Monday

Today the day stage was about 40 km. At first we had a tour through thelovely little old town Stein on Rhine. At this place the Untersee ends inthe down flowing river where at former times the merchants could transship their goods to bigger or smaller boats. Furthermore they could build a bridge there. This village is the best preserved medieval town in Switzerland. It has wonderful painted houses, which are hundred of years old and not seldom still owned by the same family. The facades are rich decorated under the roof as you can see it from the street. Many houses have got an oriel and rich decorated waterspouts.




In Stein we visited the small island of Werd with a small convent. We were told that it is the most quiet place in the region. Seven friars are there. Of course three would be too little, twelve would be ideal, but seven is o.k.



On the Southern lake shore of the Untersee we biked further on via Mammern, Steckborn, Mannenbach, Ermatingen, Gottlieben to Constance, where we crossed the Rhine river via the bicycle bridge, leaving behind us the Southern of the threesome part of the Lake Constance Untersee, Zeller See and Gnadensee with its great island Reichenau.






We crossed the city of Constance heading the peninsula Mainau at the shore of the upper part of the Lake Constance the Ueberlinger See named after the city of Ueberlingen, where our next hotel was. The Mainau is famous for its wonderful garden of subtropical plants. Regarding the ship we got to get at Wallhausen we just had too little time, to visit the Mainau. In addition to that we already had been there before, needless to say that the admission is rather high.



Short time later we passed a nice place in Litzelstetten a nice meadow at the lake used as a swimming pool with a nice little restaurant where we had a break (glass of wine and a beer) and enjoyed the beautiful view over the lake to the monastery church of Birnau.




After that we took a nice little ride to the small harbor of Wallhausen, where we entered the ferry boat to do the short, sunny and calm passage to the historical city of Ueberlingen, where our next hotel was situated. Hotel and Restaurant Schaepfle is a very nice and comfortable Hotel where you also can dine very well.