Switzerland

I made it.... just in the nick of time. I made it to a new country before the end of January, I just didn't make it to the blog before the end of January. First I have to say  I think colds can be transmitted via the blog. I have been reading several of my usual blogs and it would seem everyone has had a cold......and then it struck my house ! Yes, the entire family sick for a week. Then company came to visit for another week. I have not fallen off the planet or forgotten to blog. Now on to the important new year's resolution of visiting a new country once a month.....

I said Sweden or Switzerland and due to said cold and company Switzerland won out :)

It has been very cold here we had snow then it melted but the cold cold weather stayed.  I mean it has been like 12 degrees F. brrrrrrr So In honor of our company's visit we decided to head to Lake Constance.

 Lack Constance is the  largest lake of  Germany and to the south of us just beyond the Black Forest region. The city of  Konstanz and Meersburg are along it's shores.  The lake is bordered by three countries, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. How exciting is that! It is also on the northern edge of the Alps. The Rhine river and the Konstanz rivers feed this lake.

 On the German side the region is called the Bodensee. There are two islands renowned for their fair weather one has a butterfly house and another has botanical gardens with tropical plants.

The drive from Stuttgart is 2 hours through the black forest region, always a delightful drive filled with mountains and the forest full of snow. Our arrival to Lake Consatance was a bit dreary and overcast but the lake is still very beautiful. We took the car Ferry over to the other side of the lake to get to the Swiss side.

 The ferry ride is very short about 15 minutes but the lake is gorgeous. The Swiss town on the lakes shores is Kreuzlingen. I am sure all of these towns are much livlier in the spring and summer.

 Most of the business and shops are closed it loooks like a resort town closed for the season. Switzerland right across the border looks just like Germany. 

I am very anxious to go to Zurich and Zermatt and see the alps and the Matterhorn.  We stopped for lunch in Kreuzlingen, and now here is the funny part.....we had spagetti. Most of the resturants were closed so there weren't many options for traditional Swiss food. 

I was hoping for one of the famous fondue's ( yes that is traditional in the resturants of Switzerland)  We stopped at one of the few resturants open and all they had left from the lunch time rush was spaghetti. So one dreary winter day we went to  switzerland for a lunch of Spaghetti.  Now the running joke of January was diner and my mishaps... it is now February. My February resolutions are better dinners and lunches..... I am hoping this month to visit Italy or Austria. I have 28 days to make it to one of them for a better adventure.