Today I decided to head to Appenzell. I was unsure of what the weather would be, so I didn't want to commit to hiking. However, I'm going home soon for a wedding and I needed a gift. Appenzell was the perfect place to buy a Swiss gift as they have many touristy shops. I took the long way to Appenzell so I could drop by St. Gallen and get a Starbucks. I wandered around Appenzell for about 1 1/2 hours. I ate a Brotchen and some Fleisch mit Blumen for lunch. It was sehr gut. There was a real gypsy caravan in town. This is something I had never seen before. And I was a little disappointed that the brewery was not open. I would have loved to have down a tour and tasting. Then it was back to the train station. 
I bought my ticket and the board said 3B for the track number. I point out the track number because apparently I still can't read after all of these years. (Remember the confuse going to France when I ended up in a completely wrong town due to a 'B' and a 'P') So I get on the train that is waiting there. At 12:30 I'm wondering why my train hasn't left. I watch another train leave and wait 5 more minutes and my train still hasn't left yet. Then I walk off of the train and realize that I got on the train on track 3A not 3B. Oops, so now I wait for the next train. While I'm waiting I check out some pamphlets and find so excellent maps for all of the hiking trails.
I took the train to Wasserauen and then started my hike to Seealpsee. The hike was a bit steep but well worth the effort. Along the way I passed many cows grazing, lots of people, and lots of dogs. One of the things I love about the Swiss culture is that they don't let anything stop them from hiking. These people take baby hiking, dogs, little kids, big kids, their parents, their grandparents. In the US, I rarely see families out hiking unless it is a 1/2 mile walk that is all flat.
The view at the crest of the hill was breathtaking. It reminded me so much of my trips to Banff in Canada. Is there anything more beautiful than a lake up in the mountains? I think not. And with hiking always comes a talk with God. For as you know, I rarely find God in church over here. I walked around the lake, up the mountain a little further, back down to the lake. I played in the water which was so refreshing after sweating my butt off going up the hill. I almost got drenched in manure by a farmer spreading cow poo. The final stop before heading down was the little restaurant on the lake. Here I ate a giant ice cream sunday. Then it was back down the hill to catch the train home. 
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