Day 58: Tagerwilen, Switzerland to Bohringen, Germany: Links, Rechts, Geradeaus (Left, Right, Straight ahead)

July 16, 2012

We are starting to learn a bit of German, mainly those words associated with asking and receiving directions. However, like sex, you can also pick up a language elsewhere, like in a washroom:

We headed for the town of Konstanz, which we had set as our target for our time in the Bodensee area. We passed out of Switzerland, for the last time:

Goodbye to Switzerland for the last time this trip.

Once in Konstanz we stopped at a bike shop. This was very necessary, because in the morning I had swapped out the front brake pads on my bike (almost totally gone) and must have dropped the fixing nut, because it magically disappeared. Because I am so smart, I brought only Jagwire brake pad refills to save space. Consequently, I had no spare nuts. Also, Dodie's rear taillight had fallen off. Both these things were quickly remedied by the sweet young man at the shop, though we had very little language in common.

At the Rad Center Paradis in Konstanz. They had exactly Dodie's lost tail light just with different branding.

And even some with painted murals like at Stein am Rhein

Even a quickie bakery like the "Back Werk" had quality stuff

Another neat building near market square

For the first time we are in a place where bicycles (almost) rule. But sometimes cyclists are zooming along the bikeways and can be dangerous.

Catamarans criss cross the Bodensee area

A quite striking feature in Konstanz is a statue standing the harbour. It is called Imperia. Just for fun, here is the Wikipedia entry about it:

The Imperia is a statue at the entrance of the harbour of Konstanz, Germany, commemorating the Council of Constance that took place there between 1414 and 1418. The concrete statue is 9 metres high, weighs 18 tonnes, and stands on a pedestal that rotates around its axis once every four minutes. It was created by Peter Lenk and erected in 1993.

The Imperia shows a woman holding two men on her hands. The two men represent Pope Martin V and Emperor Sigismund. Martin V was elected during the Council while Sigismund was the king who called the council. Both are naked except for the crown and papal tiara, respectively, they wear as symbols of their power. The statue refers to a short story by Balzac, La belle Impéria. The story is a harsh satire of the Catholic clergys' morals, where Imperia seduces cardinals and princes at the Council of Constance and has power over them all. The historical Imperia was a well-educated Italian courtesan named Lucrezia de Paris who was born 1485 in Ferrara, well after the council, and never visited Konstanz.

Imperia close up of the pope and the king she is holding

Though our next step after Konstanz was theoretically to head to the Danube, we detoured a bit onto the island of Reichenau. Because it is way past my bedtime now, I need to leave you to follow our path onto and off the island, and then through and beyond Radolfzell, the next big town. We did not get much further than that, both because of noodling around Konstanz and then the island, and because we circled in Radolfzell for two hours, following enticing EV 6 signs that eventually lead in circles.

It is also past my bedtime because a lovely German couple sat down beside us here as I was doing the blog, and chatted with us for about two hours. We learned a lot about them and about Germany, and it was worth the time. However the alarm clock does not care, and will ring at the same time tomorrow morning, no matter how much fun we had in the night!

Outside of town, things are much less picturesque

We decided to take a spin around the island of Reichenau. It's a UNESCO world heritage site because of old churches, but also known for berries and vegetables. The first bakery made great use of the berries.

Hillside vines with a view down to the Gnadensee (section of the Bodensee area)

The munster (monastery?) on Reichenau had a herb garden that reminded Dodie of Brother Cadfael.

Cycles rule. Everyone going on this one was with a bike!

Bikes on deck. Dodie had a hard time seeing her bike jumbled in there.

Helmut Mussgay was the man ahead of us in the ferry line. We checked with him to see if we were getting on the right boat. Later we cycled together part way to Radolfzell.

Old buildings with family history painted on them

A mega bike store. They did not carry the eWerk but priced it at 147 euros - much more than in the US, though it is made in Germany

..and there was also a mega electric bike store just across the street!

The camping here at Bohringen is on the shore of a small lake. There are no signs until you are basically here, but local people know it well and directed us to it easily. The trick was to know to ask, since it does not appear on our various maps. We were clued in by tourist information in Radolfzell.

As we now see is usual in Germany, the washrooms have all the needed papers and soaps. Wow! Plus we have a large are of covered tables next to our tent site - always a big plus. However, I am actually typing this sentence on a garbage can in a back area where I found a live extension cord. Standards change when you are on the road. For example, my main concern right now is about how level the garbage can lid is. Even my laser mouse appreciates the occasional level garbage can lid!

Camping at Bohringen - has everything even if it doesn't look it.

Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 2,596 km (1,612 miles)

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