Team Bus

Set off this morning in a rented 9 seater VW Crafter Minibus from the local Ottobeuren Garage for the fabulous all inclusive rate of 65 Euros for the day and only had to return it with the tank full.

We headed south west to Lake Constance about 80km away. Thought we ought to quickly pop over to Switzerland via Austria, for a quick swim. Journey took rather longer than wanted as I chose to do the lake promenade route rather than the autobahn, on the basis of saving the Austrian 8.80 Euro 10 day and Swiss annual 38.50 motorway stickers. According to Google Maps the motorway route would have taken 20 minutes - on the non toll roads it took us a good hour and on the way back I noticed the bus already had the Swiss sticker and as I was to find out on 10th August we also got caught by a Swiss speed camera (1.864114 mph too fast) and cost 37,05 Euros! That will teach me.

Crossed the German-Austrian border without seeing anything in uniform and at the Swiss border there was an uninterested policeman who simply nodded his head - I suspect he had seen the two nuts in the bus wearing Bavarian felt hats (extra photo) and knew it wasn't a busload of fleeing German immigrants. Crossed the Rhine and got to a beach at Rorschacherberg where Uncle J had a swim with his nephew and niece.

Then back to Germany, the same lack of border controls, and past Lindau Island to Wasserburg where we had a bite to eat, a walk around and the adults managed to have some fun on the children's playground. First time I have seen son and daughter share a piece of playground equipment without it ending in tears. Grandchildren looked on in bewilderment.

Finally drove on to Linda Island and a walk around the harbour, pose for the mandatory photo with Bavaria's only lighthouse  and through the old town before settling down for a meal outdoors, an early birthday meal for Kate as Laura & J have to fly home tomorrow morning and can't be with us.

Homeward bound, just did a short bit of British Lager Lout terrorising of a poor cashier at a garage where we stopped to tank up, mainly on bottles of beer.

Great day, superb weather and learnt to take a good look around the vehicle when renting one (the Swiss motorway  sticker) and to be less churlish about giving the Austrians a few Euros for the 10km of motorway.