If (when?) we do another big ride, we really need to plan more time in most places. As with other hosts, Hannes and Annalies in Bürs encouraged us to stay longer with them--their hills, only a few streets away, were filled with trails. And their company-- again, such a connection we fel with other cyclistst! Another couple we wish could be neighbors. But...
We were super lucky in that the all-night of rain was pretty much done by the time we got rolling to ride out of Austria. The trail and paths were covered in slugs and snails to start out with but soon sunshine took over as we enjoyed the countryside and our dodge into Lichtenstein and then riding along the Rhine with Switzerland on the opposite side. Our Alps swiftly diminishing in our rear-view mirrors.
Migrating Storks.
Lunch in Lichtenstein.
The Rhine
Crossing into Switzerland.
...and back into Austria for a short stretch.
I think we mentioned it, maybe not? But it was strange that in Italy we literally saw no cows. (We didn't see many in France, either?) We were told, at least in Italy, that the cows were kept in barns to be milk makers. But in Austria, Lichtenstein and Switzerland, the beautiful milk cows with their clanging bells captured our pauses and smiles.
By the time we reached the Bodensee, the clouds were rolling in, so the vistas of the Alps were subdued. Still, it was a treat to ride along, often lakeside, as we made our way on the Swiss side to around mid-lake and the town of Romanshorn where sweet Toby met us moments after he'd gotten home from school. He's working on his masters in environmental science. He and his girlfriend, a midwife who was working late that night at the local hospital, are both German. Katia had prepared a wonderful meal for us even though she had to be gone.
The rain began sometime in the night. And even though we had a liesurely breakfast, so we could have some time with Katia, the rain wasn't going to stop for us. So we donned our full rain gear and made the short way further up the lake to the town of Konstanz. At some point we left Switzerland and crossed into Germany, but we didn't see where exactly.
I was dripping dripping wet when I popped into where our night's host was working. Birgit was so incredibly gracious to give us her keys so we could situate our bikes, gear and ourselves, so we could walk around Konstanz unburdened. May 1 is much of Europe's Labor Day, so pretty much everything was closed, but the Konstanz Münster Unserer Lieben Frau was open for visitors and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon there as well as another nearby church and, later, after the rain let up, around town before we headed back to the apartment to make dinner for Birgit and her partner, Stefan. After, we went out to a just-opened pub and restaurant to hear the last few songs of a lively German 4-some, The Speedos, play American and Mexican music (and German, too)! For an un-miced, un-amped group they really had the place hopping. It probably helped that they moved among, and on top of, the tables and for one entire song the alto saxophonist played while standing on the upright bass as it was being played. Crazy! We danced! (That's 2 times dancing for me this year, and both time in the last week!)
Images from Konstanz...
The view from our host's apartment.
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