Downhill in the Alps

Phew - what a rollercoaster. Di is staying with us and using the very efficient Swiss Rail to folliw us. She has gone to visit a friend near Bern for a few days who is taking her to the hospital tomorrow for her 5 day check-up. We should meet up again on Wednesday.

Friday, Pat & Di went down to Andermatt to sort out insurance stuff, ship her bike home and generally get sorted. We wanted to trek to the source of the Rhine and when Pat said they would not be back before 3, Gilly and I decided to go by ourselves. It was a serious walk, no stroll in the park, OK for the first half but straight up for 1000ft for the last part. Although it was a path it became very steep and rough walking. I had decided to wear teva's and when we got to the source a Swiss guy in full mountain kit sort of gave me a bollocking - tough us English I said. Tomasee is a high mountain lake from which a stream emerges and drops steeply into the valley. It was that valley we were to folliw on Saturday. We arrived back at our hostel 5 hours later knackeroonied - tougher than we had thought.

Saturday and we got our bikes out. We planned to do the steep downhill followed by the major (1000ft) climb of the whole trip. Down for 40km, wet roads to start but dried out lower doan, passed the highest golf course in Europe, through fantastic mountains gaining speed with increased confidence in our loaded bikes. Stopped for lunch to refuel before the climb. Then it started - up, more up then steeper up. Round fantastic gorges, crossing cascading steams filling the Rhine. Our sweat could have caused flooding down the valley. Legs aching, Gilly was fading and we found a watering hole. Great. Di had travelled the route by luxury train, had arrived in Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland and booked a hotel in the old quater. Great, having got navigationally challenged in the pedestrian area where it was, we eventually arriveed at 1900 - a long 10 hour day.
Chur. Distance: 86.47km a big day in the saddle!

Sunday was the cycling we had paid for - flat, following wind, cycle track with no traffic and right beside the Rhine. Bigger river now, fast flowing and still in the Mountains. We crossed to the east bank to cycle in Lichtentein, rich, small and hilly. Back to the Swiss side and fatigue began to set in. A thunderstorm errupted having been gathering for an hour or more, luckily we sheltered in a very smelly hay barn. We found a hotel enroute and called it a day.
 Oberriet. Distance: 68.34km. Odo 154.81

Monday. Our route took us away from the Rhine into farms and rural countryside but good cycling. We had decided to have a shorter day to recover and i have alwzys found that day 3 of any exped is the hardest. We were heading for Lake Constance or the Bodensee. We were planni g to cycle the north shore although the official Rhine route takes you south. The 'book' says this is the most popular part of the Rhine route for young and old. Thoughts of overtakes loomed. However everyone seems to have electrically assisted bikes - we have no chance, then a group of arrogant, German men of 60+ overtook us just as we started off after a drink stop. They were slightly slower than us, Gilly was leading, i was second and I could see her gathering her loins and she launc

hed an attack. We sped past and left them eating our dust, but an overtake is not an overtake unless you maintain it for 1km. Gilly was tiring, i took the lead and we made it. We came to a junction and the group tried to retake us, their keader did but Pat and I exerted our superiority and prevented them from getting past. They turned off as we crossed over the causeway on Lindau Island. One of them was on an electric bike. Yeah! Gilly was knackered. Coffee was in order.
We are now in a pleasant hotel in Nonnenhom, Germany on the North Shore. Good day. I have issues with my brakes - BA were rough with tham, buckled back wheel and buckled front and rear brake discs - my bike had been dropped and dragged - a bit pissed off to put it mildly.
Distance 53.76. Odo 208.58

Our original plan was to average 80km per day, Pat & I in our new sleek bodies could probably manage this but it is probably too ambitious for the group, maybe 65km per day may be realistic. This would put us a few days later at the ferry in Hoek van Holland. All's well and it should be a great trip - let's hope the weather holds. Yeah!

Bodensee and beyond

Hi Ho

It is fabulous cycling. Cycle routes on tarmac and gravel keep us away from the traffic and it is now virtually flat. The weather could not have been better - sun, more sun and a following wind.

What i failed to mention as i was so excited about our overtake of the group of men was that a young clourd guy was walking alomng carrying a skate board. He passed us while we were having a brew break. Once underway we passed him and he got on his board and started skating behind us. Gilly was leading and we were doing about 18 or19kmph - a reasonable lick. He followed for about 2km and just before he turned off he overtook me - i was well impressed and told him so. I got a great Caribbean smile from ear to ear. Along side the cycle route there is a scate route and occaisionally they coincide.

Tuesday we followed the route around the north side of the Bodensee, great, through Friedrichshafen where Count Zeplin resided and developed the Zeplin. They have a modern version which does tourist trips around over the lake.

Gilly does like her overtakes and we burnt off a couple of folk on electric bikes - not bad eh! After we had crossed by ferry to the southside at Konstanz, we were cycling through the town. I miss read the lights and thought the green light was for bikes - i ploughed on and we got serious vetbals from a lady in a van - i shouted back in a loud angry voice and gestured with my hand indicating i was in the right. However after a couple more lights i realised i had been in the wrong - so  dear lady if you are reading this - i appologise and withdraw my verbal abuse of you. Thank you for not running me down.

We are in Steckborn about 20km west of Konstanz in a great little hotel by the water. Pat & I swam, Gilly declined. The Rhine 3xit the Bodensee in about  15km but here it is slow moving, wide and warm.

Distance 60.56. Odo270.6km.

Some good news & some bad

BA flight to Zurich. We checked in and were directed to oversized luggage check-in as expected. There we met Mr "I don't give a stuff about your bikes" - he oused lack of interest and total lack of people skills. The x-ray machine was not big enough, he tried to stuff Di's through on the conveyerbelt and continued even when it hit the sides. Leave them here and I will sort it later. Yeah yeah we thought. We arrived in Zurich and our bikes had taken a bashing, dragged along the floor and the bags ripped into. We piled onto a train - piled yes as there were no bike spaces - and we totally blocked the end of one carriage. This pissed off a visually impaired woman and we received a number of comments  'bloody foreigners' I can imagine they were saying. An hour later we were in Zug being pampered by  Pat's godson Anthony and wife Mel and Annabel (6months) said hi as well.

Today - 3 train changes and arrived in Oberalppass at about 2.30. Great trains and pleasant journey and rail staff and passengers could not have been more helpful, I guess we are now in the country away from the hustle of city life. . That was all the good news.

The bad. This morning Di slipped in the shower and her wrist/lower arm has swollen badly through the day and it hurts. After a little sustanance the owner of our lodgings sent Di and Pat down to Andamatt (25mins by road) to visit a quack. Yep, you guessed, broken radius, needs to go further down the mountain to Altdorf to hospital. We are awaiting developments.

'Tis now Friday and we have a plan, Di arrived back from the hospital last night with tales of how good the medics were - all sorted via the European Health card. The plan is to ship Di's bike home and for her to follow us by train. I went down to the station with them, they are going to Andermatt to sort stuff out BUT I think they may have got on the wrong train and as I type are speeding down the mountain in the wrong direction.

We are having an extra night in Oberalppass, walking to the Rhine source this afternoon and starting cycling tomorrow.

Rhine - Source to Sea

Hi Ho.

We are off again in a couple of days back into Europe and the Alps. It is said that the Rhine is the most beautiful and picturesque  river in Europe. We are going  to find out.  Gilly and I are joining our good friends Pat and Di for an adventure exploring the Rhine. Pat and Di were our travelling companions  when we cycled down the Pacific Highway from Vancover to Mexico a couple  of years ago.

We fly to Zurich  on Wednesday and train to Oberalppass on Thursday. Pat & I will then walk to the source of the Rhine at Lai da Tuma - a lake about 2hrs walk from the pass. Our adventure starts in earnest on Friday with a fast 50km descent as the Rhine expands into fast flowing river. We then follow it to the sea.

Unusually for us, we will not be camping but will be seeking out small hotels and local b&bs.

Pat and I have been on a serious  weigh-loss regime with Slimming World, Pat in London and me in Ashburton. I am 4 stone lighter and Pat 5 stone lighter than when we last embarked  on an adventure. The Olympic  motto  applies - faster, higher, stronger. I cycle faster, I now beat Gilly up the hills and having  come off my beta blockers, I am definitely fitter and stronger!

We have had a load of grandchildren all week, the last go  tonight which  leaves us free on Monday to sort stuff out.

Looking forward to this and hope the sun shines.