Bodensee Day 1 photos

After work last Friday, I hopped a train with bicycle, tent and backpack in tow, and headed southeast toward the Bodensee, also known as Lake Constance. The Bodensee borders Deutschland, Österreich and die Schweitz. It's quite a large lake with a mostly paved Radweg (bike path), or if you prefer, you could stay on the paved roads.

I undertook this as an American would (or so I was told by some Germans who I met along the way) by planning little but the train and the camping site.

The train from Vilseck (an hour from Nürnberg) took about 4.25 hours, with one change only. I was able to use the Bayern/Bavaria ticket (20€ each way) for the whole ride, paying an extra 4.5€ each way to take my bike.

The ride from Lindau train station to the tent site (Camping on der Bodensee) is about 4-5km, on paved side streets, found easily by asking locals. I rolled in on my orange bike and started pitching my tent, just about 10pm. A single girl arriving at that hour alone commands attention, so I didn't even have to pitch my tent myself. A couple friendly German motorbikers jumped at the chance to offer a hand and a glass of wine. But I went to bed. I was pooped!

After 10 hours of sleep, I set off for Bregenz, Austria, west and south of Lindau. After meandering through their Saturday street market, I pedaled onward toward Rorschach. The only reason I wanted to go there was because it was the namesake of the Ink Blot test. Along
the way, I saw another of Hunderwasser's works of architechture. He's a famous Austrian architect, but I find his works horrid and visually as appealing as circus made of insane people. But. I took a photo. Tell me what you think.

Saturday was full-on rain most of the day, but it was warm, so no complaints. I met a couple of bicyclists from Germany who were biking to Italy. One didn't have a rainproof coat, and the other was wearing sneakers. And they were giving me crap for going to the Bodensee
without a plan! I have photos of them under the bridge where we took cover during a downpour.

They headed off following the Danube, and I went onward toward Rorschach, where I caught a ferry home for 15€ and settled in for another nights' sleep.

Bregenz, Austria: market in town center

Note the age of this bridge. (It just looks damn old.)

Germans who were biking to Italy, helped me with my lack-of-map situation.

The Danube

Souped up campers in Austria

Hundertwasser building. Shoot me now... I would hate this in my town. I don't know why he's famous- I think he's just crazy.

I talked to this man quite a lot- he had children all over and in 1975, he made a huge cycling trip around Europe. (Unless I misunderstood his German.)