Rhine Falls, Lake Constance/Bodensee and the Meersburg Castle

Rhine Falls: Rick (left), our 8 students, me

Thursday, 7/12:  Terrific field trip with the students and family yesterday.  Started early by meeting at the Hauptbahnhof (transportation station) for a 7:58 a.m. train to Schaffhausen.  Anna, the boys, and I met Rick and the students there as they came down from Ludwigsburg/Favorite Park.  The students, it seems, run on about 3 hours of sleep per night.  Incredible!  To be young(er) again.

Upon our arrival in Schaffhausen, we swapped a few euros for Swiss francs and caught the bus.  Destination Rhine Falls. From our bus stop, we walked a few minutes to the amazing falls.  Stunning, powerful, romantic, sublime... all that and more.  This ain't no "Rock City"!

Anna and the boys found the falls equally impressive.  In fact, we took the boat ride out to the rock overlook in the middle of the falls.  You can see people (tiny) atop the rock (left) as well as the view from the rock itself (right).  What a roar!  Both visually and audibly spectacular.

  

  

From the Rhine Falls, we took the train to the Bodensee/Lake Constance, a.k.a. Germany's Riviera.  Wow!  Beautiful weather, sunny day, sailboats, stunning views!  We caught the ferry (and a beer) across to Meersburg to see the castle (below, left).

Rick Steve's moment alert (you know, the travel guy on t.v.) - The Meersburg Castle was founded by the Merovingian king, Dagobert the First, in the 7th Century.  From that century on, it's been added to, updated, attacked, and more, so its architecture and decor move from the middle ages (including the "hole of fear" torture chamber and dungeon) through the more guest-friendly Renaissance. Within the castle is Annette von Droste-Hulshoff's living/bed room, which was also where she died at 52.  She is one of Germany's great poets of the 19th Century and was on the 20 Deutsche Mark bill/bank note until Germany adopted the euro.  By the size of her bed, she was a rather petite thing.  Poets, I suppose, can't afford grand living.  The views, however, from the castle out across Lake Constance are quite rich.  She had much to inspire her in Meersburg.  

Turner and Jude looking out across the Bodensee from Meersburg.

Arrived back in Stuttgart (exhausted) at 11:00 p.m.  A full day of history, fun and food.