Blogs from Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Europe

Am Samstag-Abend war ich dann noch in meinem schon bekannten Schweizer Restaurant und habe Raclette gegessen. Dabei dachte ich zuerst, dass ich nur einen Teller Käse bekommen würde, was ich etwas wenig fand, aber es waren dann doch drei. Beinahe hätte ich es zusammen mit dem Brot, den Kartoffeln, den Zwiebeln und den Gurken nicht geschafft. Es war das erste Mal, dass ich Raclette in einem Schweizer Restaurant gegessen habe. Meine Eltern hatten zwar ein Raclettegrill und ich habe an einem Markt in Basel mehrmals Raclette-to-go gegessen, aber das erklärt meine Überraschung, dass ich noch einen zweiten und dritten Teller bekommen habe. Am Sonntag habe ich wieder gut gefrühstückt, wobei ich wirklich die Gewohnheit der Hotel, zum Frühstück hart gekochte Eier anzubieten, nicht gut finde. Man hätte mir zwar weich gekochte gemacht, aber das hätte zu ... read more

Whew, what a hot night! We seem to be sweating and drinking continuously and never feeling cool - shades of our Danube cycle tour. We had a relaxing morning of breakfasting and chatting before downsizing our luggage to two smaller bags. It sure beats lugging around large suitcases and we won't need a lot of alternative clothing while biking. In the afternoon Marc delivered us to Konstanz where we couldn't find a park or the hotel. Going by the GPS we got as close as we could and Marc returned home. We headed off in entirely the wrong direction and after a couple of people if they knew our street and young German man accompanied us back the way we came and through a chaotic market to the Munster. From there we followed a map and ... read more

Mark another country off the board as "visited"! Today we ventured into Switzerland to marvel at the immensity and power of the Rheinfalls. These falls on the upper Rhine river allow 158,000 gallons of water to fall over 150 feet every second. This is the largest waterfall in Europe. We got an up close and personal view of the action. Our boat delivered us to a tall, rocky outcropping literally in the middle of the falls. Up the steep stairs we climbed to a viewing deck as the waters thundered around us. The spray was refreshing on this hot morning. The power of this tumbling water was mind boggling to behold. Back to the bus, and it was on to the city of Konstanz for lunch and shopping. Most never made it beyond the mall. Those ... read more

A light jolt makes me open my eyes and the slumber that I have been lost in for the past few hours is instantly lifted from my tired body. I sit bolt upright as I realise I am in the middle of a vast expanse of water, hemmed on one side by gleaming montain peaks. Little by little I become aware of my surroundings. I'm on a boat, to quote "The Lonely Island", or more accurately sitting inside a bus on a mini-ferry. In the middle of a lake. Discovering the joys of travelling from Friedrichshafen Airport to Kostanz, the Paradise Town on the Boden Lake. Actually, the word is "Paradies" - the residential area where my beloved cousin Eva lives in a flat intended for two people all by herself, her only neighbour being so ... read more

Konstanz is in Southern Germany on a huge lake (Lake Constance), that is in three countries: Switzerland, Germany and Austria. I arranged to meet three of my friends from Peru there and have a little reunion. Sebastian lives there and we stayed at his place. He met me from the station and we had some lunch, then went to meet Marlene (who I already went to see in Trier earlier in my trip), then later on Astrid arrived, on a boat from Austria. It was great to see them all! We walked around the old town, pretty old streets and a huge cathedral, the beautiful lake stretching into the horizon with the huge statue of a prostitute on the pier, which turns around so you can see her from all angles. Great symbol for a city! ... read more