I got to use my new (old) bike today for the first time. It is an old Cannondale mountain bike that Agnes use to ride. She, Beni, Jakob and I biked from the house, through back streets and under tunnels, across farm lands and through multiple little towns and into Vorarlberg's capital: Bregenz. The total ride was a little under an hour, but the whole way was flat and pleasant There is a water park (like the one in Dornbirn except even bigger) right next to the Opera stage. Beni still can't swim for 2 weeks so I explored a little by myself. Then after laying in the sun and having an ice cream, Jakob and I raced down the slide a few times and swam across the pool. We spent about 2.5 hours there swimming around. In that one central park there was a lap pool, diving pool, kids park, water slide, dock into the lake (complete with diving board) volleyball, ping pong, a restaurant, and many other things to do as well. After we were finished swimming, we biked to a nearby monastary, where there was a quaint little restaurant. I ordered more Wiener Schnitzel, little did I know it was two whole cutlets and a full bowl of fries. I couldn't finish it, so I took it home with me. It is considered rude to not finish or not taked your leftover food here (I like that). I also noticed a large American influence. All of the music is American, a section of the Bodensee is called Neu Amerika, and even a popular style of girls swim suits is the American flag design. But anyway, there are a lot of things to do here in summer, and I don't think I will ever get bored. Tomorrow, Beni is taking me with some of his friends to a shopping center in Dornbirn, and I am looking forward to meeting some other kids my age.

Biking to Bregenz

In the main park by Bregenz

The countryside looks like it is almost Montana

My bike

The Bregenz diving and swimming pools, the slide in the background

The lap pool

On top of the Bregenz water slide

Laying on the grass by the pool

Some of the many bikes at the pool, way more people bike in Austria than the U.S.

The monastery cafe

Someone horse back riding in the middle of town, a Montana-ish thing to do

Biking across the Bregenzer Ach