A three course hike (and why we missed out on dessert)

A few weekends back, we went on the gourmet-hike, I surprised Benji with for his birthday.

We LOVE food and we LOVE hiking, so this is a pretty good thing to keep us busy with! And if you think we walked an eight-hour-hike with a belly full of food… then, no! No, no! It’s a perfectly timed “little” hike of about three to four hours and it’s more of a veeery long walk than a hardcore-professional hike. The trail is called “Forest & Water” because you walk along some stunning lakes & rivers and mostly through the woods! It’s so soothing, I’m sure you would love it too! So, let’s begin with the starter. (Also, I totally forgot to take any photos of the meals, as I had my head in the clouds of food-heaven… But I will describe it to you!)

The day started at an Italian Restaurant, where we got a Caprese Salad and some Bruschetta. This was a nice little snack, to still be able to walk after. Last time (we already did the same “hike” a few years ago) the first course was based at a local brewery, which was a little more special. There you could do a beer tasting and eat Bavarian Veal Sausages with a Pretzel and Honey-Mustard. Very nice! Sadly the brewery doesn’t exist anymore …

The route to the main course is absolutely beautiful! We started in the dreamy village of Flims. The first 30 minutes the path led us through a magical forest, with some Narnia-like lamps. The autumn air was cold & crisp and the sun, shining like a warm, long hug. I have always loved how the light flickers through the trees and forests to me have such a calming effect. (I really want to live next to the forest one day. Like, “touching-the-trees-from-the-window” next to the forest.) Soon after, we started seeing a blue shimmering lake. The lake Cauma is known for its radiant turquoise color. With the surrounding mountains reflecting on its surface, it looks like a painting someone carefully created stroke by stroke. We sat down and watched some children playing under a bunch of yellow trees, their leaves falling down on the children’s heads. “If anyone knows the secret to a full life, it must be them,” I remember thinking to myself. So careless and free.

We continued our walk around the lake and up through another forest, and suddenly we found ourselves, far from the main path and all the other people, on a small little track. We went upwards one last time and there it was! One lonely bench illuminated by the sun, surrounded by trees and looking down on a wide gorge. Tiny villages spread around it, on the mountains and hills, like dots. It was unbelievably peaceful up there! Just us, the sun and this mighty view. I remember, there was a very warm wind, reminding me of late summer evenings in Tuscany. I tried to soak it all in.

On our way down, we passed two guys enjoying life, laying in the grass and drinking a beer. After some more minutes, we reached the Restaurant, where we sat down outside for our next meal. And let me tell you, this might have been one of the best things, I ever ate! A specialty from up there: Ravioli filled with dried Pears, topped with Parmigiano and Onions. As well as Ravioli with Ricotta that were amazing too, but let’s stay with the heaven-sent Pear Ravioli! The perfect balance between sweet and salty! After this glorious dish, we laid down on a huge wooden bench, under an apple tree a few steps away from the restaurant. I don’t know for how long we stayed there, but it did make us miss our dessert later… It was very worth it!

Continuing our way to the last stop, we came to a look-out, where we got another glance at the gorge. The Rhine Gorge has a total length of 13 kilometers, where the river Rhine carves out its way through the valley. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and if you see how the river runs in the most beautiful winding shapes, you know why. From there we went through another forest, for about 40 more minutes, and caught sight of the next lake. Even more magical, then the other one. There were fewer people and two kids on a little wooden boat. Arriving at the Restaurant Crestasee we were ready for our dessert, but as we totally forgot the time, while laying around, at the last stop, the kitchen was already closed. Never mind! We were still full of Ravioli anyways and the kind waiter gave us some coffee for free instead. It was still warm enough to sit outside and we were looking down on the lake, surrounded by the most colorful trees.

The last part of the hike is the longest and both times we were already a bit tired. It’s a lovely walk though and you pass some small waterfalls and a small outdoor classroom. Completely with tree trunk chairs and a wood chalkboard. How cute is this? Finally arrived at our car we were worn out (in a good way), full to the brim and very happy. I would do it again over and over again! Even though this hike was an organized one, that I bought in a package, I think this is a great idea to plan by yourself. Simply find a place you love to hike, add two or three restaurants/cafes around it and change location for every meal. Voilà!

Warmly,
Kim

PS: Please let me know, how you liked the length of this post! I never know if it’s too much or too little (to read)…