Mile 952 (or so): Stein-am-Rhein to Rheinfall to Mammern

Didn't actually get very far in terms of circumnavigating the lake today, but took a trip out to the largest volume waterfall in Europe, the Rheinfall, right by the town of Schaffhausen.

From May 15, 2010 - Stein-am-Rhein to Rheinfall to Mammern

Here's a map of the approximate route.  It was a 40 mile trip, with rolling hills most of the way.  Again, the signage was amazingly clear, and took me through some beautiful streches of farmland as well as through the middle of old towns.  Here's a slideshow of the trip.

Pulled into my destination of Mammern with every intention of  camping for the night.  After a bit of playing "Lost Foreigner Rides Back and Forth Through Town", I found the campsite, which was not only deserted, but rather grim looking.  I ended up find of a guest house off of the main road named Gasthaus Hecht and got a room for only 50 Swiss Francs a night, with a share bathroom.  Clean, quiet, with breakfast included.  Highly recommended.

I also found out why everything is so deserted since I got here.  Apparently, May 13 is the Ascension holiday (pronounced "Auf Hart" or something in German.  I couldn't quite make out my host's answer).  So that explains why it feels like I'm wandering through the set of Night of the Comet.

My impression of Switzerland after just two days is perfectly summed by this photo:

What is that, you may ask?  Why it's nothing more that a FREAKING PUBLIC PING PONG TABLE!!!  Any country that provides this kind of service to their citizens is all right in my book.  When I pay taxes in the US, I get disheartened to see where it goes (e.g. Wars, Roads, and the MacNeil Lehrer News Hour) but in Switzerland, they pay insanely high taxes for public ping pong tables.  The next US politician that puts building these in America as part of his plank has my unconditional backing.