[Baden-Baden—Friday, 26 August 1859]
Friday 26th Very warm. Took a carriage early for Schloss Eberstein. We never can forget that drive. A road of solid masonry carried us over lofty hills and through spans of the Black Forest miles upon miles till we believed some giant wand was smoothing us a path to a yet undiscovered Paradise. As we approached the castle the valley of the Murg opened in a very luxury of gentle Alpine beauty before us.
The ducal family still at certain periods reside at Eberstein. I seemed to see the very spot which the enemy meant to attack when their plan was frustrated in the way Uhland so capitally describes. The spot was teeming with the romance and the beauty of Germany. The interior was in charming taste showing it I fancied to be a favorite residence. There were many stained glass windows of great antiquity and one of late workmanship in the boudoir of the duchess upon which we saw an affectionate inscription in German showing it to have been a birthday gift to her lady-ship from one of the royal family. From every window the magnificent prospect seemed to open with a new surprise. The current of the Murg is very swift just here and it was long before we noticed that men, looking like flies upon one end of long sticks of molasses candy, the candy proving itself to be immense rafts of fine timber, were rapidly succeeding each other in their perilous course down the stormy mountain stream. The day was so radiant with sunny warmth that this view which must have a stern wild look at times was all life, coolness and beauty.
Lunched on the hill-side & left reluctantly.
