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Journal: |
I rose earlier than usual to take advantage of the 7am breakfast
(usually 8am at most places) and then managed to catch the 7:55am
bus for the 15 minute trip back to Liggeringen. It was cold
standing at the bus stop and I got out my jacket to wear before I
started hiking. It looked like it might rain but, in fact, the
whole day stayed dry.
From Liggeringen I followed some farm
roads along the side of a broad ridge and had good views over
Gnaddensee and back to Radolfzell. There are a series of
interconnected large lakes here, the largest being Bodensee out of
which flows the Rhine River to Gnaddensee, Zeller See and Unter See,
and I was expecting to get good coastal views all day.
I
reached the village of Langenrain, dominated by a very large and
historic yellow manor house, after a few kilometres and then turned
northwards towards Uberlinger See, again travelling through rural
landscapes. I couldn't see the lake when I first reached the
coast because the cliff along which the trail passed was heavily
forested. However, here and there I could get a glimpse of the
blue see and the villages and towns on the opposite shore. A
lone yacht was sailing very slowly eastwards along the lake in a
very light breeze.
I had better views when I climbed up to
the ruin of Kargegg Castle where I was impressed by the walls which
were 2 to 3 metres thick. From the castle, my route followed a
winding, mostly single-track, path high above the lake shore,
occasionally descending to cross a stream flowing into the lake
through small gorges. Generally there was little undergrowth.
Just brown leaves forming a thick carpet on the intricately folded
ridges and spurs beneath a thick canopy. It was a silent and
eerie world in places.
Finally my path moved away from the
coast a bit and for the remainder of the journey to Konstanz passed
through a mix of fields and forests with frequent views out to
Uberlinger See. At one point I crossed a road with an adjacent
cycle path and saw a group of baby boomers, mostly women, on a cycle
touring holiday with big panniers on the back. I saw many more
similar cyclists later in the day and guess it must be a good area
for such vacations.
I detoured slightly into the village of
Litzelstetten to buy some bread rolls for lunch and ate them on a
bench in the main street near a church where I was entertained by
some organ playing while sitting in some welcome sunshine and
watching the world go by. Very pleasant.
I reached the
University of Konstanz followed by the outskirts of Konstanz around
2pm and walked directly towards the old town. The latter is
actually on the Swiss side of the Rhine River that exits Bodensee
through the middle of Konstanz. The old town is a kind of
German enclave reached by a bridge across the Rhine. I don't
know the history, but guess it's a relic of old fiefdoms and wars.
I was surprised at how clear and green the water was in Bodensee and
the Rhine at Konstanz, and the sun shone making the lakeshore a
lively and colourful scene, with lots of boats, ferries, tourists
and cafes.
I walked to the railway station and then began
looking for a hotel (I figure the best value hotels and eateries are
usually to be found near main railway stations). At the second
attempt I got a slightly over-priced room and checked in before 3pm.
After a shower and washing, I spent the next two hours walking
around the very-well kept cobbled streets and plazas of the old
town. Everything was very clean and well-preserved, with lots
of narrow winding laneways and many colourful and slightly wonky
buildings, some dating back to the 13th Century. There were
many tourists, a lot of up-market branded shops and many bicycles.
The whole place had a buzz about it, but maybe it was just a bit too
touristy. I found a bookshop and eventually found the maps I
need to get me back to the Via Alpina in about a week. After
my walking tour I returned to the hotel and did battle, mostly
unsuccessfully, with a wonky wi-fi service as I tried to catch up on
email and my journal.
I got a cheap pizza for dinner (to
offset the expensive hotel) and ate it watching the tennis. At
one time I was thinking of having a day off in Konstanz, but I think
I'll keep walking tomorrow.
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