We have learned many interesting things about the Swiss. On some of the trains they have an entire train car for parents travelling with small children. Inside the car there are small toys and objects for smal children to climb. Can't you imagine how much easier a long trip with small children would be if they had space to play while covering the miles? But, not everyone likes to travel and listen to the squeals of children, so these special train cars are painted with cartoon figures on the outside to let parents know which car is designed for kid-travel...and let others know which car to avoid if they want to read or sleep on the train.
Also, we have learned that the Swiss love their bells. There are church buildings with bells that sound out the hour, and sometimes the half and quarter hours. They also have huge bells around the necks of their cows, and smaller ones on goats and sheep. We love the sound of the Swiss bells.
When we left Zurich we headed north to a town named Kreuzlingen. We had read about a boat that would take passengers from there through a beautiful series of lakes and waterways that divide Switzerland and Germany. We thought that would be a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. However, when we got there, and the train had left us, we realized that the boat only operated on certain hours on specific days, and today was not one of those days.
So, we hiked back to the train station and took another train to a tiny village called Stein am Rhein. By this time it was late in the afternoon, and since we had changed our plans this morning, we had no reservations for the night. We were hopeful we could find some type of place to spend the night in Stein am Rhein. When we walked into the village, we were thrilled. Stein an Rhein is regarded as Switzerland's best preserved medieval small town, and it looks and feels like a movie set. Up on the hill is Hohenklingen Castle, and the Rhine River splits the town in two parts. This picture was taken from the bridge over the Rhine, and shows the castle on the hillside.
Most of the buildings in the old part of town have frescoed paintings on the exterior. Most of these frescoes depict Biblical or historical scenes. One photo shows the Rathaus (city hall) and the second one shows a street scene.
Down by the Rhine people were eating dinner and watching the afternoon sunshine sparkle on the waters of the Rhine River.
We were thrilled be able to locate a lovely room in a frescoed building right across from the Rathaus. We enjoyed our dinner at a streetside cafe and walked all around this fascinating village. What a nice surprise to end a day that included some disappointment about missing the boat ride. You know it has been a good day when you look out your hotel window at night and see a well-lit castle on the hillside!
And, so ends another wonderful day. We are so very blessed. Tomorrow we plan to walk around this village a little more, and then take the boat from here to Schaffhausen. From there we will have one more excurision before the day is over, but we know that there will be no internet access where we will be tomorrow night, so there will be no blog tomorrow. We plan to play catch-up on Friday night, though. Until then, enjoy your days. We will do the same.
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