Journey to St. Gallen

17.09.05

Heading off to Altnau today, near Lake Constance (Bodensee) and Romanshorn. There are orchards with apple and pear trees, so that’s something a little different I’d like to see. It was really cold, walking down from the hostel in Lenzerheide-Vabella.

When I arrived, I found out that the room I was planning to stay at was already booked, but seeing my email, Cornelia made other arrangements. She drove me to another bed & breakfast in the same town. There I met Wolfgang (of Germany) and Alice, an elderly couple with a lovely garden and many plants in their cozy home.

After reorienting as to where I was, and how to get to the bahnhof, I went on a quest for lunch. Today there was a “Herbstmarkt” in Altnau, but I didn’t know where. I stumbled upon it while looking for a restaurant, and decided to buy my food there instead.

Starting with a bratwurst, I then bought some dark honey (homemade from forest bees) — I never seem to have honey for my tea, so now I do.

Fruit, fruit and more fruit — some pepinos which are small like an pear but taste like melons (Kachuma). What I think were boysenberries, as well as raspberries, pears, and grapes. I never knew there were so many kinds of grapes — I tried some Lilla and some Muscat bleu. The man I talked to is one of eight grape growers in an organization named Thurgauer Tafeltrauben. Also some Apfelbrot and some cards by “Fanny Schmid-Wettstein” and “Hedi Mischler-Brühwiler” to send my Grandpa and Grandma respectively.

I need to be up much to early in order to go to Lucerne for church — so I’m skipping breakfast. I was invited for dinner (fish from the lake, garden potatoes with a cream sauce, and a garden salad) with tea and dessert. Wolfgang works with handicapped kids, and Alice runs the bed & breakfast and creates artwork. There is a garage out front, but they rent it out to a car mechanic. Enough chit-chat, after dessert I had to go prepare everything for my early departure.