Sunday- a week after their arrival saw Cass & Jamie on their way. They left here to ride to Konstanz- which they managed in an afternoon. Then the next few days is riding around the Lake. Wow!!! Check out Cass's Riding head gear- converted curtain to protect her from the sun!     
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Saturday night - dinner at a lovely Greek restaurante celebrating my 60th birthday. A great time had by all. The restaurante gave me a genuine Black Forest Cake in honour of my birthday. Vunderbah!    Tuesday 24th saw the 4 of us on the way to Zermatt via the Swiss Alps on the Glacier Express. This is one of the world's best known trains travelling along a masterpiece of railroad technology. The panorama coaches give unlimited views of the deep gorges, mountain lakes, bridges, tunnels, snow peaked mountains, landslides & glacier landscapes. Unbelievable beauty. A cog rail served for the steep parts of the journey. We arrived in Zermatt at around 5pm having boarded our first train at 8.15am. Wow!      Hello- have been a bit lazy but time to start again. Cassy & Jamie arrived Sunday 22nd May. Unfortunately for them this day was in Schaffhausen & surrounding areas called "Slow Up" day where all cars are banned & bicycles & roller skates etc could go on a 38km ride but ONLY in one direction. (about 25,000 people took part- but most had completed ride by the time kids arrived) This meant that upon landing in Schaffhausen rail station they had 38 km ride to us instead of 4 kms. Well I did warn them to arrive after 5pm when roads would be opened again. Did this make a difference. NO!!! Apparently after being turned back for going the wrong way, they just looped around further down the road & were waved on by another less officious person. Arrived within 10 mins of chuffing into Schaffhausen!!!
A visit to the Southern Black Forest today. First stop - St Blasien located in the valley of the Alb at the base of the Feldberg Mountain. The beautiful Abbey Church dominating this town was rebuilt in 1768 after a fire.When entering the church one is immediately overwhelmed by the beauty of white marble and majesty. The dome of St Blasien is the third largest in Europe and truly a magnificent structure. After a lunch of pizza & coffee at a local cafe we drove to another lakeside village- Schluchsee-the town & Lake are both called by the same name. The Schluchsee is the highest reservoir in Germany & largest lake in the Black Forest. Being such a lovely day, we all walked for an hour around part of the lake. Little electric boats lined a jetty waiting for the summer crowds to descend- and an odd fisherman was sighted trying his luck. Next stop was Titisee which was formed during the last ice age. Just 10,000 years ago, a glacier extended from the Feldberg to the present-day lake. The basins gouged out by the glacier now form the basin of Lake Titisee. Lake Titisee is perfect for swimming, sailing, windsurfing, and for a stroll along the water front. The very touristy village is pretty & alive with shops & stalls of all desriptions & has beautiful glass wear for sale.  Dome of St Blasien  St. Blasien southern Black Forest Baden-Wuerttemberg Germany -former prince abbey of the Benediktine order sundial at one of the old buildigs of the abbey  Little electric boats by the shore of Schluchsee  Walking around Lake Schluchsee  Strolling along the shores of Lake Titisee Today we visited a most charming medieval town in South West Germany called Meersburg. it is situated on Lake Konstanz -the name of the town meaning"Burg on the Lake" - Burg referrring to the castle built around 650. Terraces cascaded down the hillside to the water - lined with half timbered houses. There are 2 distinct areas in this ancient town:- the Oberstadt (Upper Town) & the Unterstadt (Lower Town). To walk between them you go via steps or a steep street. In the Marketplatz lies a striking 16th century Rathaus. The town is dominated by 2 castles:- Altes Schloss (Old Castle) & Neues Schloss (New Castle) After coffee & cake in an outside cafe, we visited the Old Castle built in the 7th Century. High up- with beautiful views. This Medieval Castle was ever so interesting with relics of a warring age- clubs, armour, helmets, axes & very different to the lavishly furnished many castles one can visit. But be careful or you will be lowered down to the dungeon & left to starve to death YUK!! Also Germany's leading female poetess of the time Annette von Droste-Hulshoff lived there for a few years & died in the castle. The new castle was under renovations & could not be visited. On the drive home we stopped off to see the Birnau Church on the shores of Lake Constance. An example of baroque architecture in Germany- it was unbelievable in its striking facade & richly decorated interior. A place to admire but definitely not for me a place to pray- whatever my religious beliefs might be!!! A great finish to the day was a lovely meal in a Greek restaurante by the Rhine, with Ilan, Heike, Ron & I & our friends Jan & Gitta & also Jan's daughter Tercia.  Behave or be lowered into a doorless, windowless dungeon & left there to starve!   Birnau Church Ron's cousin Ilan & his girlfriend Heike are here in Busingen with us for a week. We have lots of fun together. We were doing another church appraisal (not a lack of those in Europe!!) in Konstanz. I noticed a wall of panelling with a row of doors along the edge & carelessly commented on all the hiding places a church concealed- especially one as old and huge as this one. Well my dear Ron decided to see what was behind one of those doors- the next moment saw the door still closed but minus a handle. oh oh I disappeared from the scene and left Ron there to get a 'handle' on things (Hmmmm) Hysterical laughter followed outside this very ancient church. AND NO he didnt bring home a souvenier- Ron being the handyman he is stuffed the handle back in its rightful place!!!!! On our way home from Konstanz stopped in the town of Radolfzell-a town on Lake Konstanz- pretty with an interesting naked (whoo hoo) sculpture by the lake!  The church that lost & found a door handle!!!!!!  On the Lake Front at Konstanz  Wends being very good & only patting the head of the naked man!!!!  Ron, Ilan & Heike at Randolfzell by the edge of the Lake  Another side of the sculputure!!!! Still only patting the head!!!
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