Welcome to Switzerland

Into the Black Forest...
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We once again left early this morning- and let me say how happy I am to not be one of the over twenty people on this bus hungover... I still get to enjoy my day. Most people are passed out, again, perfect time to keep up on documenting this adventure. We are on the bus for about five hours towards a stop in the Black Forest region of Germany, supposedly called that because its so dense.

We arrive, and considering I like to eat anytime anywhere, I am ready to try the Black Forest Cake immediately. However, first we are going to watch a lesson on how to make cuckoo clocks (why not? maybe it could be a future profession, you never know...), which actually turns out to be really interesting. They are just as intricate as they look and unlike the wooden shoes in Holland, they take a ridiculously long time to make. The price is based on the amount of work- meaning they are pretty expensive. So, I can't afford any of these- but I still check out the shop. They have a lot of really authentic German goods- beer mugs, nutcrackers, troll figurines (no, not those ones...) and downstairs THE FOOD!

Black Forest Cake mmmm....

In front of the Rhine Falls across the Swiss border...
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So I head downstairs about to eat my own arm at this point. I ordered a huge slice of Black Forest Cake and a large bowl of their homemade Tomato and Basil soup with special spices that really made it way different and better than Campbell's. The Black Forest Cake was also really good- but mayyyy have been a day or two old, good taste just a little dry. Now that my life juice has been regained I decide to use the extra hour to check out how deep I can venture into this forest before I lose the sunlight...

The path around the falls...
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The answer: really not that far. I mean there's always some light- but it eerily does feel like dusk after walking for only about ten minutes up the mountain. Elizabeth and I decide to just look around and with no visible wildlife we get bored of the trees relatively quickly and head back down and take pictures at the entrance of the forest.

Now for this portion of the trip into Switzerland I actually do manage a short bus nap. I have mastered the ability to sleep for twenty minutes when needed in any odd position I am thrown in- and that sleep powers me through the rest of the day considering four hours a night is what we have been running on.

Cuckoo clock factory and black forest cake bakery...
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Entering Switzerland we sadly did not get our passports stamped. I was ready to have this passport filled with all the countries I go to, but now the European Union doesn't require them and even Switzerland (not a part of the Union) doesn't stamp them. Therefore, my passport at this point still only has four ever.

As is tradition in this trip we take another stop- but this one is GREAT! We stop at the Rhine Falls across the Swiss border which aren't as high as Niagara Falls but more beautiful. Everything around them is so natural and nothing touristy, just a lovely town. There was a castle up to the left of the river, which there apparently is on every corner of the Rhine.

Outside the factory...
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One more great thing about this stop- A TON of scrapbooking stuff, they had so many brochures and postcards and maps! Perfect!