We’re having a wonderful week at Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Southern Germany. The weather (after some very wet weeks) is unexpectedly wonderful, and the appartement that we rented is also quite wonderful – a large flat under the roof of an old villa. We like it so much we could easily move in. And it is not even expensive.

Day 1 – a little hike …

 
… seeing beautiful gardens – we have not nearly as many flowers in our garden at home because the climate there is much colder: We are hundreds of miles southwards of home here, and because of the large lake, winters are usually very mild, so mild that lots of wine grows around the lake.

 
After a few miles of hiking, a coffee is obligatory …

 
… feeding the hungry ghosts …

 
In the harbour, a very unusual combination of racing car, speedboat, and slide …

 
We saw our old friend Zeppi again. Since we were here in 2003, taking a wonderful (but unfortunately very expensive) flight with the Zeppelin around Lake Constance, this wonderful vehicle (we think of him being a very kind very large dog-like being for some reason) was asking when we would come back. Of course he spotted us beneath him, and waved down to us … of course he couldn’t really wave very wildly because he had to take care of his passengers.

 
Walking through colorful autumn forests …

 
Looking down on the lake through rows of wine …

 
Fruits from the huge cedar tree in front of our house …

 
and the view from our little balcony …

 
Inhabitants of the village trying to make the lives of us tourists even more colorful …