Continuing from Kayserberg to Riquewihr was the most difficult section of the day. Up to the Chateau, very steep, and closed for repairs. Many more ups throught forests, dodging fallen trees and it was interesting how instead of removing some of these trees, they were just left there...sometimes with little ladders to climb up and over them. Not easy to squish under a huge tree, wearing a pack.

More ups through forests with chestnut trees, the hairy chestnuts all over the ground and on the trees. At first glance, they look like little sea urchins. I carefully picked one up because the spines on the nut casing are very sharp. There were also wild berry bushes everywhere. I think they were wild blackberries...because they weren't furry like raspberries...and these bushes were killers with sharp thorns. It was impossible to dodge all the thorns and both ex-Marine and I walked along, blood dripping down legs and arms. In the 20+ years we've been hiking around Europe, this was the first time we've ever seen such a plethora of wild berry bushes and chestnut trees.