Adventures of Humphrey

**My Big Adventure – Day 6: Semois Valley to the Black Forest**

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Goodbye, Belgium

I woke up still a little sleepy after yesterday’s epic forest hike. While the hoomans packed up, I entertained myself in the garden. The big dogs in the field next door (horses, apparently, though I still think they’re just giant dogs) kept their distance, so I had a good time trotting up and down the fence line, keeping an eye on them.

Mum bustled around cleaning, which was dull, so I supervised Dad loading up the car. Finally, we were off on our next adventure.

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The Long Road to Germany

The drive was loooong and mostly boring, so I snoozed through the first half. We stopped in France at a charging point, where Dad took me for a quick lap around the carpark in the rain. Then we had lunch at the golden arches. A kind French lady said I could come inside, but my hoomans said, *“No, it’s fine—we’ll sit outside.”* Can you believe that? Out in the rain, like commoners! To make it worse, there were wasps buzzing around. I hate those things—I got stung once in the Lake District and I’m never forgetting it.

Back in the car, we started the second half of the journey. After what felt like forever, I perked up. The mountains appeared—thick with dark, towering trees, rivers sparkling below, and the fresh smell of pine filling the air. I could tell we were close.

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Welcome to the Heidi House

We stopped just outside a town called Schiltach for another quick charge and a short walk, then finally reached our digs: **The Heidi House**. It’s up in the mountains and—get this—there are Highland

cows right next door! From Scotland, ! They’ve got shaggy ginger coats and massive horns, and I was fascinated.

The lady of the house said not to let me off my lead because she’s got cats. Cats! Honestly, as if I’d waste my time chasing them—I’m a lover, not a fighter. Apparently, she also has a dog, but we haven’t met yet.

I was busy staring at the cows when disaster struck. There was a wire fence around the garden. I brushed against it and—ZAP!—the thing bit me! I let out a huge howl, leapt back, and startled the cows. Dad said I got “electrocuted.” In an Airbnb, no less! Imagine! I sulked back inside, mentally scarred. Belgium was starting to look much better…

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Settling In

Luckily, the hoomans noticed my distress and took me for a walk into town. Schiltach is a very pretty place, with half-timbered houses and cobbled streets. We stopped at a pub for dinner, and I was allowed inside where it was warm. I showed off my world-class people-watching skills and, of course, soaked up plenty of attention.

After dinner, the rain returned, along with thunder in the forecast, so we went back up the mountain. Mum unpacked my teddy (finally!), which made me feel much better. We curled up to watch TV before heading to bed.

Tomorrow, Dad says we’ll explore the famous Black Forest itself. Apparently, the trees are so thick and dark that’s how it got its name. I can’t wait to sniff every corner of it.

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Best & Worst Bits

**Best Bit of the Day:** Meeting the Highland cows and smelling the piney mountain air.
**Worst Bit of the Day:** Getting zapped by the evil wire fence. I’m never going near it again.