Some delightful surprises along the way. I have mentioned previously about being delighted by the fireworks display in Heidelberg. The surprises continued. In Brissago on the Friday night, while relaxing after a very nice 'grill' (in Oz a BBQ), suddenly fireworks light up the sky. Some celebration was occurring with the cigar manufacturer on the water's edge, so they entertained the region. The big difference here was we were mainly looking DOWN on the display - an unusual experience!
Next surprise came while we were out for a walk at Triesenburg, where our hotel was near Vaduz, Liechtenstein. We could hear a marching band playing and sure enough they came marching up the road. When they had had enough of that, they then set up in the plaza outside our hotel and 'put on a concert'. Actually, it was practice evening for them as it was too hot for them to practice indoor, so they practiced outside, much to our enjoyment. What was also remarkable was the age range within the band. It covered the generations from probably 12 to 80?? Great to see them all enjoying themselves.
The next one was in Innsbruck. Wandering around the old town, again we heard the sound of a big band. In front of the 'Goldenes Dachle' (one of the features of this medieval town), the Police Band had set up and gave a concert to the assembled and growing crowd. Not bad for a Wednesday morning! Stefan - they sounded pretty good, even the trumpeters. Very polished performance.
Our time in Innsbruck was impacted by the extreme hot weather. When places like this exceed 35 degrees C, then you know it's hot. They just aren't set up for hot weather. Apparently only 2 weeks previously, they were still dealing with max temps of 5 degrees C. Quite a contrast - sounds like Melbourne!
We moved on to the Chiemsee and fortunately the weather has moderated, making it easier to get out and about. Naturally we visited Ludwig II 3rd castle at Herreninsel. He modelled it on Versailles because of his great regard for Louis XIV. The hall of mirrors, the state bedroom etc, all based on the castle outside Paris. We also visited nearby Fraueninsel. Both these islands housed Benedictine monasteries. Their names are derived from that because on Fraueninsel, was the nun's convent, and on Herreninsel was the monk's monastery. A couple of km of water to limit fraternisation?
Many permanent residents now live on Fraueninsel and the convent is still operating. The monasteries date back to around 908AD. The monastery on Herreninsel was taken over by the Augustinian order, but is now a museum. It was where in 1948, German political leaders gathered to write the constitution for the Democratic Republic of Germany (at that time West Germany).
Had a drive around the area today : Gstadt, Prien, Aschau - very enjoyable places to visit.
1 week to go - hard to believe, yet still much to enjoy.

Beautiful Brissago! Yep, what beautiful part of the world. Casa Laauser is perched some 280 metres above Lago Maggiore. Around the lake, the towns cling to the sides of the mountains with narrow winding roads, usually only 1 car width, with passing zones scattered infrequently! A challenge to drive, definitely. The main road along the edge of the lake linking the towns, carries a heap of traffic. At one stage, we were held up, by apparently buses heading in opposite directions, trying to pass each other at a difficult place. It took some careful steering and all was well. All in a day's experience here.
We visited some beautiful valleys with mountain rivers rushing down to the lake. At Lavertezzo, we had a picnic lunch by the river, next to a bridge built by the Romans and where the local lads delighted in jumping off boulders into the deep pools.
Of course we went into Italy, which was only about 2 km from Brissago. We hadn't been concerned about crossing the borders, after all, it's now all about the EU isn't? Well, not quite. The Swiss still watch their borders and we have to drive slowly through, hoping they don't stop you. We also started carrying our passports with us as we cross the borders, after some 'horror' stories about being detained for days for not doing so!
Connobio, just over the border is great. There is a lovely promenade along the water, with cafés and shops along the way. Then turn into some of the ridiculously narrow streets and you could imagine you are anywhere in Italy. And some drive these streets in their Fiat Punto's and Smart cars, streets which are designed more for Vespers and bicycles. Italian shoe shops galore, fashion shops, coffee shops and other interesting curiosity shops.
The weather has been so warm, Rose decided she needed to buy some bathers. So, off to Connobio and she found some, which she promptly tried out back at Casa Laauser in the pool. Not bad, need bathers? Go to Italy! We had not anticipated it being so warm so we hadn't packed anything like that.
Suse and Winfried were amazing. Fantastic meals, served in delightful settings. They are both 'foodies', so we enjoyed them displaying their talents. On Friday we were joined also by Heidi and Stefan (see prior post - Freiberg). A special time, in a special place, with some very special people.
On Sunday, we headed to Liechtenstein. Why? Well, it is another oddity that I have always found curious. Why does it exist as a separate country? It has an open border with Switzerland, yet is a part of the EU. It uses Swiss money, Swiss power points and relies on the Swiss army for defence (they don't have an army). Everything feels Swiss here, in this very beautiful and picturesque country, yet it is a sovereign country. It is ruled by a monarchy which oversees the elected parliament.
Tomorrow, we head into Austria, to Innsbruck. We had a 'taste' of Austria today, venturing to Feldkirch. It is a very attractive town, with nice plazas and amazing paintings on the walls of some of the buildings. The Rathaus (town hall) displays some that appear quite medieval. I wonder how many times they have been 'touched up'?
2 weeks to go! It feels like a long time, while also feeling like it has gone so quickly.

Switzerland. Wow! The scenery is simply breathtaking. Unbelievably steep mountains, capped with snow, some of which is melting as summer finally takes some hold, forested slopes, villages in the valleys and perched on the sides of hills. The sheer 'verticality' of this place is amazing. If that's not a word, then I have now invented it! The heights of mountains and depths of the valleys is extraordinary. So outside the Australian experience.
We went to what they call the 'Top of Europe', or Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. It took 3 trains, the last 2 being cog driven. Perched only about 600 mtrs from the summit of the Jungfrau, this was our introduction to true alpine experience. At 3400 mtrs, the air was noticeably thinner. We were fortunate, the day we went was a beautiful sunny day, so we had views that I attempted to capture on photos, but which will not do it justice. From that vantage point, we were up close and personal with the 3 peaks: Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger. Yep, something special!
Another day, we took a funicular railway up to Harder Kulm, which overlooks Interlaken. Again, a clear day and the views were stunning. The paragliders are doing a roaring trade, landing next to the main drag in Interlaken, having taken off quite a distance, and height, away. To answer the question: no, we didn't try it, but there are plenty giving it a go. We saw the prices and the paragliders would be doing very nicely!
We have also enjoyed wandering around Interlaken, which is very pleasant. Some serious high rollers here. There was a big function at the Victoria Jungfrau last night, with pre dinner drinks at the front of this imposing hotel in the centre of the town. Clearly by invitation only, the glitterati were in their element.
We had met a family from Perth, while at Schwangau, who also had moved on to Interlaken. A great family, whom we met up with again here and had dinner at a great Mexican Restaurant. They have now gone back.
Some trivia questions for you. Post your answers against the blog, or send me an email.
1. Name the region of Germany, or a town within that region, that is completely surrounded by Switzerland?
2. We all know the Sphinx is in Cairo, Egypt. Where is the other structure called: the Sphinx?
3. Name the James Bond movie that features the facility at Schilthorn.
Switzerland is also something of an enigma. It is not a part of the EU. It does not use the Euro. It is not a member of NATO, yet has a highly trained and equipped military. It is essentially a mix of German, French and Italian cultures, yet strives for its own identity.
Switzerland - a captivating enigma. 😊
Tomorrow, off to Brissago!

Back again! Access to the internet was difficult for the last few days, hence the delay in the next posting. We spent 5 nights at a little village called Mammern in Switzerland, which is approx. 24 km west of Konstanz along the Undersee arm of the Bodensee, which then becomes the Rhine river. The Bodensee, or Lake Constance, is the headwater for the Rhine.
Since leaving Schwangau, the weather was simply - lousy! It rained most days, for most of the day! We saw some weather reports and it looks like there has been a rain pattern across a large swathe of north western Europe. So much so, that flooding has become a problem in some areas. Seeing how full the Rhine was at its start, then I can understand how downstream there could be a problem. The Bodensee itself, was reaching the 'full' marker, which gives you an idea how much rain they have had recently.
Despite the weather, we got out each day, spending time in and around Konstanz and the areas around the western end of the Bodensee. Uberlingen does stand out as a highlight. It is a beautiful town on the lake with a very friendly atmosphere. There was a stand along a path which was full of books, but nobody in attendance. Then a couple ride up on their bikes, drop some books off, and pick some up. We had to investigate. It turns out it is a book exchange, managed by the locals on an honour system. All they request is to ensure the books are placed at the back of the shelves to minimise the chances of them being rain affected. I found a Wilbur Smith book - in English! So
 I gratefully found a home for it.
On Sunday afternoon, we went to Hillsong Germany church service. They were just starting a 4:00pm service for the 1st time, making it 4 services for the day. Not bad growth after starting out only 5 years ago. It turned out that Phil Dooley, whom we have heard speak at the Hillsong Conference over the years, and who now is Senior Pastor at Hillsong Capetown, was visiting Germany and was scheduled to speak that weekend. Good for me - I was actually able to understand what was being  said 😊 . Rose was also impressed by his message being translated on the go, by Freimut, the Senior Pastor at Konstanz. Apparently he did a very good job, keeping up with Phil, including all the gestures and mannersims! Quite entertaining, apart from being a very worthy and thought provoking message as well. Hillsong is Hillsong. They have a very distinct 'brand', exemplified especially by the attitude of all their volunteers that they have even at their regular services.
Today we left Mammern and headed to Interlaken. We have found the Switzerland that I had only seen in pictures and films. Snow capped mountains, forest covered steep slopes, cows with bells jangling as they move. The sun came out today and it is suddenly warm. This just causes the snow peaks to stand out even brighter against the blue sky. In the centre of Interlaken, we look up to the Jungfrau, although today she is still a little timid, hiding behind a veil of high cloud.
Tips for travellers: you need a freeway pass in both Austria and Switzerland. In Austria, you can get a 10 day pass (E8), but in Switzerland, they only sell yearly passes (CHF40).
Also, when buying a power adapter, make sure it covers the countries you plan to visit. I thought I had. Either I didn't or it lied! Switzerland has different power points to what we can see is the rest of mainland Europe. Fortunately at our guesthouses, we have been able to borrow Swiss/German adapters. The other tip: all those stories you have heard about how expensive it is in Switzerland - it's true! Ah well, its a holiday and we plan to enjoy it!
We are now over half way through our trip and those homesick bugs do bite at times. Love to hear from any of you if you get the chance. Hope all is well back on Oz.

The beauty of Bavaria. I just discovered I hadn't posted my previous entry, so sorry for the delay!
The weather in Rothenburg ob der Tauber didn't improve much, but we were still able to appreciate the beauty of this remarkably preserved old city.
Next day, we took the shortcut down the A7 to Fussen - around 250km. Ah, the joy of moving left to overtake a truck only to discover an Audi in your rear view mirror that wasn't there a moment ago! While I was cruising along at a gentle 120kph, we were left in the wake of some doing in excess of (est) 200kph, in those sections of unrestricted speed on the autobahns. No time for just cruising along - concentration all the way (which I guess is how it should be!)
As we were approaching Fussen, approx. 65km away we came around a sweeping right hander and suddenly there in front of us were the Bavarian alps. Still capped with snow and looking stunning. As we got closer, they simply grew taller! Our guest house is on one of the roads leading to Neuschwanstein, and we were fortunate enough to be given a room with a view looking up to both castles: N as well as the castle where Ludwig 11 grew up - Hohenschwangau. Yeah - not bad :-) H is lit up at night which is very nice indeed. I had always thought N was white. Not quite! It is built from what looks like limestone which gives it that very light colour, but not the rendered white that I had supposed. I can understand however, how Walt Disney was inspired by it to create his own Magic Kingdom castle.
We walked up to the castles, which meant we didn't have to battle the traffic and buses. Interesting tours, and controlled with military precision. Ludwig was a sad and tragic figure - as much mystery and conjecture around his death as JFK.
Today we went on a drive that took us through a part of Austria, on our way to another of Ludwig's castles: Linderhof. This was much more homely (!), yet extremely extravagant but on a smaller scale.
From there we went to Oberammeragau, which is where the village performs the Passion Play every 10 years. When the bubonic plague was sweeping Europe, the village gathered together and prayed to be spared, and if they were spared, they committed to performing the play every 10 years from then on. They were spared, so they also kept their promise. I haven't checked the dates, but since London was hit by the plague in 1665, it would have been in that era. On the front of the Passion Theatre, there is an inscription dating 1673, which may have been the 1st performance (?) That's not a bad run, even by Andrew Lloyd Webber standards! A beautiful little village, that we would have loved to spend more time exploring.
Next - off to the Bodensee (Lake Constance), where hopefully the weather will improve?

Traversing 1000 years in 2 days! After we arrived in Freiberg, we went for a drive into Ludwigsburg. Heidi and Stefan showed us around the old city including the very impressive square. We wandered over to the Schloss and walked around the beautiful gardens. Unfortunately it started to rain and we had to curtail the walk. It was enough however to give us and indication of the lovely gardens they have there.
The next day we headed into Stuttgart to visit the Mercedes Museum, which you find on Mercedes Str - where else! Interestingly the Porsche Museum, which we didn't have time to visit, is located on Porsche Platz! The Mercedes Museum was brilliant! Anyone visiting Stuttgart, should include this in their itinerary. It is not just a history of the Daimler-Benz company, but a record of the social and historical impact of their products over their history. It is very well done, informative and set in a stunning building. The cars were awesome also! I particularly enjoyed the early days, with the developments in parallel by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz. I had heard the name Maybach previously, but didn't know its significance. He was a key engineer in the formative stages of DB who developed remarkable improvements to the original designs. We also learned the origin of the 3 pointed star, the recognisable Mercedes brand. The 3 refer to the 3 fields of transport to be developed - land, water and air. Which they did! We could have spent much longer there, but ran out of time.
As it was, when we headed back to Freiberg, we were already caught in Stuttgart traffic, not helped by an accident along one of the roads which constricted the heavy traffic.
Heidi and Stefan looked after us very well. We were very fortunate to have been asked to stay with them. Stefan works for Porsche in their R&D division and was really interesting to talk to. One of their children was in Croatia on holiday which meant we used her room. The other 2 children, Jule and Justus were delightful.
On Saturday we headed to Rothenberg ob der Tauber. It was a bright sunny day, which made the journey even more enjoyable. We are staying in a guesthouse in nearby Detwang, which is apparently the oldest part of R, dating back to 970AD. It is a lovely old village, very small - we walked around every street in less than an hour! Today we went to R, which is a medieval town, very well preserved. Unfortunately it hasn't stopped raining today, so our walk around the old city has been cut short. Hopefully it will ease up and we can head back this afternoon.
Last night was the big football (soccer) match for Germany. Dortmund were playing Bayern Munich in the final of the UEFA champions league, in London. So there was a lot of talk about it before hand. The favourites BM won 2-1, but it was a good game. Very skilful teams and a great spectacle which we watched on the tv with German commentary. Interesting how the different codes do their prematch entertainment and their post match awards etc. Some things I think the AFL do better, some they could learn from their European colleagues.

Relaxing in Bammental. The last few days have been quite relaxing as we have been cared for and spoiled by Suse and Winfried. Last Sunday, they took us to a lovely village not too far away: Michel Stadt, which had a number of very old buildings and features. A highlight was afternoon 'kaffe und kuchen', or as we would say 'afternoon tea', at "the worlds greatest baker" - self proclaimed! No lack of self confidence here. The cake was OK, but the worlds' greatest? Not so sure!
Monday ( a public holiday) was quiet until we went into Heidelberg where it was very busy. The national gymnastics championships were being held in the area 'Turnfest 2013', so there were lots of people everywhere. S & W took us to a brewery that not only makes beer, but also features traditional German food in their restaurant. Rose had maultaschen which she enjoyed, while I took the plunge and had some sauerkraut with roast pork. Long time since I had some, and yes, enjoyed it. They had some nice beer there as well, although I kept away from their signature brew which they claim was at one time the strongest beer in the world at 13% alcohol. Afterwards, we visited some of their friends who live in a flat near the old bridge to have a look at the fireworks display which was scheduled for that night due to the gymnastics. It was quite spectacular! The first part in particular featured the castle, where it appeared to be on fire - very well done. This was followed by the usual colourful and loud displays. Nice of them to put it on just for us!
Tuesday, we wandered around Heidelberg enjoying the environment. It is a lovely town, with fine buildings. We had lunch in the square in front of the Rathaus or town hall (yes, many Aussies would think it appropriately named). A couple of weddings happened one after the other. The second couple and their family and friends, were lead from the Rathaus down the street, presumably to their reception, by a jazz trumpeter. We sat back and enjoyed the show!
Yesterday, we headed to Worms, which we know from the life of Martin Luther, where he was called before the Emperor Karl V. This is where he is quoted as saying "Here I stand. I can do no more. God help me. Amen" He was expelled from the empire, but protected by his mentor Frederick. This lit the fire of the Reformation. A substantial memorial in Worms is dedicated to Luther as well as others who lead the way during the Reformation in Germany.
It is also a lovely town, with sections of the medieval town wall still in use. The museum was interesting with artefacts dating back to roman times.
Today we head off to Suse's sister in Freiberg before heading into Bavaria. Lots more to come!