We were up early this morning so went down to the lake to watch the morning sun rise. The lake was covered in a low mist which was rather spectacular.
We did a bit of al fresco yoga in the early morning sun. The guy in the shop found it very amusing. He was wearing clown trousers and braces and he thought we looked funny. Go figure.
Rode over to todtnau and 'treated' Louby to a ride on the huge dry toboggan run.
'You ok?'
'YEAH, BUT YOU F***ER !!!'
Settled the adrenaline with a tasty post-run currywurst from the sausage van next to our abandoned bike.
Rode on to todtmoos for two huge pieces of BFG perfection at Cafe Zimmerman. Soaked up some sun in a swinging seat then pressed on, but not before picking up a pretzl from the bakery for some emergency rations.
The final stretch of the B500 down to Waldshut on the Swiss border is biking heaven. It stuck in my mind from last time. In fact last time i double backed on myself and rode it twice.
The weather over Switzerland looked amazing and the forecast is good so we continued south. We want to cross Switzerland and there's some great passes to help us do it, but the weather needs to be good to enjoy them.
Stopped for fuel and a break from the 30+ degree heat. As we set off, the sky clouded over. As we hit Hochdorf, the heavens opened. It was one of those biblical storms that can appear instantly in the alps. Sensing it before it really started, we rode the bike under the canopy outside a clothes shop.
It was perfect timing and perfect shelter. The rain was torrential and horizontal. Thunder, lightning and howling wind.
One of the ladies from the shop came out to move a clothes rail. We said hi and asked if we were ok using her shelter. She smiled and said yes, then asked if we wanted a cup of coffee. She returned with two very nice and very welcome cups of coffee. Cups and saucers and cream and sugar. How very civilised. So big thanks to the girls at De Vill in Hochdorf for looking after us!
Called in the the coop while we waited for it to clear. Picked up a few essentials including a bottle of kaltersee wine that Catherine enjoyed a few years back. The only red she's ever enjoyed, apart from the bottle from the secret family cellar that dad opened for her graduation but me and sparky never got to taste.
Assuming that we'd be in Switzerland for a while, i drew out some cash from the cash point. Not everywhere in Switzerland accepts Euros and we aren't paying for a couple of coffees on credit card. I drew out 100chf and the bugger gave me a single 100chf note. Not sure of the exact exchange rate but i figure there's now a 65 quid note in the kitty.
Continued south to the lower end of lake sarner then asked Louby to make a call on our destination. I offered her an early finish in meiringen, a back to basics campsite with excellent showers in andermatt (which is the direction we need to head) or a ride along a pretty lake to Grindelwald (which isn't the direction we need to head) and a nights camping at the base of the eiger near a valley of waterfalls. Maybe i bigged it up too much, but we went for the latter.
Satnav got a bit confused with motorway avoidances. We haven't got a vignette and we're not buying one for our flying visit. I don't want to ride on Swiss motorways. I want to avoid them, but it's really difficult. Some of the smaller roads turn into motorway for short stretches of tunnel or bridge. Satnav ignored this and tried to clock me a huge fine. Ignore satnav, follow the road signs and take the slow road through towns. There always appears to be a way through without hitting motorway but you need to work it out.
The road west to interlaken was quiet, fast, hot and dry. The perfect combination. South of interlaken, once we rode into the valley, the skies turned black. By the time we reached the campsite it was pouring down. We paid for camping but then we (Louby) changed our mind. There's a hotel on site, but it was full. They recommended a couple of places in town - a hostel and a hotel. We got our money back from campsite reception then checked into hotel glacier.
They have two types of rooms - north facing and south facing. All are identical with baths, showers and balconies. South facing is more expensive, but your balcony faces the eiger. Except tonight, when the girl on reception convinced us that the view is the same from all rooms. Mist and cloud and rain.
We ran a bath and laid soaking, marvelling at how modern this place must have been in the 70s. The bed side radio was a big impressive brick with huge functional buttons and switches. The place did us just fine. Louby didn't realise that one our windows opened on to next doors balcony and treated the chaps next door to a cheeky flash.
We ate in the restaurant and laughed at the fools camping below us in thunder and lightning. We ate from either the kids menu or the light bites menu. We're not sure, but it was very good. Louby had a huge vol-au-vont stuff with something undescript but tasty and surrounded by various salads. I had sausage and potato salad. Both were excellent and were washed down with a bottle of fizz. As you do.
152 miles
We did a bit of al fresco yoga in the early morning sun. The guy in the shop found it very amusing. He was wearing clown trousers and braces and he thought we looked funny. Go figure.
Rode over to todtnau and 'treated' Louby to a ride on the huge dry toboggan run.
'You ok?'
'YEAH, BUT YOU F***ER !!!'
Settled the adrenaline with a tasty post-run currywurst from the sausage van next to our abandoned bike.
Rode on to todtmoos for two huge pieces of BFG perfection at Cafe Zimmerman. Soaked up some sun in a swinging seat then pressed on, but not before picking up a pretzl from the bakery for some emergency rations.
The final stretch of the B500 down to Waldshut on the Swiss border is biking heaven. It stuck in my mind from last time. In fact last time i double backed on myself and rode it twice.
The weather over Switzerland looked amazing and the forecast is good so we continued south. We want to cross Switzerland and there's some great passes to help us do it, but the weather needs to be good to enjoy them.
Stopped for fuel and a break from the 30+ degree heat. As we set off, the sky clouded over. As we hit Hochdorf, the heavens opened. It was one of those biblical storms that can appear instantly in the alps. Sensing it before it really started, we rode the bike under the canopy outside a clothes shop.
It was perfect timing and perfect shelter. The rain was torrential and horizontal. Thunder, lightning and howling wind.
One of the ladies from the shop came out to move a clothes rail. We said hi and asked if we were ok using her shelter. She smiled and said yes, then asked if we wanted a cup of coffee. She returned with two very nice and very welcome cups of coffee. Cups and saucers and cream and sugar. How very civilised. So big thanks to the girls at De Vill in Hochdorf for looking after us!
Called in the the coop while we waited for it to clear. Picked up a few essentials including a bottle of kaltersee wine that Catherine enjoyed a few years back. The only red she's ever enjoyed, apart from the bottle from the secret family cellar that dad opened for her graduation but me and sparky never got to taste.
Assuming that we'd be in Switzerland for a while, i drew out some cash from the cash point. Not everywhere in Switzerland accepts Euros and we aren't paying for a couple of coffees on credit card. I drew out 100chf and the bugger gave me a single 100chf note. Not sure of the exact exchange rate but i figure there's now a 65 quid note in the kitty.
Continued south to the lower end of lake sarner then asked Louby to make a call on our destination. I offered her an early finish in meiringen, a back to basics campsite with excellent showers in andermatt (which is the direction we need to head) or a ride along a pretty lake to Grindelwald (which isn't the direction we need to head) and a nights camping at the base of the eiger near a valley of waterfalls. Maybe i bigged it up too much, but we went for the latter.
Satnav got a bit confused with motorway avoidances. We haven't got a vignette and we're not buying one for our flying visit. I don't want to ride on Swiss motorways. I want to avoid them, but it's really difficult. Some of the smaller roads turn into motorway for short stretches of tunnel or bridge. Satnav ignored this and tried to clock me a huge fine. Ignore satnav, follow the road signs and take the slow road through towns. There always appears to be a way through without hitting motorway but you need to work it out.
The road west to interlaken was quiet, fast, hot and dry. The perfect combination. South of interlaken, once we rode into the valley, the skies turned black. By the time we reached the campsite it was pouring down. We paid for camping but then we (Louby) changed our mind. There's a hotel on site, but it was full. They recommended a couple of places in town - a hostel and a hotel. We got our money back from campsite reception then checked into hotel glacier.
They have two types of rooms - north facing and south facing. All are identical with baths, showers and balconies. South facing is more expensive, but your balcony faces the eiger. Except tonight, when the girl on reception convinced us that the view is the same from all rooms. Mist and cloud and rain.
We ran a bath and laid soaking, marvelling at how modern this place must have been in the 70s. The bed side radio was a big impressive brick with huge functional buttons and switches. The place did us just fine. Louby didn't realise that one our windows opened on to next doors balcony and treated the chaps next door to a cheeky flash.
We ate in the restaurant and laughed at the fools camping below us in thunder and lightning. We ate from either the kids menu or the light bites menu. We're not sure, but it was very good. Louby had a huge vol-au-vont stuff with something undescript but tasty and surrounded by various salads. I had sausage and potato salad. Both were excellent and were washed down with a bottle of fizz. As you do.
152 miles
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