Origins of the Places in "Feeling the Distance."

In Feeling the Distance much of the story takes place in the Bavarian town of Oberwald and the mountains that dominate the town – Kreuzberg and the Widderstein. It is in the refuge on the Widderstein that the protagonists come face to face with their father’s past. Are these places simply a product of my imagination? The answer is no they are not. Certainly, these places do exist but they are not in Bavaria! Their origins lie in my memories of Italy and the wonderful times I spent in the mountains north of Verona.

Kreuzberg is simply the Germanised form of the Italian Monte Croce. If ever you arrive in Verona by train and the air is clear, you might notice a hill just behind and to the north of the city centre. There is a white cross on the top. This is the hill I had in mind when I described Kreuzberg in the book.

As for the Widderstein, you will find it at the bottom end of Kleinwalsertal in the Vorarlberg region of Austria. At around 2600m, it is a fine mountain to climb! The real Widderstein has no refuge on its summit and so, for the purposes of the book, I had to import one from another place. I chose Rifugio Fraccaroli (photo top left) on the summit of Cima Carega because I have climbed this mountain many times and it was easy to keep it in mind while writing the book. The town of Oberwald was very loosely based on the village (photo top right) that lies at the foot of the Carega group. This village is called Giazza and is not only a wonderful place but also has a linguistic peculiarity. Some of the old inhabitants still speak a Germanic language – the legacy of the medieval period that saw returning Teutonic knights settle in this part of Italy.

 

 

Comments

[Christopher Goddard]

I well recall our visit to Giazza, almost 30 years ago. Is it also right that somewhere in northern Italy a Germanic dialect called 'Cimbro' still exists? But if so, what would be the origin, I wonder? Maybe the Germanic tribe, the Cimbri, that invaded the Roman Republic (or was it the Empire by then) but before the main so-called 'barbarian invasions'.

[robert John Goddard]

Cimbro is still spoken by some of the inhabitants of Giazza. I went back there in June last year. There is a Cimbro museum there now. Apparently, a group of German crusaders settled there on their way back from the Holy Land. The German they spoke is still present in plenty of inscriptions around the town and is easily understandable.