When one walks through the Marketplatz next to Haupstrausse, crosses one of the oldest bridges over river Neckar (whose entrance is adorned with a lot of work. History has it that this was considered as an alternate entrance to the city), there is a narrow lane on the opposite side of the road that can be easily missed. At the end of that short lane begins the Schladenweg - It's a long, winding, uphill passageway - that is not too easy if you are averse to physical exertion, but is quite enjoyable. Parts of the passageway are dark, completely shut from the sun, while other parts have trees right on top which often drop fruits onto the passage way, fruits which in due course of time decay or are trampled beforehand intoxicating the air around with a strong and yet pleasant odour. At every turn, there's a way out of the tunnel into a small circular portico with a park bench right in the middle, that gives you a spectacular view of the famous heidelberg castle. The walk finally leads you to one of the most famous walks in heidelberg - The philosophenWeg (translated as the Philosopher's walk).

I went there last weekend, loved it so much that I went back again this weekend. The ideal place to start the walk will be on the other end (close to Bismarckplatz) because the way uphill is a trifle easier and once you reach the top, you are greeted by the well maintained philosopher's garden, an amazing place to sit with a book for hours, and enjoy the view of the whole city of heidelberg from there. Once you cross the garden, you find the walk fork into the upper philosophen weg and the lower one. It's when you take the lower one that you find the mouth of Schladenweg. The Upper one, Parmanu told me, was more interesting since it takes you right through the woods.

No book covers the question why this walk is called so - one obvious reason must be so many philosophers and poets have walked this way in the past, loved it so much and conceived thoughts and works of art at some point that I was walking past. There are inscriptions of poems, points named after philosophers all through the journey. But this isn't enough isn't it - an idle mind concocts much deeper analogies and hence these - The walk doesn't lead anywhere. You are not taking this walk to go from point A to B but because the walk in itself is the experience. At any point in time you can choose to turn around and walk back and the experience is still complete. Similarly, there is no one prescribed route - the upper and the lower philosophenwegs are complete on their own. Even as you take the upper philosophenweg, you see so many detours, forks where you make a choice and go along - there's no right or a wrong choice. All this is so much like the pursuit of truth (I will not insult your intellect by explaining them again). And the walk in itself is not sensational - there are no breathtaking views, no waterfalls, no steep slopes. You don't have to strain yourself to carefully watch every inch lest you should miss a rare breed of bird or an orchid flower. There's a sameness that is not boring, but is in a way wonderfully soothing, lets you lose your guard and leaves you undisturbed with your thoughts.

It was during this journey that I met Maria, a portugese philosophy student and an excellent conversationalist. Will write about her sometime soon.