Konstanz

(Pam) It was a late start today. We decided to forgo the $60 breakfast option at our hotel and found nice little outdoor cafe on the boardwalk of Lake Constance (a.k.a. Bodensee). We took our time watching the ferries come and go as the fog slowly lifted off the lake. Silhouettes of the Swiss Alps loomed off in the distance. Pictures just did not do this scene justice -- believe me, Brian tried! After breakfast, we took a short stroll along the lake shore to the point were the Rhine empties out of the Bodensee.

It was great weather, so we decided to take a boat ride to Mainau via Meesburg. There were amazing views of the Alps along the way, but unfortunately they could not be adequately captured on camera. Meesburg was a pleasant surprise however – a charming medieval city with a pedestrian-only cobbled street running through it. We admired the lovely buildings in the square and the numerous outdoor cafes. Unfortunately, we only had 15 minutes before the next ferry to Mainau.

Mainau is a garden island in Lake Constance. It is run by an organization established by the late Prince of Sweden, but is open to the public for a small fee. Besides flowers in the palace gardens, there are great park landscapes with beautiful views of the lake. Upon our arrival, we found a map of the island and went off to find a restaurant. But the crowds were oppressive. Frustrated and in no mood for lovely gardens with the crush of people, we decided to catch the next ferry back to Konstanz. We laughed afterwards about being thrown off by all the crowds – looks like we’re starting to lose our NY “edge” already! We did get some lovely photos before heading back. We also took in a lovely performance by a group of musicians playing Swiss horns.  (See video) It was a very picturesque scene with the lake in the background.

Once back in Konstanz, we headed to Old Town to get some food and drink at an outdoor café. Food and drink for me typically involves pomme frites and white wine. Relaxing and enjoying the people walk by, we noticed a disturbing trend among the men (and some women) – mullets!! Unfortunately, we couldn't get a good picture without being too obvious.

After lunch, we walked around and took some pictures of Konstanz before boarding the train back to Bern. Overall, it was a lovely weekend. My first time in Germany. We hope to return to soon, and this time get stamps on our passports. The customs office at the train station in Konstanz it was closed when we arrived – no joke!