Rheinfalls

This incredible waterfall is on the Swiss side of the border and begins with the Bodensee...Lake Constance...and feeds into the Rhein river. It was an amazing sight up close! In the dry season, you can walk almost halfway out to the middle. There is a sign posted out there to see. It is hard to imagine the falls drying out. This year seemed to be a rainy season and the falls had almost a record level of water.

Meersburg Castle

We visited the Meersburg Castle with Hedi. (Yes...another extremely hilly hike that Hedi pushed us to make! She is merciless!!) It was a medieval village on the shores of Lake Constance. The armaments in the castle were spectacular even to Mom the Pacifist! There were all shapes and sizes and types of killing implements as well as armor and chain mail that were in incredible shape. All were used by men in this specific castle at some time. It really reinforced what a brutal time the medieval ages were.

To quote from a travel web page:
"Three countries border the shores of Lake Constance (Der Bodensee): Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The town of Meersburg is in Germany on the north shore of the lake, between Friedrichshafen and Überlingen. In the town are two castles, a medieval one, Altes Schloss (Old Castle or Meersburg Castle), and a baroque one, Neues Schloss. Altes Schloss is one of the oldest inhabited castles in Germany.

Meersburg Castle dates back to 628 when Dagobert I, the Frankish king, built a military tower on granite overlooking Lake Constance. Features were added to the castle over the years, including the main tower which dates from 1509.

The castle was built for heavy use, and survived many onslaughts. In 1334 when the castle was under siege by Emperor Louis the Bavarian, Bishop Nicholas I of Kenzingen had a secret underground passage dug from the castle to the lake. The 400 miners assigned to the task finished the tunnel in the 14th week of the siege, allowing supplies to be brought in to the castle without Louis’s notice. With the castle able to hold out for such a long time, Louis was finally forced to give up. After time the tunnel entrance was used as a dungeon. Known as the “Hole of Fear,” prisoners were lowered into it and left to starve. "

Suffice it to say, there needed to be a female touch added here or there to soften the militaristic decor.

Visiting the Faigle Family

We were so completely spoiled by Mike's Aunt Hedi and Uncle Manfred! Hedi cooked wonderful meals that drew cries of delight from Nathan and Celia. All plates were cleaned at every meal leaving us anticipating the next.

Jazzy especially basked in her attention. Hedi fell in love with our dog...he could do no wrong as he patrolled her garden, slept in the sunshine and sat in her lap for a well deserved massage.

While in Singen, Germany, we caught up with Mike's Uncle Walter and Aunt Irma...pictured with Mike in the upper left corner picture. They live in a pretty village not far from where we stayed.

Hohentwiel Castle

This ruin is found in Singen, Germany where Mike's family is from. It is a beautiful area near Lake Constance and the Swiss border. The hike was fully uphill and very steep. All along we glimpsed beautiful vistas of sheep and lush green fields and Lake Constance. We could see shadows of the Swiss Alps off in the distance.

The most amazing thing about the hike was Mike's Aunt Hedi's ability to out hike all four of us. She is at an age that most people would be happy or forced by an unwilling body to spend their days watching the world go by...yet she hiked this huge hill up and down without even appearing winded and had plenty of energy to attack the hike we took the next day. She rides her bike to the bakery and hardly stops to rest as she works through the day cooking and gardening and cleaning. A serious role model for me!!

Aboard the Elizabeth Again

Our first destination for Spring Break was Tom and Tricia Reay's barge Elizabeth in Roanne in the central West side of France between Dijon and Lyon. She is 22 meters long and quite the looker! We were not able to go out on the canals, but we had a wonderful two night visit with our friends and met a lot of lovely bargers. This trip we were able to keep Jazzy from jumping overboard, although he would have loved to swim after the ducks.

Road Trip!!

We began our Spring Break trip by driving over the magnificent Millau bridge. We have seen it from below twice and Nathan and Celia have been on a bus trip over it, but Mike and I have never driven it. You cannot see over the sides, but you can see the tiny ant-like village below that reminds you just how high you are. As we made our way north, we passed over and under many unusual bridges...each very different in their design...even an upside down suspension bridge.

We had a picnic at a rest stop on the way by a very neat old village. It is truly a very French thing to do to picnic at the stops. At noon, all of the stops are filled to the gills with families enjoying their lunch.

As you can see, Jazzy is a well-seasoned traveller. His comfy little bed was in the trunk and we kept the ski pass through hole open so he could pop through and see everything.

Church in Castries France

As I was reminded by Pastor Patti's weekly letter, we are entering Holy Week. I feel so much connection to my faith sitting in the services of this week. This is the Catholic church that I am attending...pretending that it is Episcopal! The prayers and the flow of the service are almost exactly the same.

Pere Yannick is so wonderful. He is definitely a younger (40s to early 50s) and more forward thinking Catholic priest. He speaks French, Spanish and English. He has visited the Carmel mission in California and loves to have us in his congregation. He insists on speaking in English with us after each service even though we would like to stay in French to better blend in.

The voices roll about the church when the choir sings. It just fills you to the brim. It is such an open and light filled place...very unlike most of the older churches here. The original church in Castries was constructed around 1050, collapsed in 1870. This new church was built in 1862...thus the more light and airy architecture.

The congregation is enormous. For a country that has really turned its back on its organized religion, the church is packed completely to standing room only every single Sunday. I am forced to actually be early in order to find a seat...amazing for me don't you agree my COGS family??