
Our first day’s walk had a spiritual tone as we set off on foot through the gorge of Saint Verena who is said to have arrived in Switzerland in search of a relative, Saint Victor of the Thebes Legion. Saint Victor was martyred for specific religious beliefs sometime during the 500’s and Saint Verena lived out her life as a hermitress.
Next we are off on a walk around Waldegg Castle. It’s a beautiful building in the French and Italian baroque styles, with many additions, including apartments and an orangery, during the years the Bensenval family owned the property (late 1600s – early 1800s).
The Bensenval family had a close connection with French royalty,
their son being a diplomat and officer in the French Swiss guards. After the French Revolution the family fell out of favor in France. These many years later, the property belongs to the Center for Intercultural Dialogue.
We take leave of the wonderful setting around the castle, formal English gardens bordered by magnificent fields of corn, greenery and the Juras Mountains in the background.
After a lunch along the trail, we proceeded onto the Trail of Megaliths.
How these large stone came to be along this area isn’t known. They are massive and beautiful.
The day’s hike complete, we’re back catching the train from St. Niklaus to an early dinner in Solothurm. Enroute to the restaurant we got a first look at the town of Solothurn.
The ancient fountains with allegorical designs are still used today as thirsty visitors fill their water bottles before moving on. There are a total of 11 fountains in Solothurn, in fact almost everything in Solothurn is connected with the number eleven.
We dined outside under beautiful trees enjoying food from a Greek restaurant. Then, the option to walk the trail back to our hotel or hop on the bus. I elected for the walk, It was a beautiful evening and a good choice.
Thanks to our delightful Swiss hosts/friends/hike leaders Regina, Franziska, Andreas and Jürg for organizing this wonderful day.
Total walking/hiking distance for the day: 7.5 miles.
How do you like Solothurn so far? Have you expanded your walking or hiking to destinations previously unknown?
Stay tuned for Day 2.
Paw Paw Foraging
It all started with a church auction item – an opportunity to paw paw forage with an experienced forager. I had no idea what I would be foraging for, but it sounded like an interesting experience.
These many months later, the season for paw paw foraging had arrived. Instructions were to meet and come prepared with boots, bug spray and drinking water.
I had, since my successful auction bid, done enough research to know that the paw paw is a fruit that grows as an understory plant in several states from the Atlantic through Ohio. As it turns out, Native Americans harvested the fruit, as did explorers following suit, craving the sweet juicy fruit in their diet. According to many sources including Kentucky State University, the paw paw is rich in nutrients.
Our foraging began in a forest section of the Susquehannock State Park. After walking down several trails and into the brush, our leader, Laura, identified the paw paw tree.
The paw paw has large exotic-looking leaves unlike most trees in east coast forests. We spotted our first fruit overhead.
When the paw paw is ripe enough, it can be ever so gently plucked from the branch. For fruit that is out of reach, a gentle shaking of the tree’s trunk will release the fruit that falls to the ground with a thump, or – if you are quick enough – into the bag you are holding. If you are not quick enough, you may get a surprise bop on the head (don’t ask how I know).
The taste of the paw paw was everything I had heard described. We gently peeled our first paw paws then stood enjoying the flavor of the pulp, somewhere between the sweetness of a banana and the wildness of a guava.
The kidney bean-sized seeds were spit out.
I also understood why the fruit is not cultivated to any great extent, as very few paw paws appear on a single tree and they are a delicate fruit, ripening in a short time window. I’m told you may find some farmer’s markets where a stand may have them available for short periods of time and at a very dear price.
Paw paws tend to grow in colonies, the largest reaching to the sky peaking out of the forest’s canopy, with less mature trees sheltering underneath and a myriad of newer growth along the forest floor.
After filling our bags and leaving a generous amount of paw paws for other foragers, we did some initial sorting and talked potential use. There are recipes for everything from quick bread to beer.
As for me, my paw paw cache will be frozen in small amounts to be used in smoothies along with some frozen slices of rhubarb. Those exotic summery tasting fruits will be perfect for adding nutrients and a sweet and sour taste to the post-run smoothie on chilled winter mornings.
Do you have experience foraging in the forest? Have you used paw paws in cooking, baking – or brewing?
Every Gate has a Message
Gates are a marvelous architectural element. They sometimes provide entrances, sometimes borders, and always a message. That message can be through a written announcement, but sometimes through tone, whether that be a welcoming walk or a flowering garden behind that gate.
Let’s take a stroll through a few.
There are gates that entice you to step through to a shady spot on a warm summer’s day,
There are gates that call us back to a nostalgic time when life appeared to be simpler and quieter.
There are gates that establish a sense of place, character and work. Both of the photos above tell us we are near the sea. The beach shingle style covering of the gate to a home in East Hampton, New York off the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t need a sign to tell us we are near the sea. The solid iron gate complete with anchor tells us we are in fishing territory, a place for hardy souls. Indeed, the gate is found in the West Fjords of Iceland not too far south of the Arctic Circle.
And then there are the gates where, along with the mood setting, signage or written direction is there to ensure that we know for certain we, or at least some, are not welcome. The beautifully designed gate in the Old Town of Tallinn, Estonia, may once have been welcoming, but now has an oversized lock and chain and a tow-away sign. The gate with a “tradesman” sign can be found on a London townhouse, once (and perhaps in some cases still) the indication that deliveries and work of tradespeople took place through this entrance rather than the formal main entrance. The additional two garden gates are from Holland Park in London and a private residence in Hampstead, each with a clear message.
I hope you have enjoyed your stroll through gates around the world. Just don’t park in front of that gate in Estonia.
Congratulations Mother Earth on a Resilient 2016
In spite of everything we throw at her, Mother Earth finds a way to cope and thrive. Regardless of how disappointing we humans can be in our actions, getting outdoors never fails to regenerate hope. Here are a few examples that popped up before my eyes during 2016.
January hikers on the Appalachian Trail (AT) enthralled with the view of morning mist over the farm fields below.
A clear February sky over the iced Susquehanna River.
A March day along the Capital Area Greenbelt with fresh buds on cherry trees.
April brings the strains of jazz murmuring through the trees as the ensemble waits the arrival of the Capital 10-Miler runners along this wooded stretch of Greenbelt.
In June, the Rhinebeck Marathon included some miles on a heritage trail. On a smaller scale, the baby turtles began making their treks out of hiding along Wildwood Lake.
A July run down a country road brings into view a fisherman knee deep in waders. The stone building abutting the bubbling creek demonstrates its own resilience having stood strong for over a couple of centuries.
In August, nature brings us a spider web glistening in the morning sun. While the web may not be resilient, its creator is. A run brought me to an ambling creek flowing by temporarily abandoned lawn chairs.
A September view of the River Thames. Over the thousands of years it has flowed, the course has been altered by time and by humans.
Not as old as the Thames, this grape vine growing at Hampton Court is more than 230 years old. Alas, I arrived too late in September to purchase jelly from its abundant crop.
October took me to the banks of the Chicago River where it flows into Lake Michigan, a lake that was formed billions of years ago. It will outlast the concrete buildings and bridges surrounding it.
A November breakfast at a café in the 540 million year old Laurentian Mountains was enjoyed on the warm side of this window.
What have I found to be resilient in December? That we have made it through a trying year with one day to go may be the best description of resilient. Mother Earth is still holding her own and so should we.
If you would like to see the perspective of other writers and photographers, take a look at these ideas on the meaning of resilient.
