Surf & Turf

Day:14
Miles: 1656/170
Coordinates:+47° 33' 3.17", +9° 40' 50.21" (Lindau, Bodensee)

Today was one of the busiest days of the trip. We left Como and Italy, crossed into Switzerland, climbed the Alps, briefly passed through Austria and ended at Lindau on the shores of lake Konstanz. Not once, were we asked for a passport - should you ever need to make a descreet getaway, we recommend using a car!

Switzerland: the moment you cross the border it somehow feels different and it is not just us saying that. You get the feeling that everything is taken care of and you are not meant to worry about a thing. What is more we were heading north towards the Alps and that made the scenery simply spectacular; even the air smelt of sage. We decided to cross the Alps through the San Bernardino pass, an ancient pass said to exist since the Bronze age, relatively easy (on the passengers) but also probably one of the best drives we had ever done.

On the way up we were engulfed by towering mountain peaks while waterfalls were cascading all around. To crown this all (literally) when we reached the top at 2060m, we were welcomed by a majectic lake around which you could hike, sunbathe or even dip in. There is nothing like the Alpine atmoshere irrespective of the season. One thing we regretted is that because of our schedule we could not spend the night at the quaint, San Bernardino guest house there; we can only imagine the experience as night falls on this roof of the world without one electric light or human noise for hundreds of miles. But you can't do it all and it is good to have things on your to-do list.

On the lake Konstanze(Bodensee or even - thanks Kai - Schwabian See) via Austria. The lake is the natural frontier between Switzerland and Germany with Austria also claiming a small beach. Unlike the Italian ones this lake is very wide - it feels more like a sea - so the atmosphere is very different. That is not to say that it lacks romance or beauty; in fact the islet of Lindau, our destination, proved to be one of the most gorgeous towns we have visited so far. It is perfect almost in every way. It is like walking into a doll-house town, think of Heidi's Austria, but even cuter. It boasts a rich history, very polite and helpful locals, germanic efficiency and thoroughness. if you are thinking of a party town however, Lindau is not it. We wish we could spend one more day here but the show must go on!

Chuss!