Black Forest

Yesterday, Monday August 1st, we drove through a small part of the Black Forest, a wooded mountain range in Baden-Wurttember. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The name Schwarzwald (Black Forest) goes back to the Romans who referred to the thickly forested mountains there as Silva Nigra , i.e. "Black Forest," because the dense growth of conifers in the forest blocked out most of the light inside the forest. Wood-carving is a traditional cottage industry in the region and carved ornaments now are produced in substantial numbers as souvenirs for tourists. The cuckoo clocks are a popular example; they have been made in the region since the early eighteenth century and much of their development occurred there. The Black Forest ham and the Black Forest cake both originated from this region. We stopped in Baden Baden where we enjoyed a cup of coffee and piece of cake.