The weather forecast for today promised clouds and sun (no rain) but the trail is partly a waterway, as the puddle on the left in the photo above demonstrates.
For that, though, we have fairy rings of mushrooms (regrettably, it's too early for chantrelles).
We have huge snails -- at least an inch across. I've seen these daily since the start of the hike, but this time one of them obliged to pose on a dark surface.
Because there is no good place to have lunch, we have lunch with a view. Had the weather forecast been correct, it would now be partly cloudy. Regrettably, it's a bit on the wet -- well, moist -- side (notice the umbrella). But we enjoy the rolls we prepared at the great hotel in Veilbronn.
But the wildflowers that can be found on the very poor soil are amazing. Similar to California's serpentine, the soil here is rich in magnesium, which discourages grasses and supports a lot of unusual plants such as this wild rose.
Salomon seal.
Steinnelke and Wolfsmilch (Euphorbia).
The highlight of the hike is a fire salamander that James discovers on the ground. Thomas almost stepped on it, but it escaped unharmed and I manage a quick photo.
Not too far from our destination we get to the Binghoele (binghoehle.de on the Internet), a cave that was discovered in the early 20th century. Our group is big enough to get a tour, and the tour guide does a great job showing us the wonders of the cave.
After another steep uphill and more gentle downhill, we are very glad to arrive in Muggendorf. In the evening, I watch the news and I'm shocked how bad the floods further downstream, for example in Passau, actually are. In some places, the rivers are higher than ever recorded - and recording here goes back to the Middle Ages. Suddenly, getting a little wet seems like a minor inconvenience compared to losing your home and your livelihood.
