Zigging and zagging

Saturday was one of those travel days when all we could do was pivot. An early morning outing on the lake was delayed by fog, so we did laundry instead, and stumbled on a local farmer’s market.

Later, when we finally did catch the ferry to Meersburg, the old city was completely closed off for a Medieval Faire, but the time on the water and the old buildings we managed to see were worth the trip. 

Albeit a popular tourist attraction, Meersburg is a charming Medieval town.

The coastline and the hills all around the Bodensee are covered with vineyards and apple orchards. With the climate and humidity from the water, I imagine growing conditions are similar to Northern California.

Ferries are constantly crossing the Bodensee…

… taking tourists and locals alike from shore to shore.

Since Meersburg was crowded, Jean was a good sport about driving us to Freidrichshafen, the next town on the eastern side of the Bodensee and the origin of the Zeppelin. We didn’t make it to the Zeppelin museum, but we did see a number of blimps in the sky. 

Finally, another ferry back from one side of the lake to the other, this time to Romanshorn, Switzerland, as the sun was setting to the west.

Of course, when we arrived back at the hotel, we heard the news about the war in Israel, and now, carry the sadness about all the death and destruction with us. Seems like no matter where we go, Jews are always fighting for our lives. Sunday takes us deeper into Switzerland. We will miss our friends and the Bodensee, but the mountains await us. 

Flowers, Flours & Friends

Another beautiful day in Bodensee with Les Decorps, who drove up here to meet us from their home in Beauregard L’Eveque, France.

“The boys”

Hugues, Claire, Jean & John

After a great breakfast at our hotel, we drove about 15 minutes north to the Isle of Mainau, which is a tiny island owned by a Swedish family that has turned the entire island into a garden and arboretum. It’s a unique micro-climate that allows all sorts of plants and flowers to grow here, from tropical palms to giant sequoias. The photos don’t do it justice, but nevertheless, here are a few highlights.

Thousands of dahlias in every color and shape.

Salvia in my favorite deep violet.

Some of the many tropical butterflies in the hothouse.

This “glass” butterfly has see-through wings like windows.

While visiting Mainau, we stopped for lunch, which included, yes, pastry.

Jean’s cake was the most beautiful.

But this Apfel kuchen goes great with tea (and beer).

German breads are outstanding, as well.

And of course, one has to try a German pretzel.

Sometimes, though, the best photos are more spontaneous, such as last night, after dinner and a bottle of wine, when we stopped to see some Peter Lenk sculptures.

Boys just wanna have fun!

Konstanz

 

This is Imperia. She was created by sculptor Peter Lenk and installed in the Konstanz harbor in 1993. Almost 30 feet high, she rotates once every three minutes, keeping guard on the boats and the water and the people of this ancient city.

I’m sharing her photo here because she’s a wonderful entry-point into the story of Konstanz. With its origins in the Roman Empire, Konstanz real claim to fame is that it was the site of the Council of Konstanz (or Constance) between 1414 and 1418. This was a gathering of thousands of men from all of Europe who descended on the city to debate the future of the Catholic Church and resolve what was called the Great Schism caused by the papacy’s move from Rome to Avignon.

I can’t recount all the details of all the debates, but in the end, the church elected Martin V as its true and only pope. That’s Martin V in Imperia’s left hand, and in her right is King Sigismund, the holy emperor at the time. Imperia, who is inspired by a Roman-era courtesan, is strong and sexy and beautiful, and the men she’s playing with in her palms are portrayed as fools. I’d say it’s feminism at its best.

Despite Lenk’s sense of humor, there was a lot at stake during the Council. Take a look at some of the wealth displayed in the churches here.

And the arguments weren’t just about wealth and power. Jan Hus, a pre-Lutheran church reformer, came to the Council to protest against church indulgences, or monies paid to the church in return for forgiveness. He claimed the church leaders were corrupt, so Sigismund had Hus burned at the stake. Prior to his death, Hus supposedly was imprisoned in the very building that is now our hotel.

As usual, things were horrible for the Jews, too. Above is an ancient pulverturm or powder tower that was part of the original city walls. After the Council, King Sigismund imprisoned a bunch of Jews in the tower, in the hopes that the money he collected to permit their release would pay his debts.

As in Freiberg, the SS burned the synagogue here and sent the Jews to Gurs, and then to death. Below is the only monument to their fate.

Violent history aside, Konstanz is a beautiful city, the buildings in which are well preserved. Because the city is partly in Germany and partly in Switzerland, it was not bombed during the war.

We are thrilled to be here to enjoy Konstanz and the Bodensee at sunset and sunrise.

Hoping all is well at home, and that Martin V and King Sigismund help remind you that many men in positions of power are little more than fools. Turn off the TV and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Beautiful Bodensee

For those of you who know Steffi, you’ll be pleased to know that we’ve arrived at the Hotel Steigenberger in Konstanz, on the Swiss-German border, and it will definitely pass the Steffi test for beauty and luxury. 

When you first arrive, you have to cross this swan-filled waterway to the tiny island where the hotel is located.

This is the view from our private balcony, overlooking the Bodensee.

The hotel is built in an ancient monastery. You can still see its architecture in the central courtyard.

After checking in, we had lunch on the terrace, where we watched the ferries come and go.

The linens are first-class…

And the food spectacular. This lake trout with fennel and potatoes was delicious.

Finally, lest you think I forgot, today’s Pastry of the Day is for Hannah:

So much more to share about Bodensee tomorrow. Stay tuned!

German Unity Day

Today, Germany celebrates Unity Day, when East and West were re-united after the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Everyone was off work, and many people were picnicking in the parks and walking around town with their children and families. For us, it was our final day in Freiberg, so we put in 10,000+ steps of our own wandering around and taking photos to remember the city by.

Street musicians

A modern sculpture in honor of lives lost in WWII.

Freiberg local band entertains park visitors.

A old door in the grand Archibishop’s residence.

Picturesque view in the old city.

City gate.

With many businesses closed for the holiday, I’m still searching for my pastry of the day…

I hope you’ve found yours. :)