Gotta Learn to Juggle

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Wow, that bed certainly did feel good last night. And waking up knowing that there was a nice hot shower available and that we didn’t have to pack up the tent was fantastic!

By 9 a.m. we were all awake and eating a breakfast of cereal, our favorite breakfast food made all the more enjoyable by the conversation with Kamal and Mikael. By 10 we were all headed for St. Gallen, just 15 kms. away by some back roads and trails with lots of steep ascending. We visited the cathedral in St. Gallen, built in the mid 18th century in the Baroque style, and left Mikael in the center plaza to try his hand at busking, earning money by juggling.

Kamal, Bill, and I then took some bucolic back roads through Switzerland farmlands and orchards, seeing very little car traffic but many families out cycling. Elderly couples, young children and everyone in between. Racing bikes, town bikes, and everything in between. We stopped at a grocery store and bought a melon to go with our salami and cheese and bread, cycled another 20 kms or so and stopped right at the edge of the Bodensee where we picnicked under a shady tree. Delicious!

While we were enjoying our lunch, Kamal received a text from Mikael saying that he had earned 50 francs (about $65) in just two hours of juggling. Guess that’s a skill I should learn. We cheered his success. Unfortunately, at this point, Kamal had to return home while Bill and I continued.

Now, here’s the really good news of the day -- we did not get lost, not even once! We followed the well marked cycle path to Kreuzlingen and there crossed into Germany where we found a campground at about half the price (but not quite as nice) as those in Switzerland. Dinner at the on-site restaurant was less than half the price of a Swiss meal, and groceries at the local Penny store were even cheaper than in the US.

Our plan is to stay two nights here -- rest our legs and see the sights in Konstanz, actually be tourists for a change. Right now the skies hold just a hint of possible rain, but we are comfortably situated for the night.

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Photos

Kamal, Bill, and Gerri
Kamal, our gracious host, guided us to the Bodensee and er enjoyed a lunch together before we parted ways.