Sometimes things just work out. We quit early last night to avoid the rain, got our laundry done and our bellies fed. This morning the rain stopped right about 10:45 am and we were on the road by 11:00. It stayed dark and cloudy all day, but we only encountered a few spitting rains throughout the day.
The Hostel really worked out perfectly for us, with a place to store our bike, a great breakfast and the flexibility to use a meeting room to charge our electronics and wait out the rain. It was a little more “self-service” than a hotel… we had to return our bed linens and bring down our own garbage, but it was a unique experience. I’d definitely do it again.
On our way out of Friedrichshafen, Germany, we went by the Zepplin Museum to grab a few pictures. Even though the rain had barely stopped, the area was filling with tourists.
The scenery has changed in the last few days. There are no more mountains… even in the distance. The terrain is very level, although there are still smaller, rounded hills in the distance. We rode through some very large and commercial looking vineyards and farms, as opposed to the smaller, family farms we had been seeing over the last few days. We followed along the coastline of Lake Constance, past waterfront parks and some very exclusive waterfront homes.
We biked into the town of Meersburg, which is a medieval town with a clock tower an a very distinctive arch. Up on the hillside stands the Altes Burg which is said to be the oldest inhabited castle in Germany, built in the 7th century.
From Meersburg, we took a ferry across Lake Constance. We met up with a Harley dude from Switzerland who tours Europe regularly (“I work a little, then I travel a little”). He gave us some good advice on places to stay and things to see over the next few days. Departing the ferry, we got a finger-wagging from the ferry terminal staff because we clearly did not understand all the signs telling us which way bikes should go. By the way, the universal street signs we have been taught in the USA are not universal at all. LOL
After a short way, we crossed back into Switzerland and were once again riding through small farms and vineyards. Our strategy of eating a late lunch or early dinner failed miserably, as apparently, nearly every restaurant is closed on Monday. We bike through Berlingen, Steckborn, and Mammern hoping to find a place to eat, but finally gave in and biked to our destination of Wagenhausen where we got our first Rhine River waterfront campsite and spotted our first Rhine River tour boat….. apparently the Rhine becomes navigable after the Lake. It is a great campground, with amazing, warm, showers and a restaurant on site that was actually open. Camped next to us is an entertaining couple from the UK, Jane and Mike, who are doing the same trip as us, but traveling in the opposite direction. We ended up joining them for dinner and drinks and a lovely conversation in English.
We are considering taking our first “break day” of the trip tomorrow to enjoy the nearby town of Stein am Rhein which is accessed by bridge across the river. We could both use a day off the saddle.
