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| Michelbach - one of many charming villages tucked away in the folds and foothills of the Black Forest. It boasts two fine churches, a goodly number of well maintained half -timbered houses and two hotels, but not much else |
I knew I was getting better when I started to feel restless. I was also still feeling a bit put out by
the fact that I’d had to give up on the car hire. I badly wanted to drive the B
500, the scenic route that goes right over the top of the Black Forest and
passes a few small waterfalls. I had hoped my cousin would join me so I could treat her to a spa in Baden – Baden for looking after me, but she really needed to get on with her usual activities and also had a funeral to attend so she declined my invitation.
No stranger to solo travel, I booked into what appeared to be one of the cheapest places to stay -The Vesperstueble in Michelbach, and then took a train to Baden – Baden which looked like the nearest access point. It didn’t seem far away – only an hour and a half by car and a bit longer by train according to Google.
What wasn’t shown on the booking site, was that it was much quicker to get off at Rastatt and still took two train changes and two buses to get there, which pretty much took up the whole day. By the time I had struggled up the last hill to the little hostel, I was looking forward to a hot meal. Vesperstueble means Little Supper Room and there were ads for roast dinners and big breakfasts both on the booking site and along the road.
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| Main Street, Michelbach looks timeless and unchanged by the centuries. I can recommend it to anyone looking for peace and quiet |
The Quiet Village
To my dismay, the hostel was utterly deserted when I got there, but while I was recovering and contemplating my fate, a young man on a motor bike who’d given me directions earlier, rode up and let me in. He explained that the owner – I think it was his uncle, was away on holiday and there wouldn’t be any dinners or breakfast.
He didn't know how the coffee machine worked either, but he did manage to find me a cup and made hot water in the microwave so I could make some coffee with the instant I had in my pack. Looking around, I could see that chairs were piled up high in the dining room and there was nothing else to cook on or with, no other crockery or cutlery. Nor was there any food.
I asked the young man if there was anything to eat in the village. Was there a bakery perhaps or maybe a shop where I could buy something for dinner and breakfast? No, he said, but I might still be able to get some Flammkuchen (Flame cake?) tonight. Then he was gone.
I suspected he was talking about some kind of pizza, but after plodding down the hill again, there didn’t seem to be anything open at all. There were no bright lights. No Golden Arches. The guide who led the Walk about the evils of excess lighting would be delighted.
A dim glow still issued from reception at a rather expensive -looking hotel I'd passed on the way up, but when I asked if they were still serving meals, the manager said, “Sorry, No. Dinner finishes at 7," though I was welcome to come for breakfast even if I wasn't staying there. Having explained to him that I doubted I would survive that long, he too suggested that I might still be able to get Flammkuchen at the other hotel.
Other hotel? It took me a while to find it, shrouded as it was in
grapevines and semi darkness but as I got closer I could see a row of tiny
string lights around the edges. They really are discreet here. “Knock three times and whisper low,”
I thought as I knocked tentatively on the big wooden door. Before I could say, "I was sent by Joe" the proprietor popped his head around the door and confirmed that he was indeed still serving Flammkuchen. Inside, two young women sat at a large wooden table, talking in whispers while devouring their second or third Flammkuchen. Another table which had said “Reserved” on it, was soon occupied by
an older couple.
I looked through the menu. There was only Flammkuchen in
various forms. I was really curious by now. Looking over at
the ladies at the next table I could see that it was a bit like a pizza, except with crème fraîche over the base instead of tomato sauce and
then whatever you fancy on top. Leek, Camenbert and Cranberries sounded pretty good, so did Goats Cheese and Figs, but in the end I chose one with chicken, Gouda and parsley on top. Although I opted for the more traditional kind, there were certainly some interesting variations including sweet ones with banana and Nutella, The Black Forest which involved flambéed sour cherries over cream with chocolate sauce and even some with gummy bears, Oreos or M & Ms. Check out the recipe at the end.
I don't know how people manage to put away more than one of these. I had to ask the publican to put half of mine into a doggy bag to take home for breakfast and he also very kindly gave me some of those little milk capsules they give you on aeroplanes, so I wouldn't have to drink black coffee with it. As I walked home to my bunk bed I wondered how this little town at the far end of the valley survived. It was in a lovely setting, but was tourism enough? The answer was to reveal itself the next day. Gaggenau, the next town along and where I had to change buses, is home to a major Mercedes Benz production plant.
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| I think this was about where Google Maps - which only worked on hilltops, was screaming at me to "Go back, Go back!" |
Geroldsauer Falls
Duly fortified, I headed off to look at my first waterfall early in the morning as it supposedly only involved a two kilometre walk after taking the first two buses into town and then another bus from Baden -Baden. After longish waits for buses and a false start, I got there just before sunset, but it was a lovely walk amid turning leaves, mosses and a little stream that burbled and gurgled alongside. In the end though, I had walked more than six kilometres - two up, two back and then 2 on the right track,* and was practically hobbling by the time I reached the road. I was now so slow that I was really worried I wouldn't make it in time for the last bus back. They stopped even earlier here than in Michelbach. Seeing my travail, a kind Afghani family picked me up and dropped me at the bus stop. Then there was that l-o-n-g uphill walk at the end, but I did at least have the good sense to stock up on (microwavable) food while waiting for the buses.
* I'd taken a footpath alongside a vacant B & B that said falls, but after the required distance, the track became fainter and fainter and I hadn't seen any sign of falls. I'm still convinced that in the end the two paths would have come together - there were several tracks throughout the forest, but couldn't take the risk.
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| As you can see Autumn has touched the valley and the sun is already low in the sky |
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| The Falls at last. There are tempting walks in all directions from here, but it's no time to push my luck |
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When I came back from this trip all excited about Flammkuchen, my cousin gave me the recipe she always uses for traditional Alsace Flammkuchen, though there any number of recipes for it on YouTube if you need more instruction. It only uses three main ingredients - from there on, you can use your imagination or almost anything you've got in your fridge. It doesn't take long to make either, so I've made it often since. Even the son who hates cooking has made one - very successfully, I might add.
I couldn't access the German site, so this recipe has been cobbled together by Bing Chat GTP (now called Copilot, and is based on instructions on the Cinnamon Jar website and Caroline's Cooking.
Simple Flammkuchen/Tarte Flambé Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup (150g) flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup (60ml) water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup (120ml) crème fraîche
1/2 cup (120ml) sour cream
2 onions, thinly sliced
100g smoked bacon lardons
Optional: grated cheese (such as Gruyère)
Instructions:
Prepare the dough: In a bowl, mix flour, salt, water, and olive oil to form a soft dough. Knead briefly to smoothe, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Prepare the topping: In a separate bowl, mix crème fraîche and sour cream until smooth. Cook the onions and bacon until onions are caramelized and bacon is crispy.
Roll out the dough: Preheat your oven to 250°C (482°F). Roll the dough very thin, about the size of a baking tray. [For fan forced around 200°C is enough]. My note.
Assemble: Spread the crème fraîche mixture evenly over the dough. Top with caramelized onions and bacon. Optionally, sprinkle some grated cheese on top which makes it a Tarte Gratineé
.
Bake: Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are crispy and golden. Slice, serve and enjoy!
PS Crème fraîche, sour cream and Schmand -a similar product in Germany, are all slightly different from one another. Crème fraîche has a higher fat content, making it less likely to curdle when heated and Schmand is a smoother mixture of sour cream. Unfortunately, we don't usually have a lot of choice in Australia. I can usually only get cultured sour cream and I have noticed little difference in taste or texture from the original. It's what you put on top that counts and if it has a few less calories, I won't complain either. I have also cheated using flatbread as a base which works well enough if you are in a hurry or have hungry hordes to feed.
Thanks Bing Chat AI/ aka Copilot, also for any facts and figures I obtained from you
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