Konstanz ftw
Sunday, July 10th, 2005Guten tag. I’ve been in Konstanz, a lakeside resort town on the Swiss boarder. Part of the town is in Switzerland, and I’ve accidentally crossed the boarder a few times without knowing it. The only sign that you’ve entered another country is that the prices start appearing in Swiss Francs (CHF).
This is quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been. The lake is a milky blue color, and the town is full of well-kept buildings that are well over 500 years old. There are walking and biking paths all around the lake, and yesterday I walked several km to the NE (into Germany). Check out Google Maps for a visual. I walked from the bridge at the center of the screen (crossing the Rhine before it feeds into the lake) around the tip that juts into the lake.
I spent Frietag nacht walking around trying to understand German food. In Paris and Amsterdam, I was able to guess at most of the dishes, but German is such a different language that I realized I would just have to take the plunge and order something. I walked into the next bar I found and ordered ‘schnitzel.’ I had no idea what I was going to get, but I knew that schnitzel was traditional and German. I was pleasantly surprised by the meal (I won’t give away what ‘schnitzel’ is — just don’t order it if you’re Muslim), and I ended up hanging out in the bar. It filled up with about half a dozen locals who seemed like regulars. We drank Rappenger’s beer (local — brewed with lake water) and tried to communicate. About 75% of my time there was spent guessing at the German jokes, the rest of the time they were trying to use the little English they knew.
It’s raining today, and a lot of shops are closed, which is kind of a bummer. Tomorrow I’m headed for Zürich (gotta love keyboards with a ‘ü’ key), but I will never forget this town. If I learned a little German, I could see myself spending a week or two here.
And, a reminder: if you want to get a postcard, make sure you fill out the online form, or send me an email.
Mark