Bob plays paparazzi in Liechtenstein

Today we set off for Santis mountain after more delicious Zopf for breakfast. I could eat an entire loaf by myself. Santis is a peak at roughly 2500 m above sea level that is accessible on foot or by aerial tram/gondola. We took the gondola to the top through the mist and clouds.

It was a cloudy day and we hoped that it might clear off before we returned to the base. We enjoyed a drink (beer and sprite is the thing to drink here, mixed - not separate) and cheese. They make swiss cheese here - I suppose that if they made cheddar it would be Swiss cheese also though! The cheese is fantastic and very little like the swiss we can buy at home. It is a slightly harder cheese with a smoother flavor than our swiss. Served with bread, mustard, fresh pepper and pickles it was a great treat.

While we were on the peak we had a few peeks through the clouds into the valleys below. On a clear day you can see six countries from the top: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, Italy and France. We enjoyed our time on the peak, the atmosphere, the incredible uplifted limestone and the mist blowing across us.

On the way down the clouds cleared and we could see the Appenzell Alps community below, the cows and goats everywhere, the cheese factory and thousands of tiny white and yellow flowers dotting the green valleys. We enjoyed it all very much and climbed in the car to explore the Principality of Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein is a very small country, only 62 square miles. It is in the Rhein Valley surrounded by the alps on all sides. I cannot imagine a more picturesque place to visit. The buildings are a mix of ancient and modern, there are cyclists riding everywhere and everything is spotlessly clean.

We saw where Sabine works now and grew up part of her life (just down the street from the Prince - seriously) and stopped in a few shops. Bob and I both have Liechtenstein stamps in our passports now although they are from the tourist office, not customs as the borders are open here.

We enjoyed a sweet treat at a cafe: Sabine had an incredible banana split, Bob had what is called "Hot Love" - hot raspberries and vanilla ice cream and I had sweet pancake-dumplings with powdered sugar and plum sauce. Delicious.

Afterwards we drove to the castle to see where the princely family lives. The castle is the most recognized symbol of Liechtenstein and it is easy to see why. It was established in the 12th Century, expanded in the 17th and maintained beautifully today. It is perched on the mountainside and has an incredible view of the valley and the Alps. There are no interior tours as the family lives there but you can approach the gates and peer inside.

We were gazing at the gardens when the Prince rounded the corner walking towards the castle. He was wearing a blue collared shirt, half unbuttoned, khaki pants and no shoes. He apparently is known to wander around the yard barefoot, and why not? Following him was a group of children in soccer clothes that we presumed to be his grandchildren. It looked like they had all had a nice game in the yard. My first real encounter with a royal... he looked like a really normal person actually. He is pictured in the photo with the gate in it - you may have to zoom in.

From the castle we drove back to St. Gallen and enjoyed clear views of Santis (now cloudless) and the entire range of mountains around us. Back at Sabine and Alain's we are getting ready for dinner and organized to head to Munich tomorrow. It has been so cozy staying here with my wonderful old friend that I am not looking forward to leaving but thinking about our return in the future.