Tuesday, after more than a week of solid rain, we finally had somewhat clear skies, so we loaded everyone in the car and headed off to Bodensee(Lake Constance) and a walk around the gloriously beautiful Insel Mainau. My mom is a total flower buff, always has been. So I knew she would really enjoy a trip to this magical place. I was worried that we were going a bit too late in the season, as several of my friends had already been a month earlier. But the tulips were all still gorgeously in bloom. In fact, it was a tad early for the rose walk, which is what I had most been looking forward to. :( Still, we had a wonderful day, and the best part is that it didn't start raining until AFTER we had gotten in the car and been driving for all of 2 minutes! Perfect timing.
After lunch we headed over to the farm. There is a stable and small barn on the premises, that we didn't even see the last time we were here. The girls were thrilled to discover that there were pony rides to be had, and the boys patiently waited with Grandma while they each took a turn.
There was also a precious baby horse sleeping in the field right next to the pony track. They caught a glimpse of him every time around. Over in the barn there was a baby donkey, a baby goat, and several hilarious rabbits. They were all lying on the ground, legs completely spread out flat behind them. I had never seen rabbits do that before. So funny!
The path leads away from the barn and down towards the lake. As it was a relatively warm day, the children were happy to come across this fountain, just perfect for cooling off.
We must have stayed there a good 15 minutes playing in the water. Everyone had a great time, although maybe the man sitting on the bench next to the fountain didn't. Oops, sorry about the extra energetic splashing, sir. On the other side of the fountain, though, was this gorgeous waterfall. The way the tiles changed color in the light was really beautiful. I have no idea what kind of stone/glass/crystal it was, but it sure was pretty!
Remember how I said my mom was a flower buff? Well, she pretty much spent the whole day impressing us with her vast knowledge of plants and flowers.
Most of the plants had small identifying sings next to them, and we had this little game where Grandma would tell us what the flower or plant was, and then we would check the sign to see if she was right. She ALWAYS was! She told me later that if she hadn't gotten married, she had plans to become a biologist. It is kind of frustrating that I have a mom who people would give their mostly dead plants to, and she would bring them back to health. Me, I can kill a cactus. Two, actually. sigh
After we found an ATM and thus had cash for ice cream, everyone got their second wind, and we were ready to see the other half of the island. We almost skipped the butterfly house, but I am so glad we didn't. There were lots of butterflies out right at eye level, and the big group of turtles floating on a raft in the pond were very entertaining.
The kids were great little walkers. We brought the stroller, but Alexandra only ended up riding in it for a short little while. She preferred to walk like the rest of us. Noah, on the other hand, was continually asking for a ride. I told him that if Lexi could walk it, so could he. The drive home was a bit scary, what with all the wind, rain, and construction on the roads, but we eventually made it back safe and sound. I am so happy we could share that beautiful place with my mom, the ultimate flower lover.
