Our final stop in Germany was the beautiful city of Konstanz and the nearby island of Mainau. Once tourism website aptly describes Konstanz like this, "Nestled on the shores of Lake Constance, Konstanz is a charming medieval town that seamlessly blends history with a modern flair. Its winding cobblestone streets, picturesque half-timbered houses, and imposing Gothic churches are a nod to its rich past, while its vibrant cultural scene, diverse dining options, and cutting-edge design make it a destination that feels decidedly contemporary. Konstanz is a place where history and innovation meet, making it a perfect destination for those looking to experience the best of both worlds.
Heading out of Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, on the northern shore of Lake Constance, we didn't time our day as well as we should have, departing too late. It turns out that our little unplanned side excursion to the stinky reptile house contributed to our undoing, later in the day. Timing on these types of trips is everything, in my book. I spend months timing things out so that we can get where we need to get when we are supposed to get there. But occasionally we underestimate (or overestimate, which is less of a problem), how long something will take, or we get sidetracked, as we did with the snakes at the reptile house, and then we pay the price later in the day with a stressful drive or other missed opportunities.
On this particular day, we needed to stick to the script, but instead, ignored it. We opted to drive to Konstanz, making our way around the perimeter of the lake, rather than take the car ferry (which is faster). This idea was Garin's brainchild and for some reason, I went along with it. Additionally, our rental car was due by 6 PM that evening, which put a good deal of pressure on me. The rental office in Konstanz closed at 6, so if we didn't arrive in time not only would we not be able to return the car that day and be charged for an extra day, but we had not made arrangments for parking at our hotel, which you need to do, well in advance if you are coming with a car.
After arriving in Konstanz (late), we quickly dropped our luggage at the hotel and left Catherine, Graham, and Miles behind to watch a movie in the room, while Garin and I returned the car. We were then advised to walk back to our hotel, which seemed a good distance away. The walk was pretty, along the Rhine River, but took longer than we had anticipated. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was irritable, to say the least. Since we were heading to Mainau the next day, this afternoon (which was long gone) and evening were to be our only opportunity to walk around this charming town.
After conferring with the troops back in the room, the boys all decided to stay behind in the room for a variety of reasons, which further annoyed me. So, Catherine and I set out to see the town and find something to eat for dinner. It had to have been at least 7:30 when we headed out, so all the stores were already closed. Catherine and I were disappointed as we passed shop after (closed) shop, hoping to go in. But we made the best of it and were happy to be out of the room and spending some alone time, together.
Although we only had a limited time to explore the city, we found Konstanz to be filled with charm. Konstanz is a medieval town with stunning architecture, accentuated by orbs of colorful flowers carefully strung across the streets all over the city. The shopping and dining options are plentiful, making it a place I most certainly want to return to one day.
At the suggestion of our hotel, we made the rather long walk (or at least it felt that way given my recent long walk back from the rental car agency) down to the harbor to a Biergarten for dinner. However, once we arrived, we learned that they had stopped serving dinner about five minutes before They told us the beer would be flowing well into the night, but that was not helpful, with a famished 11-year-old in tow. However, it wasn't a total loss, as the harbor is always one of my favorite spots to visit, filled with stunning boats from near and far. After enjoying the harbor views we made the even longer walk back to the center of town, near our hotel, where we eventually found a lovely Greek restaurant, of all places, to have dinner. After dinner, we each enjoyed a scoop of gelato from a superb gelateria only steps from our hotel.
Although we had such little time to explore the city, Konstanz was filled with charm. Konstanz is a medieval town with stunning architecture accentuated by orbs of colorful flowers carefully strung across the streets all over the city. The harbor, always one of my favorite spots to visit, was large and filled with stunning boats from near and far. After our delicious Greek dinner, we each enjoyed a scoop of gelato from this superb gelateria only steps from our hotel.
Even the McDonald's in Konstanz was top-notch Have you ever seen a McDonald's like this in the US? I haven't. In addition to its fancy decor, it was high-tech. When ordering a meal you do so from a touch screen kiosk. In case you're wondering whether we ate there, the answer is a resounding no! Although Catherine and I were tempted as were famished. Instead, we soldiered on, confident we would find better options (not to mention cheaper ones, as the prices seemed to be double, if not triple, what they are at home).
When Catherine and I returned to the room, quite late, Graham had already gone to sleep. He left this goodnight note on my pillow, written (almost) entirely in German. I was not only touched but impressed. That's what I call turn-down service!
Breakfast the the Romantik Hotel Barbarossa was plentiful and delicious. There were so many choices, it was difficult to know what to choose. As a result, we all rolled out there, stuffed, with no intention of eating for the rest of the day. Graham, my gadget man, especially loved the high-tech espresso machine that he used to make everyone hot cocoa.
After breakfast, we caught the bus to Mainau, which is about a 45-minute ride. The Island is about 110 acres with jaw-dropping floral displays as far as the eye can see, which explains why more than one million visitors flock there each year. We also enjoyed the large collection of very old trees including the Viktoria lime planted by the Grand Duke in 1862 to mark the birth of his daughter and the bizarrely knotted pagoda tree, which is also almost 150 years old. There is a stunning baroque palace, dating back to the Teutonic Order of Knights in Germany. Other popular attractions include the palm house with its collection of 1,200 orchids and the largest butterfly house in Germany, where over 1,000 exotic creatures flitter and flutter. The Island of Mainau is also home to the Palace Church of St. Mary, a beautiful relic of the baroque style from the south of Germany,
I was in heaven. Gardens are one of my favorite places to spend time and this garden was like none I have ever seen. That is quite a statement given the number of gardens we have visited both at home in the US and abroad on on travels.
After arriving back (by bus) from Mainau to Konstanz, to collect our luggage at the hotel, I treated the kids to the delicious gelato Catherine and I had discovered the night before (so much for not eating for the rest of the day after that gargantuan breakfast). After spending some (unpleasant) time in the customs office at the Konstanz train station, we boarded the 5:09 train for Lucerne, arriving two and a half hours later. A long, but very successful day!
Auf Wiedersehen, Germany...Hallo Switzerland!
Remembering Fitzy...
This was Fitzy's last Christmas with us, last year, and my only photo of him from the holiday time at our house. Since we spent last Christmas in Italy, Fitzy was with Anna and her family for Christmas. Catherine took this photo of him right after we got the Christmas tree up and decorated, in early December. Thus there were no gifts under the tree at the time, except for him, which was perfect because he was the most precious gift of all.
A final thought: I was bleary-eyed when I published my last blog post titled "Meersburg, Lindau, and Uberlingen. We are Dazzled by Lake Constance!" In doing so, I thoughtlessly forgot to include Fity's memorial photo and short story. I have since gone back and made that edit, so please check it out, if you feel so inclined.
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