THE SYLVAN HEAVEN

Black Forest

Mountain Streams

 

The Bronze Deer

Devil's Valley

                                 

                               
                             

                                         

     Our next destination is the most fascinating sylvan heaven on the earth-- the Black Forest (Vohren Bach) in Baden--Wurtemberg in South-West Germany) at a distance of 172 kms. from Heidelberg. The name "Black Forest" (in German "Schwarz Wald) brings to our mind the mouth-watering Cherry Cake topped with chocolate cream, and the world-famous cuckoo clocks made of wood in artistic shapes and automated toy figures which move whenever the clock chimes.Apart from these this place is also famous for many native dishes and sports like skiing, hiking, ham boating and bike-riding etc. There are many resorts, spa centers and shelters to entertain tourists. As many highways pass through this region, tourism is one of the main sources of income for the people of this place. This forest is filled with densely grown black fir trees on a flat rocky mountain range over an area of nearly one hundred miles from Karlsruhe(S.W.Germany) to Rhine valley on the Swiss border. The whole forest looks like a mass of dark clouds lending a black hue to the whole area ; hence the forest got it name "Black Forest." This forest has many pastures, valleys, lakes, rivers and waterfalls with many pretty villages and picnic spots. The highest peak of this mountain is Feldberg which is 4898 feet high.

     Our Tour Manager took us to the "National Clock Museum", which has a clock workshop and a sales counter also. The process of making clocks and various types of clocks are displayed there. The salesman spoke to us in a jovial manner about the special features of cuckoo clocks. The earliest cuckoo clocks were made between 1740 nd 1750 in this region. He showed us one old clock which has only one hand showing hours. The early clocks worked based on a system of weights. All clocks are made of limewood whcih is durable and suitable for carving. The sound of cuckoo is heard along with other sounds depending upon the mechansim of the clock to indicate time.The clocks designed in shape of dancing couples and birds are quite attractive. There are different sizes and shapes in clocks and the prices range from 150 to thousands of Euros. Yet many people do not hesitate to buy these artistic clocks as cherished symbols of this most romantic spot.

Cuckoo Clocks

Clock Work Shop

             

Clock Museum

Cuckoo Clock

 





 













 Our Tour Manager told us that this forest was once the abode of beautiful stags and deer. But indiscriminate killing of these creatures led to their extinction. He pointed at the statue of a silver-colored bronze deer installed on the mountain valley as a token of remembrance of this red deer which jumped over the gorge and disappeared when it was pursued by hunters.This gorge  is called "Deer's Jump" (Hirschsprung) which is nine meters wide. This valley is very deep and is nine kms. long. Hence it is known by name "Valley of Hell."

Black Forest Horse

 

Hinterwald Cattle

               









  In this forest the most popular resort is "Titisee Resort." located on Titisee Lake. Another Lake Resort is on Schluchsee Lake. Many rivers originate from the hills and flow through this forest. The Danube River originates at the confluence of the Brigach and Breg rivers. Other rivers that flow through this forest are : the Enz, the Kinzig, the Nagold, the Neckar, the Rench and the Wiese. Among the waterfalls the Triberg Waterfalls and the All Saints Waterfalls attract many tourists. Otto Von Bismarck, the former Prussian and later Chancellor of Germany used to visit Triberg Falls whenever he wished to have relief from his busy schedule. Now you can imagine the heavenly beauty of this placed blessed with dense growth of trees, wide grassy plains, rich variety of plants and abundant flow of water through hills and valleys. Hinterwald cattle and Blackforest horses are well-known breeds of this region. The Hinterland cattle, the shortest breed in Europe, are well-adapted to survive in the severe cold Alpine climate and on steep hilly regions. They are bred both for yielding milk and for beef. The Black Forest horse is a local breed of this area. These horses are used for drawing heavy loads and for doing  work on farms. Now the are used for riding also.The people living in this region speak Alemannic and  Swabian dialects of German language. Amidst these most charming and picturesque surroundings we enjoyed a hearty Indian lunch along with delicious Black Forest Cake.The marvellous beauties of Nature stand before us so fascinatingly that we cannot but praise the sublime creative powers of God.

Delicious Black Forest Cake

                   

AT HEIDELBERG

  

Heidelberg University

Heidelberg University Library

 Later we travelled straight to view the most ancient university in Europe, the Heidelberg University established in 1386 by Rupert I, the Elector Palatinate of Germany. We have to content ourselves with an exterior view of this most famous citadel of learning which produced geniuses like Martin Luther, Hegel, Karl Jaspers, Alfred Weber and Christoff Schissler. There are nearly one hundred disciplines in this university and students from more than 130 countries come here to pursue their studies. The library in this university was founded in 1421 and has a vast collection of books. During the war of Palatinate Succession between the French and German troops (1689 -- 1693) the university and the town were completely burnt and destroyed. In 1803 Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden, re-built the university and renovated the town in a Baroque style with carved sculptures and artistic constructions.

Market Square, Heidelberg

Church of Holy Spirit

   











                                                              

Closer view of the Hotel

 Hotel Zum Ritter St.Georg

               













 Heidelberg is a town situated in south-west Germany on the banks of the Neckar river. In 40 A.D. Romans occupied this region and built a wooden bridge across the river and set up a watch tower. After 260 A.D. the Germanic tribes drove out Romans. The old town with the market square surrounded by ancient buildings and with cobbled streets looks like a historic town in medieval times. There is a fountain in the market square called "Muenster Fountain" set up in memory of the famous humanist and cosmographer, Sebastian Muenster(1488-1552) of the fifteenth century.  There is another fountain in the market square called "The Hercules Fountain" set up in 1703 which symbolizes the strength and determination of the people who strove hard to re-build the ravaged town. Just on the opposite side there is an old Gothic church called "Church of Holy Spirit"(Heliggest Kirche) established in 14th century. Within the market yard there is an old building with fluted carved friezes and ornamental columns called "Haus Zum Ritter", the famous Ritter Chocolate House of long-standing reputation built in 1592. This building unravaged by wars remains as one of the beautiful mansions of the German Renaissance.

Hercules Fountain

Sebastian Muenster Fountain

    





       

Madonna Founain, Korn Markt

Closer View

  
                        

In the center of the Corn Square there is a fountain called "Madonna Fountain" with the statue of Madonna with a golden crown. The water taps around the four corners of the water tank are made of copper, which acts as a purifying agent on the water that flows from them. Our Tour Manager informed us that merchants and sailors before travelling abroad, used to come here and pray before Mother Mary, who is believed to  protect people from dangers and calamities. Historically speaking this statue was erected by Jesuits in 1718 to motivate people of Heidelberg to switch back to Catholic faith. The Jesuits set up Mary's statues in different places giving support to the Count Elector who had been trying since 1685 to convert his people back to Catholic faith. But all his plans failed. This statue is an excellent example of artistic beauty. We left Heidelberg after drinking water from this sacred fountain blessed by Mother Mary.

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   21st October, 2015                                                                   SOMASESHU GUTALA

ON PASSING THROUGH GERMANY

Highway passing through Belgium

Pastures in Luxembourg

 
                            

Highway, Luxemburg

Limburger hof  

                                                       

                                                                          



 We travelled onwards from Calais to Germany passing through Belgium and Luxemburg. The nine-hour drive with occasional breaks seemed a little bit tiresome though the landscape appeared very fascinating with spacious tracts of grassy plains with spacious tracts of grassy land with herds of cattle seen grazing on luxuriant grass. Here and there some farm plains cottages are seen like far-flung islands floating on the sea of verdurous green. Our bus passed by Dunkirk, one of the prominent port towns in northern France, just ten kms. from the Belgian border.Apart from being a naval port, Dunkirk has many industrial establishments like coal, nuclear and thermal plants, oil products, cement, sugar and gas lines. Belgium is a landlocked state which serves as the main gateway for many surrounding countries like Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland. As a country of mixed population, three languages (Dutch,French and German) are used. Belgium is famous for mirrors and diamonds. It has also many chemical plants, textile, electrical, automobile and pharmaceutical industries and factories. Being a country blessed with fertile soil, it also produces cereals, vegetables, cocoa and has many food-processing units. Though we did not enter the interior parts of the country, the lush green fields, pastures, trees and distant view of elegant buildings gave us an impression that we were travelling through a fertile and  well-developed region unpolluted by over-industrialization.  

   Luxembourg, the safest tax haven for billionaires, came into our view--almost a pastoral country with green carpeted valleys, broad plains and herds of cattle. Having internet giant organiztions like Sype and Amazon, Luxembourg has latest advanced telecommunication systems and industries. In the late hours of the evening our driver after driving through a maze of narrow lanes stopped before a hotel called Residenz Limburgerhof in a small German village of the same name situated in the Rhineland Palatinate. The tiny tiled houses on both sides of the road with small front yards gave a typical picture of a German village. The whole village remained silent with dim street lights. The hotel rooms are quite  comfortable with all modern amenities. This village is seven Kms. away from the city of Ludwighshafen which is located on the Rhine river opposite Manheim.

A View of the Neckar River

Residenz Limburger hof

                   

Ludwigshaven

 "BASF"(Agro-chemical)  Company, Ludwigshaven

                                                                                            





 Ludwigshafen is the headquarters of the world-famous Agro-Chemical company, BASF. This city is also the birthplace of the former German Chancellor, Helmet Kohl and the Famous German philosopher, Ernst Bloch. As the streets and avenues are laid out in a grid pattern, this city is called "the city of squares"(Quadratestadt). During the Roman occupation water tanks were first constructed here for the sake of water supply to the town. So the civic symbol of Manheim is a Romanesque water tower (Wasserturm). As a memorial a sixty-meter high water tower crowned with the statue of Greek sea-goddess, Amphitrite,was built in 1886. 

Water Tower

Manheim, City of Squares

  










 Next day while continuing our journey through Mannheim , our tour manager pointed at the Neckar River. Mannheim is a famous well-developed city having I.T.Companies like IBM, SAP, Roche and Siemens. Being in the forefront in adopting and inventing new technology, Mannheim is adjudged as the eleventh in the top fifteen inventive cities. This city is in the south-west part of Germany at the confluence of the rivers, the Neckar and the Rhine. The Rhine river separates Mannheim from the city of Ludwigshafen.

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                                                                                                           SOMASESHU GUTALA
                                            

                               


 

ON OUR WAY TO DOVER

                      

Port Entry Point

South A-2 Highway

                                              

   We started our journey to Dover by luxury bus of a private travel agency  which organizes tours  abroad for Indians providing Indian meals twice a day as well as accommodation in hotels. The Tour Manager or Co-Ordinator is a middle-aged gentle man with many degrees appended to his name. Dressed in a formal suit he introduced himself in a friendly manner briefing us a few precautionary measures to be observed during out tour. He repeatedly stressed on strict adherence to time schedule so that we may visit all places . He often made fun of our habit of rushing in a group to answer the calls of nature whenever the bus stops. As there is no free toilet facility everywhere in Europe, he advised us to take advantage of free toilet facility wherever available. The bus driver, a retired British professional from Royal Air Force, seemed sombre with a dignified air. In most of the western countries we find one person doing many tasks unlike in India where one task is sub-divided and given to more than one person--may be due to the fact that in India the labour charges are comparatively cheaper and the population is large enough to get more hands for doing work. In U.K. the driver himself acts as a helper in loading the baggage, and in cleaning the bus as well. In restaurants also we noticed a single person acting as a cook, server and cleaner also.

    The Tour Manager after assuring us of a comfortable and safe journey took us along the High Way No.A2 through Deptford and Blackheath towards Dover, the most ancient coastal town of south eastern England. The Luxury Bus moved smoothly on the broad highway with multiple lanes. After passing through the busy area of Wembley we came across vast green plains with small traditional English houses here and there. The dark green trees with dense bushes on wayside brought Nature's green charm to the forefront leaving aside the congested atmosphere of the city far away.

Light House built by Romans

Dover Castle

                

Chalky Cliffs of Dover

Pride of Burgundy

        
         



     

                                                              
 The distance between Wembley and Dover is nearly seventy-five miles and within two and a half hours the coastal town surrounded by white hills came into our view. Dover is a busy town with a spacious port area having nine docks and served as a center of transportation both for passengers and goods also. The French port Calais is just twenty miles from Dover and it takes one hour to go there by ferry service. Every year more than fifteen million travelers ply from Dover to Calais, and more than five million vehicles use this port for transportation. It is not an exaggeration to say that 90% of U.K.'s freight goes through this port only. An underground Euro-Tunnel was constructed in 1994 to carry passengers with their vehicles by train. A very wonderful achievement of engineering skill indeed !

 The chalky hills of Dover is an added attraction to this historic town. Romans understood  the strategical importance of this and built a tower on the hills in second century A.D.Normans built a castle here in 1066. During the reign of Henry II a castle was built in 1160s with enhanced security. In 1606 James I issued a charter to constitute Dover Harbour Board to look after the port activities and trade. These chalky hills stretching along  ten miles and  reaching up to a height of three hundred fifty feet, form a fitting backdrop to the gentle sea waters of the English channel.

Food Court

The Club Area

Shopping Area

The Lounge Inside the ferry

                                 

                                                                                                  

                         


  The English channel, a part of the Atlantic ocean joins the southern part of the north sea with the Atlantic Ocean. It separates Northern France and the island of Britain. It is approximately 360 miles long and is narrowest in the Strait of Dover measuring about 20.6 miles. To reach Calais from Dover by ferry our bus entered the dock and passed through barriers of tight security to get into the fifth deck of the ferry named  "The Pride of Burgundy", a white floating vessel painted with blue borders. It appeared like a spacious multi-storey building with many rooms and halls. A floating mansion with so many restaurants, shops, lounges and book shops. It has a carrying capacity of 1420 passengers and 600 passenger vehicles or 120 heavy freight vehicles. It has nine decks of which the third and fifth decks are meant for parking vehicles. We were not aware of the fact that we were shifted from land to water. Only the humming of motor made us realize the that we are moving on the sea. The blue water seen through windows with retreating sight of the hills presented a fine view of the marine climate as our ferry moved freely like a sea gull flying through blue expanse of the sky.

  The crowded halls filled with conversation of people in diverse tongues and  interspersed with peals of laughter evoked a joyous climate. Some people seated in sofas were seen absorbed in reading while others sipped drinks or ate delicious refreshments with an air of contentment. On the topmost deck young couples clicked photos standing in amorous postures while children cheered looking at the sea gulls wheeling above their heads. In one and a half hours we disembarked our bus and entered Calais, the French coastal town to pursue our journey onward. Let me conclude this essay with the beautiful lines of Matthew Arnold from his famous poem "Dover Beach".   
                                   
                                          "  The sea is calm to-night.
                                             The tide is full, the moon lies fair
                                             Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
                                             Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand;
                                             Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
                                             Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
                                             Only, from the long line of spray
                                             Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land."

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        9th October, 2015                                                                          Somaseshu Gutala
   

RUSH HOUR

  

                                                                         

       

                                          1)  Our life seems like damn rush-hour city

                                               No time for steady, cool and thoughtful mood ;

                                               From dawn to dusk too busy, no time to brood

                                               No lotus moments of sweet tranquility;

                                               With clock-like precision we have to wake

                                               Go through our chores, no chance for mistake.

                                         2)   Within full-curtained walls encaged we dwell

                                                In glow of electric lights we spend our days

                                                We gulp our breakfast soon to rush away

                                                Shouting hastily a formal farewell ;

                                                Struggling through crowded streets of deafening hell

                                                Unnoticed and unnoticing, talking through cell ;

                                         3)    Like moving automatons do we stress

                                                Mouthing code words like lifeless robots

                                                We live in rutted channels so and so ;

                                                Through loads of data like muzzled beasts we press

                                                As systems crash and our inputs confound

                                                In search of solutions we push round and round.

                                         4)   We grab our lunch and listen to our cell

                                                Some idiot's tale of political cheat ;

                                                Some sensual song impassioned with rugged beat

                                                Some brutal crime done under drunken spell ;

                                                We fly back to our cabins to sweat and fret ;

                                                Like tangled flies in a poisoned net.

                                         

                                         5)    With formal smiles and empty feelings sham

                                                We leave our work half-done and start our ride ;

                                                Through swelling rush of cars at eventide;

                                                Through unruly movements of vehicular jam

                                                We reach our home dead-tired and drop down dead

                                                One more day lost in life's tumultuous tread.

                                         6)    Our dreary tedium we can't express

                                                Our dearth of feelings and of what to say;

                                                We end our talk with bye,byes and dry Okays

                                                We lost our lives in this confounding mess

                                                To our nearest kin an sms we send

                                                Saying too busy and no time to spend.



    

                                

                                       7)      We bury ourselves in blankets blank

                                                 Faking amorous scenes and try to sleep

                                                 Disgusted at our dry excuses we heap

                                                 Counting our shares and savings in bank

                                                 Feeling secure we strive to dream in vain 

                                                 As next day looms to repeat our routine again.

                                       8)      Have we lost our senses to feel ?

                                                Blind to the colorful scenes around ?

                                                Blind to the leisurely pace of Nature sound ?

                                                Blind to see butterflies fluttering with zeal ?

                                                Blind to chirping wings in dancing hues above

                                                In magnificent galaxies throbbing with love ?




      




                                                  


                                                                                                    

                                       9)     No time to watch the fascinating green

                                               Clusters of trees dotting the verdant plain

                                               With no touch of tension and greedy strain ;

                                               How butterflies enjoy sweet honey from flowers !

                                               How flowers dance to the cool thrill of showers !

                                   10)      Look how blissfully sing those birds on trees !

                                              Look how unruffled move those streams so deep !

                                              Look how silently graze those herded sheep !

                                              Look how smoothly glide those white ducks so free !

                                              No disturbing desires or restless state

                                             They live with ease without nurturing hate.

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                                                                                                         SOMASESHU GUTALA