Where Am I?

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Blog -- August 3
Where Am I?

We biked through three countries in a matter of hours this morning. At times, we were not quite sure whether we were in Liechtenstein, Austria, or Switzerland. But this evening, we are definitely in Switzerland.

We awoke to blue skies and warm temperatures. Biking along the Rhine River, we had 40 kms. in before 11:00. It was about that time that we got “misplaced” in the town of Hohenems, right on the border between Switzerland and Austria when we stopped at a store for a supplies. It was also at about that time that the clouds moved in and the temps got cooler. We eventually found our way towards Rorschacherberg, our goal for the evening.

About noon time or so, the clouds opened, dumping their load of rain on the streets of Lustenau. Fortunately, we had heeded the warning of the approaching thunder and lightening and had taken refuge at Plant #3 of the Blum Company, a large manufacturer of kitchen and bath fixtures; evidently a major employer in the area. Under the covered parking area, on a bench, we ate our daily lunch of bread, salami, cheese, and fruit as we waited for the rain to abate.

Another ten kms. or so and we were forced to stop again as the rain moved through. Finally, we gave up, decided that with just 10 kms. or so to go, we would just get wet. Our destination was a Warm Showers host, Kamal, we lives in Rorschacherberg, a town on the Bodensee, a natural lake formed by the Rhine River.

What a delightful Warm Showers host. Maxi (the dog), Kamal, and Pascal greeted us with beds, shower, and a delicious dinner. A relaxing evening as we looked out over the lake. At about 8 p.m. another cyclist came in, cycling from Sweden through much of Eastern Europe. Another evening of the United Nations gathered around the dinner table -- Bill and I from the USA, Kamal from India, Migal from Sweden, and Pascal from South Africa.

Tomorrow, we head for Kreuzlingen (say that three times fast) near the German border. Migal plans to earn some $ by juggling in a nearby town, so he and Kamal and Bill & I are going to ride as far as St. Gallen with him and then head to the to western end of the lake where we think there is a campground. We may stay two nights in that area, perhaps crossing over to Germany where the cost of sleeping and eating is much lower.

Right now, we are looking forward to sleeping in a real bed with a real pillow. The older we get, the more we appreciate the simple pleasure of a mattress rather than the tent.

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Photos

Utility!
What every young Austrian housewife uses to go to market.