13) A Day like no Other

Small miracles still happen — you just have to watch for them. The weather forecast, so often the bearer of grey skies and rain, promised something almost unbelievable: an entire day without rain. Sunshine, a few drifting clouds, and the perfect conditions for an adventure.

Early in the morning, Jürgen and Huayna packed their backpacks and boarded the train to Lindau once again. They strolled briefly through the charming old town, their steps light with anticipation. At a travel agency, they gathered tips for hiking trails in the Allgäu and picked up a hiking map — their ticket to the open, green world beyond the city.

And then they set off.

With long, eager strides, they made their way out of Lindau, heading toward the Austrian border. The streets slowly gave way to country roads, which themselves unraveled into forest paths. Each step took them further from the city's bustle, deeper into the embrace of nature. Huayna's eyes sparkled with excitement as they climbed through dense woods, crossed small villages, and breathed in the pure, vibrant air of the hills.

Their goal was Möggers, a mountain community nestled in the Leiblachtal Valley, right on the Pfänderstock ridge. If you stood in just the right spot, you could see the sweep of Lindau and Lake Constance lying like a blue dream to the west.

During their hike, they caught sight of the Allgäu Skywalk in the distance — a delicate web of treetop paths stretching high above the forest floor. 540 meters long and 40 meters at its highest, the Skywalk seemed to float between the earth and sky. Although time didn’t allow a visit, just seeing it added a sense of wonder to their journey.

Soon they crested a hill where a meadow unfolded before them — an endless ocean of yellow dandelions, shimmering in the breeze like a golden carpet. A single withered tree, standing stubbornly against the sky, and a lone farmhouse completed a scene so picturesque that no artist’s brush could have captured it more perfectly.

But their true treasure awaited them deeper in the forest.

They entered the Sägetobel ravine, home to the "Forest Full of Secrets." A circular trail, adventurous and winding, led them over suspension bridges and through towering beech trees. Here, nature whispered its stories in every rustle of leaves and gurgle of hidden streams.

They lingered in a wooden hut, crossed a convertible log cabin, and found hammocks and benches where they could listen — really listen — to the ancient rhythm of the forest. Birdsong, the soft sigh of the wind, the crackle of unseen creatures moving in the underbrush. Time seemed to dissolve. For a few perfect hours, there was no world beyond the trees.

The ravine itself held the memory of the old sawmill that once harnessed the power of waterfalls. Now, only the name remained — Sägetobel — as nature had gently reclaimed the past, transforming wood into humus, toil into peace.

For Jürgen and Huayna, it was a day stitched into their hearts forever. A day of laughter, of quiet awe, of belonging — a day that would never be forgotten.

And it was also one of their last days in Germany.

With heavy hearts, but filled with gratitude, they would soon say farewell to Jürgen’s mother — who was now recovering well — and to her kind partner, Hermann. They would turn their faces toward Brazil once more, carrying with them memories woven from sunshine, forests, meadows, and the deep, enduring love of family.

Published: 10/05/2025