Rhena on the move – Part 2

From Ermatingen to Steckborn

Welcome back! What I nice and restful time I had. Meeting friends is such a fun distraction. Not always easy to manage though. Especially with the recent thunderstorms. I’ve had friends driven away by strong winds. Luckily all went well this time. It’s been very hot and stormy for days. I love thunderstorms and always try to be close to the surface when they hit. Just watching the lightning and listening to the rolling thunder while floating along. Perfect!

It is really important to NOT be too close to the surface during a heatwave. We all like to lose a bit of weight in the summer, but some have taken it too far and have disappeared completely. It’s a very fine line. Personally, I prefer to stay close to the bottom. From there I can still see the surface (we all keep clean so the lake is really clear) and what the weather is like, but I don’t get vaporized by the sun.

I had to be careful not to be swept across to the German side of the Untersee. There’s no escaping from there. The only outlet of Lake Constance is in Stein am Rhein where the Rhine continues. You must not miss that exit unless you’re done with your journey and you want to retire. The area north of Reichenau is our Florida or to stay with a Swiss theme, our Ticino. It is where a lot of us retire to. After that, there’s no place to really rest and or retire for a very long time.

Source: Google Maps

I’m kind of nervous about passing Steckborn. It’s like the point of no return. And it looks like we’ll all be cramped together once we pass Stein am Rhein. No more of that loosely stacked formation we enjoyed in Lake Constance. Anyway, we’re not quite there yet. I spent quite a bit of time floating around the harbor of Mannenbach. This is where the train line comes really close to the water. I’ll tell you about rail bridges and those cute red trains up in the mountains where I was born some other time. I really really like trains. They are so strong and they go really fast. I would love to be a train in my next life.

Source: Google Maps

I had heard about this special train but missed seeing one until Mannenbach-Salenstein. The train station is so close to the water, I could see the train without having to get on my tiptoes. I’m sure Evelyne took many train pictures while walking. Just check out her video.

Let me tell you something about the train and its name. It’s called Thurbo (yes, it looks and sounds a bit like English/German turbo and I don’t think that is an accident). It is an acronym of Thur (river in the area), Thurgau (the canton we’re in at the moment) and Bodensee (Lake Constance). The trains are cute and fast and the zip along the shores of Lake Constance ever half hour. That must be very convenient for hikers or even cyclists as it looks like there’s space for bikes as well. There is a picture of a bike on one of the train doors. How cool is that?! I did hang around in the vicinity of the train station for a long while to check things out.

There is a lot of farming going on between Ermatingen and Steckborn. I can see and hear cows and sheep mainly. I like them both because they don’t randomly jump on top of me and kick me. I don’t want to say I don’t like dogs, but have you ever been hit in the head by a stick and then been jumped on and kicked. It’s no fun!

Route 60 between Ermatingen and Steckborn

To highlight that this is a wine region the hiking route again leaves the shore of the lake and goes way up into the hills. I could see a white rock sticking out from down below. The view from up there must have been spectacular. And then there’s the vineyards. Still hoping to catch some wine further downstream. There are many vineyards still to come and I’m now officially allowed to drink.

The next stage will take us closer to Stein am Rhein. I think either to Mammern or Eschenz. Not quite all the way there as I’m too nervous. This is a very hilly stretch of the route again – the views down onto the water will be worth it though. I’ll be waving up and hoping for cooler temperatures. It’s been kind of hectic trying to rotate places, so we don’t lose anybody. If you fall asleep during the day in this heat and you’re near the top. You’re pretty much gone. Stressful times!

Source: Google Maps

P.S.: I’m not meant to tell you this, but Evelyne ripped her pants when they got stuck on a stile of sorts. That’s why she couldn’t walk any further. The rip was in a very unfortunate place. Don’t tell her I told you. It’s our little secret.