Germany

Day 3 GERMANY!

Surprise surprise everyone! You (and I) thought I was going on bank holiday to Switzerland, but guess what?! My cousin had other plans for me, and I got to cross the border!

So, apparently the Switzerland/Germany border is about half an hour from Zurich. It is a natural border created by Bodinsee (a lake). On the German side of the lake is an island called Insel Mainau. It is basically a large park and botanical garden. Felipe, Beatriz, Ashley, and I spend the majority of the day there, looking at flowers and trees and butterlies!





Temperaturewise, it is a huge climate change from Pilatus. I even got a sunburn. And an awkward sandal tan.

After leaving the island, we head over to the closest town which is Konstanz. It is unbearably adorable, so we walk around a bit. It is close to a University so there are tons of young folk hanging out on the banks of the Rhine, which I of course cross (and touch! Gosh I'm such a tourist.)


I am struck by the extreme cleanliness of the major bodies of water here. All of the lakes and rivers we have passed in Switzerland and Germany have been this incredible blue/green color and completely devoid of litter. America, you could learn a thing or two.

After realizing how hungry we are, we go in search of a typical German restaurant. I had schnitzel and pommes frites. I'm pretty sure you can't get much more German than that. We grab dessert at McDonalds. Ok. the McDonalds in Europe are SO FANCY. I don't even understand it. One I was in the other day had chandeliers in it. And couches. And they have gourmet food options! European McDonalds don't mess around.

While we are walking around a bit more in Konstanz, and taking more ridiculous photos, we come across a strange tradition. It looks like halloween, but apparently it is a sort of bachelorette party? Though later we came across a group of guys having a bachelor party. The bride (or groom) dresses up in a costume and all of their friends dress up maching in a different costume. And they walk around downtown in the city they are from selling things and asking people to do silly things for them while they take pictures. At one point, two different groups of girls ran into each other and got all excited. But then the group of guys came up and one of the groups of girls ran off yelling, so I assume that she was marrying the guy.

GERMANY, WHAT?

Dear Germany. Are you training your children to become pirates and rogues?!?! No? This lifesize pirate raft in a moat on a playground begs to differ. WHAT? (note: this rage stems solely from my extreme jealousy at not having my own pirate raft as a child)