Next stop.

Sleep favours us on this bed. (half-half). Ingrid was the one who lay awake for some time during the night and I was lights out and signed off. As per usual (here and at home) I get woken by the birds chirping. Not too sure of the time, but it must be morning hey. 6 am was the time on the clock. Coffee please! Thank you.

We have not definate plans and decided to go for a walk through the forest next to the house. After a short climb up a gravel path/road we were in the shade of the canopy and walking along in the slighty fresh and cooled air. At a certain point we came to a map of the 'region' and our point of origin/yesterdays walk and todays path became clear. Mental note of the position of the sun and with a prety good idea of how we were going to reach our destination we set off up the hill. We were still vigilant to the possible sighting of deer/ wild boar or rabiits, but once again it was bird life that we heard and saw. Save 1 slug without a house and 1 snail with a house. Said snail had somehow superglued some tiny pebbles to his foot and picked him up to remove the tiny stones so that he would not have to drag them with him.

Maybe snail man gets home tonight and says to his wife, 'Honey. You gotta believe me. I had a few more stones for our house and this giant picked me up and cast the stones to the ground. I was helpless to do anything!"  Promise that I thought of that a while down the road, but it was too late to do anything about it. Funny how perhaps when we affect someone elses life/job/goal for the "good" we may not be doing good, although the intention is good.

Next stop was home and brekkie, before the next stop at the city centre and the bus station. Bus trip to next stop Ludwigshafen (LH). Empty bus pretty much that one. At LH central we took a casual stroll around the very picturesque town and got our very first view of the Bodensee (this thing is massive), before heading back to the station to catch the train to Uberlingen. Next stop Uberlingen. Uberlingen is a bustling town on the shores of the Bodensee. The train stopped at Therma Uberlingen and 5 minutes later the driver said that due to a technical problem the train would not continue, so we disembarked and strolled along the boulevard for about 1 km to the city centre.

It was a very pretty walk and the 'beaches' had been claimed by entrepeneurs who sold fun in the sun in gated areas for locals and tourists alike. It has been a prefect wind still, sunny, blue sky day here and the tourocals (mix of tourist and local) were out in force. In hind sight it was pretty and this was proclaimed by our ferry tour to be the most beautiful promonade in the Bodensee. Go figure, if the train had not 'crashed', we would not have done the beauty walk and that which the eye did not see, the heart would not have missed. Our eyes saw!

Whilst waiting for the ferry to Mainau we lunched on the water (technically not on the water, but next to the water). It was very nice and we had enough time to relax and enjoy our meal before the next ferry. Next stop, Ferry to Mainau, an island in the Bodensee and pretty much I would describe it as the botanical gardens of the region. The island is 45 hectares in size and planted with about a million plants/shrubs/ flowers and trees. It was hot and my life adventure partner has a faulty radiatior in the heat. Back to the safety fo the breeze along the lake and her temperature came back to normal. 

Next stop ferry trip back to Uberlingen, with a stop somewhere. We learned that the Bodensee is called Lake Constance. The lake is situated where Germany, Switzerland, and Austria meet. Its shorelines lie in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria; the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, and Schaffhausen; and the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. This is 1 big lake man!

On arrival at Uberlingen we had the option to take the train back to Ludwigshafen and then the bus as per our forwarding journey, or take 1 bus back to our car. 1 bus it was. Sitting pretty we were. Next stop for us the car. At the 1st stop the bus driver lets out an 'oh boy'. Like 50 or 60 people were waiting at the bus stop as apparently the train had still not been fixed and tired and sunkissed persons all wanted to get back home for a shower and probably a wine and dine. Full to capacity it reminded me of the ski bus in Austria with more persons crammed in than probably indicated on the safety card. Africa in Europe! Heehee.

We were just fine and when we were ready to exit the bus, probably 98% of it's occupants wanted to join us. The ride had given the bus driver a bit of stress I think as some people were ordering him to do something or other (I do not speak the language, but when they use the word in German for NOW! I guess they were unahppy campers. Kudos to the bus driver who just did his job!

Off the bus, through the next door supermarket, into the steamy car and off back home for a refreshing shower and a bit of the German beer for me. We found a South African wine for Ingrid, Kannonkop... so that got brought into stock.

The sun is still shining, the temperatures are still steamy, but weza gonna have a salad and a game of backgammon before next stop, BED!

2-1 to Ingrid on the Backgammon! Grrrr. To top it off she ended with a Dubble 6! GRRRRRRR!

Sleep tight.

PS I believe that I have to move on over to Polar Steps... Tomorrow we learn more.