Day 131: Blueberries And A View

Lemgo to Velmerstot

Distance: 35km

A cold, humid night left my tent covered in morning dew. Might sound romantic but it certainly isn't. A wet tent means some extra weight. After a relatively late start, I leave Lemgo behind. As I climb up and out of the cold air, the temperature is rising considerably, making walking much more pleasant. My mood improves even more when I spot some wild cherry. Not completely ripe just yet, but definitely good for eating. Three hours later, I reach Detmold. Time for resupply. As my timing is a bit unlucky (no possibility to resupply tomorrow and day after tomorrow with a public holiday on Thursday), I need 4 days worth of food. Plus 3 liters of water for today, tonight and tomorrow. My body struggles a bit with the increased weight. I need to take it slow. 

After a strenuous climb I reach the Herrmansdenkmal, a hilltop memorial to a Germanic chieftain. It is massive, reminds me of the Statue of Liberty. This guy must have left quite an impression. 

The next tourist spot are the Externsteine. Some rocks that actually look quite attractive. I think it's a bit of a shame they somewhat ruined by making their tops accessible. I'm surprised they didn't buit a roller-coaster around it too. I leave them behind as well, passing a Heide, packed with blueberries. This comes unexpected as I thought I have left the blueberries behind for good. Even more fantastic to see they are ready to be picked. Even though they are small, they taste delicious. The highlight so far today. Far better than these tourist spots. And that's a reason why I like thru-hiking. Going to these tourist places by car or public transportation, I'd have never experienced that and missed this highlight and would have to be satisfied with the touristy things. 

With my belly full of blueberries a short but steep climb takes be up the Velmerstot. Two peaks, one that seems to be in it's original state, the other one heavily altered. Apparently it was used for as a military defense site. Now a massive observation tower sits on top of the flattened peak. The views are staggering. Clear sky, excellent visibility. After another somewhat tough day for me, mostly through forest, I'm soaking up the scenery, getting the motivation to keep trekking southbound.