Boofen in the Pfalz

We went camping last weekend!

Well, technically we went "Höhling", aka "Boofen", a word which is nicely reminiscent of doof -- German for "not so bright" -- which is how some people find the suggestion of camping in the winter. But the idea is actually rather cozy: you find a dry, half-open cave in the woods and build a crackling fire and set out your winter sleeping bag and cook up a pot of Glühwein with friends.

Not that we were all that successful at points one and two. The cave we'd first had in mind was occupied, so we settled for one that was open at both ends. This made it pretty ass-cold for sleeping out of doors in January -- despite the Smokiest Fire Ever Achieved, which took us half an hour to light using wet wood! -- but the weather was bright and sunny, the hiking was terrific, and the company great.

Mom and I both agreed that there is something magical about the Pfälzer Wald. The Odenwald on the other side of the Rhein River (love the name! "Odin Wood") is very beautiful, and, being less dark and thick and more open and accessible, it is Bert's and my hiking forest of choice. But the Pfälzer Wald is... mysterious. It feels larger, more ancient, more impenetrable, the sprinkling of villages more isolated. I've heard from others, too, that the Pfälzer Wald is a place where you imagine fairy tales originating. Contrary to the pleasantly settled Odenwald, the Pfälzer Wald is sheer wildwood.

Plus I really liked chopping it down. Well, not really, we actually just hacked at dead trees for firewood, but it was really fun. What is so pleasurable about this? About getting a good axe-swinging rhythm going and watching the chips fly, followed by the satisfaction of lugging fuel back to the campsite to warm your boyfriend? If hunting wood is this much of a thrill, imagine how it felt back in the day to come home with meat. Not that I'd enjoy the pressure of having no other choice: a walk to the farmer's market is infinitely less dangerous and more certain of the outcome. But a weekend in the quiet green of things really inspires one to get out of Ludwigshafen more often. And to get some exercise! Our bodies were made to thrive hiking and chopping and schlepping all day long, not sitting in front of a computer blogging!