DECEMBER 18, 2000

Michael Schumacher house-hunting

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER has been based in Switzerland for several years now, since an unfortunate interlude with the authorities in Monte Carlo. To date he has been based at a pleasant enough house overlooking Lake Geneva in the French-speaking part of Switzerland but it seems that Michael and Corinna want to move to the German-speaking part of the country and have been looking for a house near Lake Constance. At the southern end of the lake there is a mountainous area known as the Appenzeller Vorderland and it seems that the Schumacher Family has been trying to buy a well-known hotel in the hills above the village of Rehetobel. The Fasthof Gupf has spectacular views of Lake Constance to the north and the high Alps to the south. The 32-acre property features the imposing inn and a large collection of outbuildings.

Unfortunately for the Schumachers the family which owns the inn is not interested in selling - no matter how high the price...