Monday 16 December 2019. Before December 2019 we had never been to the Black Forest before and were looking forward to our visit immensely. We stayed for six nights in the completely delightful small town of Gengenbach on the Kinzig river. On our first morning we set out for the Jakobuskapelle, the small white chapel on the vine-clad hill above town. After visiting the chapel we ventured further, and stumbled upon the delightful Portiunkulakapelle, a beautiful little chapel on the edge of the woods. We spent some quiet minutes inside. We then entered the forest, delighted finally to be walking in the Black Forest, and after some time returned to town via Unterer Hüttersbacher Weg. Lunch at Stadtcafe Alt Gengenbach – flammenkuchen – was followed by a visit to the Narrenmuseum (“Fools Museum”) in the Gengenbach altstadt’s sixteenth-century Niggelturm to see the rather terrifying Fasnet costumes and masks. Finally, coffee and cakes at the insanely busy Bäckerei Dreher was followed by a visit to the Adventsmarkt to enjoy glühwein, kinderpunsch and sweets and to witness the revealing of the next Advent window… A wonderful introduction to the Black Forest.