Cruising around the Bodensee......

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Cruising around the Bodensee......



March 7 & 8, 2024



Kirsten is up before me, as always. She come in the room making noise to no avail. Finally, she gives me a shove and I come out of bed like something just grabbed me.

WHAT!!!!!! Good morning my love, I made you a German breakfast, as she hurries back into the kitchen.

I get up and dress, head into the kitchen and yes, awaiting me is the perfect breakfast, rolls, cheese, meats, and soft-boiled eggs.

After filling my face, we are out the door heading toward the Bodensee, big lake, where the Rhine River begins. That’s what the WiKi says.

Did I mention it’s raining....

Our first stop is Insel Mainau. A botanical island located on the Bodensee, imagine Bok Tower being an island.

Kirsten parks and after a short walk across the bridge we walk into a perfectly manicured garden. Now, I have to say that it was not in full bloom. They are now just planting all the flowers; however, the area was beautiful, and we walked for over an hour. On our back to the car, we stopped at the café and had a light lunch and were off to our next adventure.

The second stop we visited was the Basilica of St Peter & Paul, you know the guys that hung out with JC as in Jesus Christ. OK this started as a monastery long time ago.

This basilica happens to be on another island which is also on the Bodensee. After driving and making the wrong turn a couple times (poor cell service, not the navigator) we arrived.

We jump out, start walking toward basilica, it looks like two churches put together. Turns out the original basilica is still intact and the new addition which is 500 plus years old was attached to it. The frescos were still intact faded but you could see them.

Ok, going forward everything I talk about is old, now if I type old multiple times that means its really OLD.

Now that I have that out of the way, I don’t have to remember how old these places are.

As we’re walking back to the car, Kirsten spots a café and says, do you know what I’m sinking (thinking in German) No I ask, what are you sinking. Kirsten squeals Kaffee Und Kuchen (that’s coffee and cake in German). I laugh knowing that is exactly what she would say. So off we go to have Kaffee Und Kuchen.

After our café rest, we’re back on the road.

As we’re getting close to our apt, we decide to stop and have dinner, it was early, so I sat and had a beer and updated my blog. Kirsten checked out what we would be doing tomorrow.

Our meals arrived and they were awesome, we finished and headed back to the apt. Tomorrow was planned and baked.

We were so tired we fell into bed. Cute Place!

Gute Nacht



It’s already morning and we both slept so hard.

So today we’re doing the north side of the Bodensee, yesterday was the south side.

After breakfast we’re off again, as always Kirsten takes a different route when we travel sometimes shorter sometimes longer. Today its longer.

She is barreling down some road and I’m trying to triangulate our location so I can get a bearing as to where we are. Finally, I have it.... geez how did I ever navigate without google maps.

We’re heading to Meersburg. This is a very old town on the north side of the Bodensee. It is, however, very cloudy and cold. We walk through the village all bundled up... it was nice, but not as nice as it was the last time we visited many years ago. At that time the flowers were in full bloom everywhere. I’ve attached a picture of the previous time we were at Meersburg.

Since it was cold, we decided we’d jump in the car and are heading along the shore of the Bodensee toward Birnauer Oberhof WeinStube. A vineyard, which means a wine cellar, which means wine tasting, woo hoo! Oh yeah, its next to some famous church Kloster Birnau, lots of St Stephen stuff. The monks were the ones who set up the winery long ago.

We had our picnic lunch after touring the Wine cellar and church. The sun came out and so we decided to return to Meersburg and walk the town some more. It was warm and we stopped and had coffee and cake at a one of the many cafés on the shore of the Bodensee.

From here Kirsten had two more stops. The first stop was some standing stones. You know like Stonehenge in England. Well, after multiple wrong turns and a half mile hike up a tractor trail, we found them. They were more like rock formations left when the glaciers melted.

Our next stop was at the top of Bodensee. Apparently, some Neanderthals lived here many years ago, as in Millions. Again, we walked the trail for a mile and yes, peoples lived here many years ago only because I read it on a sign. Who’s to challenge the sign.

Back in the car and we jump on the autobahn and back at our apt within an hour.

Here we enjoyed a cheese board with wine and of to bed we go. Tomorrow, we check out and are heading to... I have no idea....

Yea, we truly have no reservations and that will be decided tomorrow over breakfast.

Gute Nacht

Steve & Kirsten

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Comments

[Chris Nikdel]

Note from one of your blog fan club!
Really enjoy following your trips and Steve’s commentary and -you will laugh- have just today seen where you can comment, ha ha. So enjoy your latest adventure, wishing safe travel! Take care! Chris