I fell in love with Germany while in the Army in the late 60s. It was the most fascinating place I had ever seen. Until I visited Austria, that is. And Switzerland surpassed even that. This must be what heaven looks like. We relived that feeling in only eight hours today.
Only in compact Europe can you easily visit three countries in a single day. We checked out of our room at Ramstein yesterday so today we traveled from our hotel at Friedrichshafen on the Bodensee into the mountains of Arlsberg, Austria, 6,000 feet up in the mountains. As we climbed out of the valley fog into the sunshine, yellow poplars and larch gave way to craggy peaks blanket with the first snow of the season. This is ski country, or will be later in the season. The resorts are gearing up and a few hearty souls climbed the hillside to get in a few early season, hard earned turns. It's hard to believe we were in Africa just a short while ago.
St. Gallen, cuter than heck
St. Gallen, back in Switzerland, could have been inspired by Walt Disney. It is perfectly proportioned, spotlessly clean, and picture postcard perfect. The town centers on the 11th Century St. Gall Abbey, home to the oldest and most important libraries in Europe. The library was closed for cleaning but the town itself was festive and charming in a way that we have come to expect from the Swiss. Not even the mind-numbing cold could keep a smile off my face as we strolled the streets like little kids on vacation.
