Bolingen, Germany (and Switzerland)

Last Monday, I went to visit my dear old friend Felix at his home in his little southern part of Germany. He lives in an area called Konstanz, which is right on the border of the Swiss Alps (therefore, also Switzerland), Lake Konstanz, and the end of the world. This area is doused in really really old culture (think 600 AD-ish), and Christian culture at that.
Felix picked me up and drove me from the airport to his house, taking a nice little detour/roadtrip around some scenic parts before we got there for dinner with his family.

Let me make some things clear before I continue:
1) I am only used to seeing Felix in a strictly USA, Boston-type location. All English speaking, him always in the passenger seat, and just a jolly foreigner. Now I was completely on his turf; vulnerable, and completely at a disadvantage. Not only do I not know the area whatsoever, but I can only say about 4 things in German. So, he was taking complete control (in a good way) of the few days I was there. He drove everywhere, translated everything for me (including what his family was trying to say), gave me historical and cultural background where appropriate....Honestly, I was impressed and in awe of him the entire time. Good man.
2) The Schweigger residence is a funny, and ADORABLE, place. His mother is beautiful and very bubbly, always smiling, trying really really hard to make conversation in a language she can't speak, cooks wonderfully, spoiled me rotten. His father (did I mention he's Peruvian?), though mostly not around because of work, is welcoming, educating, at first a bit intimidating, but seemingly lovable like a teddy bear, who also makes big attempts to hold an English conversation without knowing lots. His younger brother, Tobi (18), looks 100% Aryan, taller than Felix, speaks almost as good of english but with a German accent, is funny, and very approachable. And I love his younger sister, Elka (16), because she's as tall as the boys, quirky in that adorable have-to-love-them type of way, speaks decent english with a British accent, and bonded with me very well.
His house is another matter. Guys, he wasn't lying when he said most of it is marble. It's marble. Big house, about 3 levels. Very neat, organized, NEW, chic. I can't explain. But I wanted to move in.
3) Did I mention that this area is very Christian? Mostly Catholic? I didn't think much of it at first, until I realized that there were crosses and Jesus monuments on the sides of the streets and highways. And little prayer huts. While driving round a turn, there's a Jesus stone. You wouldn't think it to be so peculiar to a person from Boston (full of Irish Catholics), but, this was turned up maybe 4 or 5 notches from THAT. This also explains why so many of the sights we saw were churches/cloisters/cathedrals.
4) I've never eaten so much in my life. Everday, there was chocolate in multiple forms, cheeses oozing from other cheeses, breads being spread with other stuff, HONEY, milk being poured into glasses like water, and so many other things that I forbid myself to eat on a daily basis. Felix, if you're reading this, you live a life that only you won't die of a heart attack. You lucky, lucky bastard.
5) When you look at the landscape of this area of Germany, you notice how oddly puckered some of the mountaintops are. They kind of jut up, and plateau peculiarly on top. Apparently, these mountains were really old volcanoes, now dried up. Hundreds of years back, people decided it'd be a great idea to build their castles on these tops (that way they would not be easily seiged). Then, after building these castles, they realized how hard it was to actually get to the castles....Don't worry, Napoleon bombed most of them, so they're mostly all ruins now.
6) I made it very clear to me, and to Felix, that I was on vacation. That meant I decided nothing, did anything, and was happy as a clam the entire time. He didn't like this much, but I persisted.

Right, so the first night I was exhausted, so we hit sleep early after dinner (did I mention that Tobi gave up his room for me?), and after his family tried hard to make conversation with me. Felix did most of the talking.

Tuesday, Felix wakes me up to tell me that, after we eat the breakfeast someone set out for us, we'll be driving into Switzerland. I have yet to be in Germany for more than 20 hours, but I'm up for it. So he cheerfully brings me to a little town on the lake called Stein am Rhein. I fell in love with Switzerland that day. The buildings in the tiny downtown were ancient (around 1300), painted with elaborate murals on the front, and in the middle of a small square. Something out of Disneyland. The waterside was beautiful, the people were friendly, it was quiet, and oh so beautiful. We just walked around for a while, mainly because Felix knew I'd be giddy and squealing about the absolute cuteness to be seen. He steered me then to the old church in the town, Stadtkirche, and the kloster (aka cloisters) nextdoor. Simple, but in great condition for how old the place was. Afterwards, he ordered a few bread rolls, bought 2 types of cheese, and we feasted on the waterside with our picnic (fighting some ducks in the process). Of course, we couldn't leave without grabbing a months-worth supply of Swiss-German chocolates!
We ate a German meal with his family and loitered around the house with them all. I dragged Felix to take a walk around his ever-so-miniscule of a town, Bolingen. Church in the middle, remnants of a medeival wall in the town...We talked a bit, and it was a nice night out. But on the completely head-cocking side, at around dusk, all of the houses put down their window-walls. I mean, every house has these metal (aluminum, perhaps?) shields on every window. I think he said something about privacy, and protection? It was silly, but apparently normal in Germany. I laughed about that one for a while.

Wednesday, I woke up wanting to go for a run (seeing as I was gymless). Felix volunteered to join me in the jogging festivities, but I tried hard to discourage him. Why? Well, because he's very tall, and a German track star. Translation: To a person like Felix: Kim doesn't run, Kim walks and bounces. But he didn't resist, so I let him join me on my run, making me look and sound like a complete idiot (wheezing, puffing) next to this Greek god of a German (chilling, talking). But the landscape was absolutely breathtaking in the morning. I could have been at Brokeback Mountain, if it weren't for the fact that I was in Germany, and with a German, and without sheep.
Felix brought me over to a museum near us about their Carnival. This is supposedly a big deal in the lower-western German areas, where they celebrate debauchery, liquor, horror, and other enjoyable feelings. Personally, I was petrified in this museum, because basically it was a museum full of mannequins covered in uber eery/elaborate/creepy Halloween outfits. You know, the kind of outfits that only killers and stalkers would wear in your nightmares. But apparently this is the joyous part of living around here, and Felix looked at the suits contently. After he explained the entirety of the carnival, it wasn't as scary, and almost entertaining.
We then frolicked over to an island, Mainau, which is known primarily for one of the oldest churches & cloister establishments in Germany (900 AD). You could tell that they were old because of the roof being all wood, and the inside being so simple. I enjoyed this discovery a lot. And Felix taught me lots. After we circled the island, we popped over to Konstanz (an actual city, also) to take a look at the port, the prostitutes, and get some gelato. Good night for all.

Thursday was when we took a ferry over to hit up Meersburg. This town holds Germany's oldest castle (600 AD), and the town around it is pretty picturesque. I made him scale the town and take scenic tourist pictures before we entered any of the museums, which made him kind of antsy, but he dealt. First we went to the Neues Schloss Meersburg, which is the new castle (made museum-exhibit hall-art gallery) in the village. Then we found ourselves in the castle castle. Man, was it old. I felt very barbaric-european in some of the rooms. But apparently the castle was continually built on, and you can surely tell the differences between the old parts and the not-as-old parts. Secret doors everwhere (no, Felix, let's not go down that one), wells and torture cells, dead people stuff everywhere. It was really exciting to see what all of those movies about the Middle Ages were "trying" to get at.
As it started to rain, Felix drove me to this baroquechurch, Birnau. He was building it up quite a lot, about how amazing it was, and I was anticipating a big let-down. Well, I was surely not let down what-so-ever. Jaw dropping. I never thought gawdy could happen to a church! So elaborate, so decorative, so......MUCH! I can't even attempt at explaining how incredible this little, not-so-well-known church was, so I won't try. Just, wow.
After I put my eyes back in, we went back home (yes, my home now, too) and had another dinner. Apparently we were going out clubbing at this club Top 10 (he said it's on the Top 10 in Germany, too....get it?) that night, so Felix made me eat. Lots. We went, and it was enormous. And packed. I was thinking I was going to a Yankees game or something. Getting through the crowd of loud, dancing, boozing Germans was something miraculous. We met up some of his school friends (mostly girls, and mostly with boyfriends), and I was so confused about this place, that I just kind of soaked it all up in the corner for a while. Well, that, and I can't speak German. Right. Felix was a doll and kept making sure I was OK, and that I was having fun. Yes, I was having fun. I was just trying to learn German. Dancing happened. A few drinks. Tobi (who was supposed to be driving) got a little tipsy, and Felix bounced between languages (as always).

Friday, Felix brings me to Technorama, the Swiss Science Center in Winterthur. Well, first we got lost for about an hour in Switzerland (heading to Zurich), but then we got there. It was this fun interactive place, like that one in San Fransisco. We stayed there until close.
Stepping outside and realizing it was beautiful out, Felix drives me to Rheinfall in Neuhausen near Schaffhausen. This is the Niagra Falls of Switzerland, only not quite as large per square foot. It was wonderful! Very, very nice to look at. Refreshing. There were 2 stone cliffs in the middle of the falls. Rainbows. Spritzing water. I made him stay there for a while, before we head back for dinner.
That night we played, with Tobi & Elka, and intense game of Monopoly. Elka, the youngest, won. Felix and I are both studying business. We were the first to lose. Go figure.

Saturday is when I left Germany to get to Madrid. I miss Felix and his remarkable family already.