The miracle of Lengede
The “Wonder of Lengede” instantly reminds me on the namesake mine disaster on 1963 and the wondrously rescue of eleven pitmen after fourteen days. But there is more to the place. Upon hiking in that area there is potential to find more. However Lengede’s background of mining is definitely a topic here. Admittedly if it had not been for a garden visit at Münstedt we would not have came across this tour around the ponds of Lengede. Today, parts of the former extraction land and sedimentation ponds has been recultivated and is under wildlife protection. And it is worth it, I think. Numerous insects are living close to the ponds. But be careful: mosquito protection should be at your hand.
Open garden gate the second
After our garden visit last sunday, which strongly inspired us, we are again on tour. It is quite plain to us that this might be a non-event. After all exaltations like the one’s we had last sunday are not repeatable at will. On wednesday our programme has been arranged, inclusively a chantarelle feast at the Waldhaus Odinshain. The coreography has not been too easy this time. Finally the hiking tour is subject to the garden visit. This time Münstedt is the host which is close to Ilsede. My hiking app assists me to find a corresponding walk. By chance it is the season for chanterelles, i.e. we need a restaurant nearby that serves some. I become aware of the Groß Bültener Hof that looks tempting to me. Unfortunately, it is closed on saturdays. Finally, we decide on the Waldgasthaus Odinshain.
The Hantelmanns hold court
Oh yes, it must be a superlative: 4.500 square meter of a former farm with a huge garden in a country chic style. We arrive early afternoon. The front garden makes the concept already clear: a lot of decoration, partly with fanciful, partly with strange character. There are two galactic “death stars” hanging in a tree. Are they Star Wars fans? It is too early yet to form an opinion. Afterwards we come a cross a sculpture which is a look-a-like of the “Little Prince” figure. In front of that there is a lower down seating with four chairs. On the right you feel like being on a cemetery due to the wall has been erected there. We walk to a raised bed with economic plants. At this narrow place the visitors come to a halt. An elderly man calls to his wife: “You can look at the garden later on on my mobile.” We discover another part of the garden, which is dominated by hydrangeas. It looks like the peacock butterfly and the red admiral loves it. We are suprised how relaxed it is sitting on the blossom.
The green golden garden chafer
We stroll at the garden pont with yellow lily pads and stop at another hydrangea. Something is moving. A kind of beetle with a green golden carapace is hiding himself in the sea of blossom. We want to take a picture of it, but the bug dos not want to. We circle around the little creature. However the it succeeds in hiding itself. It is a garden chafer. Those little insects are protected wildlife! We leave it alone in the end and walk over to the cake buffet. Most of the visitors made already use of it. What else can you do with al those seatings? Burkhard decides on a piece of gooseberry-streusel cake.
The miracle of Lengede
Our reservation is for 7:30 pm, we have to go. On our way back to the car, we realize that the crowd of visitors is accelerating. Sure, it is coffee time. Well, you have to hurry up now, before the sweets are gone. We drive from Münstedt to Klein Lafferde. It is only a stone’s throw away. We start in the village centre. We have a distance of 16.9 kilometres in front of us. We walk to the village limits and turn right into a country road. We make the mistake to compare the tour already to the one of last weekend. However upon reaching the Fuhse walking towards the Abuteich everything changes. The trails are more narrow, the landscape is more beautiful. Is that going to work out in the end?
A broken wing
Suddenly we see a blue dragonfly on the ground. It is a beautifl demoiselle. But something is wrong. Oh, poor thingy, one of the wings is broken. Unfortunately we cannot do nothing more than to put the insect aside in order that nobody steps on it.
After having circling around the Abuteich we continue towards the sedimentation ponds 11 and 11a. At 11a a group of fishermen is nestling there. It is about 5 o’clock pm and we still have half of the tour in front of us. Shall we take a short cut? We decide against it. May that was not our best decision on that day. Because we are now in a part where mosquitos love to live. I guess it goes without saying that our walking pace almost doubles. When we finally leave this mosquito hell we are standing in front ot the mining park. Our last challenge is the 150 metres high ropeway hill. It is a real rispnorter. Not only the ascent is steep, the descent is also. In the middle we enjoy a great view from the top.
After our descend we take a closer look at the mining park. There are some traces from the past, such as tracks or the statue of a larger than life statue of a miner. There are still about six kilometres ahead of us. We move on as there are dark and heavy clould hanging above us. Still the look more dangerous than they really are. We arrive safely and with dry feet at our starting point at Klein Lafferde. In the meantime my stomach was growling. Lucky enough the Waldgasthaus is just around the corner. After all that exercise the shandy tastes even better and the chanterelles even more so.
