Day 48 - Bad Waldsee to Kressbronn.

Day 48. Bad Walsee to Kressbronn am Bodensee. 83km, 5h15.

A chilly morning with high cloud and a weak sun as we left Bad - Waldsee, so we needed our sleeves and wind jackets. We weaved and wound our way through farms and up and down through a hilly area. We cycled through a small village every five kilometers or so, and were faced with a maze of crisscrossing cycle paths. We would have been completely lost if we hadn't waited to buy a good map yesterday.

This is the divide between the Danube and Rhine River systems, and the highest point of our trip since Semmering Pass in Austria. We used the full range of our gear systems - I don't think I have ever changed gear quite so often.

The sense of space was exhilarating, with crop fields flowing to the distant mountains which were falling off the horizon. The world is definitely round. Strong farmyard smells, big friendly dairy cows, farmers on huge tractors turning hay, kites and cats hunting in the fields, and then old apple trees, hop, cherry and berry orchards and finally vineyards as we approached the Bodensee (Lake Constance), we had the full range of farm life.

In Kressbronn it was immediately apparent that it is school holidays in Germany. Accommodation was either fully booked or the prices were beyond the budget of African cyclists. So we headed west, we have yet to reach the shore line. After about 10 km we found a laid back country gasthaus, Gasthaus Vetter, which suited us well. It is a relaxed shambles of children, bicycles, horses, dogs and chickens, with a spacious room and ample space to give the bikes an overdue cleanup.

We had the standard schnitzel (uninspiring and a rip-off) at the restaurant of a massive caravan and camping park down the road. Afterwards we strolled between regiments of camper vans and then through an overcrowded yacht basin to eventually reach the shore of Lake Constance. It really is a magnificent stretch of water. It is the largest lake in Europe and is bordered by Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The Rhine flows into it in the east and out in the west.

Good cycle paths through the farms.

Panoramic of the farmlands.

Winding our way down.

Lunch break in an old apple orchard.

Hops and orchards.

Approaching Kressbronn on Lake Constance.

Where's my boat?