Castles and Markets

Upon arising the next day, we planned an ambitious day of sightseeing. We started at the old medieval town of Meersburg. Located on the north shore of Lake Constance, Meersburg is surrounded by hillside vineyards sloping down to the water. Apparently, on a clear day you can get beautiful views of the Alps.

We wandered through the streets, finding a playground and a toilet amidst the ancient buildings. We found this waterwheel along the path that led from the lower section of town up to the upper town near the castle. Molly found it was quite easy to turn the wheel while standing at the base. It is so large that it looks as if it should be difficult to spin, but it must be mounted in such a way to minimize friction. I imagine that it’s not currently attached to any machinery, though. I wonder if it could be connected to a generator to charge batteries for the house’s electrical needs?

The old town is very charming and there are loads of shops. Apparently, Meersburg is a popular tourist destination. They must be fair-weather tourists, though, because it seemed mostly abandoned at this time of year.

We found a terrific restaurant, just in the nick of time. After some traditional German fare, we made a brief visit to the castle perched at the top of the town. It’s sandstone walls are quite impressive atop the cliffs.

Then we drove onto the ferry across the lake to Constance. River loved the feel of the wind on her face, even though it was so cold that it was almost unbearable for normal people.

The Christmas market in Constance was quite nice. We drank gluhwein and kids climbed on a statue while the band played carols. Molly wasn’t particularly impressed with the gluhwein. Wikipedia claims that in the old times wine often went bad, but by adding spices and honey it could be made drinkable again. It was warm, though! We managed to do a little shopping before freezing temperatures and blood sugar issues sent us back to the car to head home.

The kids did a lot of singing together. You can hear them singing along to “Deck the Halls” in the video below. They also managed nice renditions of “Twelve Days of Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and “Children Go Where I Send Thee” among others. I love hearing the influence our family chorus.