long walk

 A long walk, over the hills and the bluffs along the steep side of the valley along by the river named Isar. Finally, an illegal turnoff through the nature reserve, past the old military radio mast and  through the beech woods. The path is badly washed out, it is hardly there any more. This used to be an educational path, there are still notices on small pedestals informing the walker of what kind of tree or frog or whatever he is just passing.

The wood is fantastic, old beech trees on the long slope, all incredibly tall. The ground is brown with all the fallen leaves, and the wood is silent and deserted.

It is very peaceful.

Down in the valley the wood comes to an end, and there is the one-time training ground of the military, now turned into an open plain of grassland. This is a nature preserve, it is forbidden to walk across the wild grass because doing so would disturb the animals and the birds. 

Near Auloh find a path that leads across the plain, cross the main road, and walk through a suburban housing estate that is there. After a search, find the bridge over the canal, and climb the embankment around the reservoir. This is the direct path back home, five or six kilometres. The reservoir has hundreds of swans congregating on its surface, whole families, older cygnets and all. Many are feeding off the bottom of the reservoir, their tail ends up in the air. Try to imagine what it looks like underwater, with the swan head on its long neck reaching down from above to root in the mud.

Be back in Landshut at one o'clock,  after having walked for twenty one kilometres.