A Saturday Trek at Schwarzwald

A Saturday Trek at Schwarzwald

by Chandra Sekar Venkataramani Comment Closed
The Schwarzwald (English: Black Forest) located in Baden-Wuerttemberg, the south-western state of Germany, is a name constantly repeated by travel and nature enthusiasts. Even by food lovers, who love to occasionally enjoy a Black Forest cake. The onset of warmer days from May to August/September is a welcome call for Trekkers in Germany. While having never really trekked in the past myself, the ad I spotted accidentally in the local newspaper (benefits of reading German) sparked a thought to sign up for one. The ad spoke of a local club organizing a one-day Trek starting at Durmersheim, a town located 8-10 kms south-west of Karlsruhe, and invited even non-members to join if interested. Couple of weeks later, we were all boarded on the local train (called 'Murgtalbahn' informally, meaning the train that runs in the valley of the river Murg. Hint: Geographical features and City/town names are very closely linked). In a group of 30 odd people, I was the only Indian and perhaps the youngest at 26 years of age,...
Read More
My First Trip – From Esslingen to Ingolstadt

My First Trip – From Esslingen to Ingolstadt

by Chandra Sekar Venkataramani Comment Closed
Having travelled 7500+ kms from Tamil Nadu to Germany, I believe it would be unfair and unwise to confine myself within the walls of a room and continue a run-of-the-mill routine of watching movies & series and reading gossips & conspiracy theories. Which is why I made it a point to explore Germany (in tiny bits), starting 2017. Planning the trip While spontaneous trips to explore a city or visit a friend can sound quite thrilling, for students in a foreign country with limited travel budget, planning in advance can ensure that it’s worth their money. Not to forget, however, are the perils of over-planning and allowing pleasant travel experiences go down the drain. Balancing the level of details is an art in itself and can only be mastered with time and experience. Usually transportation expenses are the major chunk. However, one should also consider the factors of comfort and travel time, before making a balanced decision. Be sure that there is no...
Read More