Liechtenstein

From Stuttgart we headed south into Switzerland for a night in Zurich and then kept moving east into the tiny principality of Liechtenstein. We couchsurfed with the astoundingly generous D, whose apartment in the village of Triesen had a lovely balcony view into the Alps...

...and who drove us all around the area, including a visit to the capital city of Vaduz and its view of the hilltop castle where Prince Hans lives and reigns.

One of the first things D said to us when we arrived is that that day was the day the cows were coming home to Vaduz from the Alps. That was a coincidence never to be forgotten. About one hundred cows were herded down mainstreet and into a grassy corral, all wearing these enormous bells and floral headpieces. The noise was significant.

But then the cowhands began taking the bells and headpieces off the cows, one by one, the noise slowly subsiding. The final cows standing were the most stubborn and difficult to wrangle, so that the cowhands were putting on quite a show by the end. Great afternoon entertainment, let me tell you!

And the other great joy of the visit was just enjoying the stunning scenery.

D took us WAAAAYYYY up the mountain (where there are still houses clinging to the slopes and a very well engineered road making it all possible) for dinner, and the views from there were just amazing despite the cloudy, drizzly day.

D had picked us up in Sargans, Switzerland, driven us the 15 minutes to her town in Liechtenstein, and upon our departure recommended that we leave out of Feldkirch, Austria, just 20 minutes from her place in the other direction. So crazy to just be hopping from country to country like that. We spent the better part of a day on trains heading to our next destination via Innsbruck.

Italy, here we come!