More Germany images

We had quite a mellow Monday,but Tuesday was quite packed with activities. So here are a bunch of images from the last 2 days.

On Monday afternoon we walked up to the Buchbuehl in Ostrach



The whole crew with my uncle Fritz and his wife Maria after our hike



Monday night we all went to the Schwabentherme in Bad Saulgau, well known for the thermal springs



This was the first time that I visited the Schwabentherme in daylight



Tuesday morning we traveled to Meersburg to catch a ship to the flower Mainau island



Amy and her mom Cheryl look happy on the ship



With my mom on the ship



I guess it feels like a vacation now



The Pfahlbauten in Unteruhldingen remind us of times when folks here lived on the water



The blimp Zeppelin flew over our heads. If not so expensive, that would be a fun way to see the Lake of Constance



A large crew of workers on the flower island Mainau makes this possible



These flowers are "surprisingly" named fringed tulips



A sea of colors greets the visitors here



A very lucky shot inside the butterfly exhibit



Everyone is "hunting" for butterflies



Yes, caught another butterfly



A butterfly ready to take off



Now that butterfly exhibit was excellent



Some of the flowers are not blooming yet



After a long day of hiking around the island



Amy and my mom in front of one of the restaurants on the Mainau



Waiting for the ship Baden to carry us back to Meersburg



My mom, Georgia and Cheryl had a great time on the island Mainau



Downtown Meersburg is quite quaint



The Basilika Birnau is one of the most stunning small churches in Europe (photography inside is not allowed though)



But I did find a nice image online of the stunning interior



The view from the Basilika Birnau is beautiful too

Spring 2010 trip to Germany

We arrived Friday afternoon in Southern Germany after a long trip from the USA. We actually took the ferry across from Konstanz to Meersburg this time and we all enjoyed that experience despite the cool temps. We napped during the afternoon, had a good meal in the evening and called it night soon after. Below are a few images of our adventures in Germany so far.

After breakfast on Saturday we went to see the basilica in Weingarten, Germany



Georgia lit a candle for a friend back home



The interior of the basilica



Stunning artwork on the ceiling



Descending down the stairs in front of the basilica in Weingarten



The St. Martin fountain in Weingarten



We had lunch at the Cafe Central in Ravensburg



An interesting way to support a building up higher while working on the ground floor



While shopping in Ravensburg we ran into Siggi, Moritz, Lena and Stefan



We had dinner in the Alte Muehle in Waldbeuren and the owner showed how to take the bone out of a trout and made us aware that trout cheeks are a delicacy



Amy and I had vanilla ice cream with hot raspberries for desert



After breakfast on Sunday we all went to the Affenberg in Salem, Germany to see the Barbary Macaques and a ton of storks. Plus the old buildings are quite cool too.



Feeding time for the storks



The storks looked quite content after the meal



Georgia made a new friend in Salem at the Affenberg



This Barbary macaque got the last piece of Amy's popcorn



My mom has never been here before despite living quite close



At the end of the monkey tour



Strolling over calm water



Somehow Georgia had a hard time escaping from the monkey enclosure



We all ate lunch inside this building



Georgia in action in Germany



One small element of the Salem castle



When the old abbey burned down around 1690 it was quickly replaced, but this time with fire fighting stuff planned in. Thus you can find now a fire fighting museum there.



Another interesting old school fire engine



The 4 musketeers at the end of a long tourism day in front of the Gothic basilica in Salem



One of several interesting statues in Castle Salem, Germany



Amy under a lemon tree



That is where mustard comes from

Back on the boat

The image of Amy and I on the boat wasn't taken in Scandinavia, but on a rainy day crossing the Lake of Constance in Southern Germany. We are actually on a little field trip with Amy's mom Cheryl and her grandmama Georgia.

Walking in the shadows of...

Well, enjoying sunshine and shadows here in Winston-Salem before heading to a very rainy Germany. But we'll have a good time just the same. :-)