Bordering on Ridiculous

Guten Abend aus Osterreich! Frankly, it's been a funny old day. For example, did you know that Austrians don't speak Austrian? Turns out they never did. That was my misunderstanding. The only slight distinction from pure German is the predominance of a Bavarian dialect in a significant majority of the country but otherwise it's basically the same. No wonder there is no fanfare, no signpost, no stern-looking official or indeed ANY visible signs of border control here when you slip noiselessly, save for the odd gear change, over the boundary somewhere around 10.30am on a Thursday morning. Back home I swear we make more fuss leaving Warwickshire and entering The Cotswolds! We reckon we have crossed seven borders to date (including leaving England) and that by the time we are home the total will be 11 in a week. And guess where will be the only times we've been asked to produce a passport or identification of any sort? Yup! And you think WE have an immigration problem! I can't imagine how they control the flow of the oppressed or the opportunist once they arrive in central mainland Europe. In fact we've been chatting on and off all week about borders. For the sake of posterity I'm just slipping in here a reference to the imminent Scottish referendum. If ever I re-read this drivel in years to come I wanted to be reminded that in one week's time our neighbours north of the border will be deciding to go it alone or remain part of the UK. It could turn out to be significant. My thoughts on the subject will remain just that. Moving on ...

(Could this be our future?)

So, yes, a funny old day .. there we are, waving goodbye to the Dorfkrug Landgasthof, with me thinking how funny it was to be considering the 35k ahead a bit of a doddle when a week ago I would have been aghast at the very idea. What's more according to the map the route broke down very nicely into three 12k sections and we reached the first destination in less than an hour. 

(HRH was asked very politely to take a few more pics today, just to prove I am actually here. He kindly obliged, then lumped them altogether. Most relate to what follows). 

Lindau's old town centre is located on an island, at it's most prominent point dominated by a lighthouse and a huge statue of a lion. Said lion, is described in the guide book only as 'the Bavarian lion' but if this day were not already feeling slightly weird HRH started going on about lion, a boy called Albert and a walking stick with a horse's head handle! I kid you not, I thought he had lost it. "No, seriously", he insisted, "ask your Mum. I bet she'd know". 

("Ooooh, what WAS that poem?")

So I Googled it and have included it here for my beloved, just to prove he's not crazy.

Stanley Holloway - "The Lion And Albert"

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aKovQRzIQwI

Two other distinguishing features of 

Lindau - the Mangturm tower, former lighthouse and evidently where Rapunzel now lives (see pics) and the puppet ballet 

which sounds delightful but the promo 

puppet outside has hooves for feet and wings for hands! (This day is getting 

weirder and weirder).

(That's a plaited rope of 'hair')

(Time to leave ....)

Next stop, over said non-existant border, into Austria, was Bregenz. Billed in the 

tour notes as a highlight we were looking forward to this pause. Sadly the day was somewhat overcast so the intended 

cable-car ride up to the top of Pfaender mountain 'for a fine view across the Alps' was not to be, but the cathedral church 

of Herz-Jesu was a pleasant if slightly 

incomparable substitute. All in all Bregenz left us rather wondering what all the fuss was about being as it was less charming than many places we have passed 

through and more like a busy city on a 

weekday.

And so the end of today's itinerary. 

Strange enough that we should arrive at our hotel as early as 3.30pm but even 

more unexpected from a superficially 

unexciting place to stay, the almost 

unprounceable Hochst, was the 

restaurant recommended by the 

receptionist just down the road. Fantastic food, terrific wine, generous G&T and 

service from a delightful chap straight out of Chip's Charm School. Funny old day.

Might not be laughing tomorrow though -55k and the forecast is for rain! Wish us 

luck.