Belated Bunny and other stories

I seem to be a little late with everything these days, what with Easter having been and gone – and it’s still grey and dreary out there with no sign of spring weather. The only encouraging indication is that there are lots of crocus and scilla in the grass and any day now the daffodils might start blooming, if only a little sun would shine on them. We’re a bit impatient to see what the garden is going to be like after all the time, money and effort we put into it last autumn! Bunnies made their annual appearance…

Incredibly, a quarter of the year has already passed and as we anticipate some warmer, cheerier conditions, at least the clocks have changed to summertime, haha! We continue to focus inwards and have enjoyed a lovely brunch with old friends we hadn’t seen for many, many years and who now live very close, as well as celebrating another family birthday in true enthusiastic style. Because this year, we weren’t home for the holidays… 

You would be right in thinking we are a little crazy when I say that we booked to go sailing over Easter – and not anywhere in the Mediterranean or Caribbean, either, but on Lake Constance, a pre-Alpine lake, at the end of a cold and clammy March. Yup. And we even have friends mad enough to come with us (we are blessed!). 

The day we arrived, there was snow on the ground, which turned into icy, lashing rain. Good Friday dawned cold but bright and we were able to dawdle around the more northerly, remote part of the lake with the occasional ray of sunshine – until the rain returned with a vengeance and a strong wind came up which had us motoring up to Constance and a slippery jetty but the relief of hot showers, good restaurants and a wide choice of flms to see at the cinema. Notice there is one – ONE! – yacht in use in the harbour. That would be us!

Emerging from the cinema, it was snowing again. Sigh. This marked the trend for the weekend, with rain and snow and heavy mists and a sore need for very good heavy weather gear on the part of the crew! Undeterred, a little night sailing was included to manage the itinerary – the lake is pretty long and the boat made it from one end to the other and back in four days – and the reward on Monday was clear blue skies and sunshine for a good deal of the return journey, which makes a world of difference! But oh dear, it was coooooold… Still, nothing like a cheerful and willing crew to turn lemons into lemonade 🙂 Sunrise over Romanshorn harbour

For the record, the Bavaria 33 Cruiser’s name is “Polaris” (they may as well have called her North Pole) and she is a very comfortable yacht. We were privileged to be the first clients to sail her and there is much to praise about her performance in adverse conditions. However, something tells me we won’t be holidaying on the lake before spring has properly set in, in future! Fair weather sailor, me… That is the Meersburg ferry up ahead as we move back towards the Überlingersee.Note the “grin-and-bear-it” smiles! The astronaut on the left would be me 😉