Paradise Found in Germany

Chengs with their bikes at Meersburg on the Bodensee.
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August 17 – 18^th, 2006

Bodensee, Germany

We have found a part of paradise in Germany! The Bodensee area is truly an unforgettable area with its beautiful views of Lake Constance, its rolling hills, vineyards, fruit orchards and quaint towns. We spent two nights in the small village of Brematingen just up the hill from Meersburg and maybe should have stayed longer. The weather was perfect and we used one day to rent bikes and explore some of the 350 kilometers of paved bike paths (we only cycled about 25 km. but our muscles and behinds still remind us several days later that it has been too long since we’ve been on a bike). The bikes paths are well utilized and an excellent way of getting around this area. It was a bit embarrassing to be passed by grey-haired vacationers who rode up those hills like they do it every day of their lives. Actually, they probably do. Biking is a way of life here in Europe and it seems that everyone brings their bikes along with them on their Bodensee vacation. We cycled down to the gorgeous little town of Meersburg and wandered along the seawall, admiring the sailboats steamers traversing the lake. On the other side of the lake the Alps of Germany, Switzerland and Austria are in plain view and we wonder which of those mountains we will be crossing in the future. The sidewalk cafes are irresistible, and we have to stop for Kaffee and Kuchen. The hot apple strudel and vanilla sauce are a specialty here and well worth the Euros and calories. How is it that ALL the food in Germany is just delicious and we can’t stop eating??? We are going to have to bike many more hills in the next while in order to work off the extra weight we are collecting. We keep reminding ourselves that we may need the extra reserves in Africa and so it is quite acceptable that we seize the moment and eat well while we can! It also really helps to be able to read the menus; our Italian not being nearly as fluent as our German; we may have more difficulty interpreting menus in Italy and may not be able to enjoy the local specialties as much.

Chengs relaxing on the seaside promenade of Meersburg
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The Bodensee has become a place on our list of favorites. David and I dream of coming back for a longer cycling vacation sometime in the future. We’ll have to study the Homelink catalogue to arrange a house exchange here some summer, and we’ll be sure to get in better shape for those hills next time.