Day 13, Speyer to Worms

What a fantastic, personally presented breakfast, and taken early too. The latter was not entirely unconnected with the fact that the massive twin-towered Catholic Church outside our window started a highly melodic chime at 07:00, followed by 7 bongs ... from each tower in sequence! We packed up and cycled out past the World Heritage listed cathedral and headed towards Ludwigshaven. We rode through mixed agricultural, woodland and industrial areas as has become the norm. There is still much lying water around that can smell pretty bad, but nothing to impede progress today. Even the Atrip ferry was running (nearly cycled right past it!) which took us across the river to Mannheim. After passing 3 massive power stations we entered a wooded area to emerge by the bridge back over to Ludwigshaven where a coffee stop was called for. Leaving Ludwigshaven took us past the absolutely huge BASF factory site that extended for over 5km! It was then back to flood dyke cycleway until we arrived at our stopover destination of Worms (origin of Martin Luther's reformation) early afternoon. After a quick shower, it was time to explore. Another day, another cathedral, this one more ornate than Speyer, but gloomy dark inside on account of the dark red sandstone construction. Our wanderings finally took us to the riverside to eat, then back to the hotel to chill! Also to nurse my mosquito bites that have matured into swollen uncomfortable lumps. Now every woodland comfort break carries a cost as a squadron of the insects lands on your legs as soon as you stand still!
53.2 km; 16.8 kph avg; 3:09 moving time; 122m ascent

No pictures today due to bad internet!

Day 13, Karlsruhe to Speyer

We woke up with legs like large-print Braille novels after yesterday's mosquito attacks. With our washing dry and after a reasonable breakfast, we headed for the railway station (so close it wasn't worth riding the bikes). Tickets bought, we boarded the train to Worth am Rhein to continue our journey with only a gap of less than 10km in the continuous track. Now, we could have followed the 'official' route from here but instead elected to stay west and keep to the roads and rural villages in the light of everyone's warnings about the Rhine flooding the cycleway. When I say roads, I generally mean the excellent cycle tracks that link, and are signed, between every village in this part of Germany (maybe everywhere in Germany?!). This has the advantage of finding bakeries on the way to refill our cake box. All the villages are very quiet and no coffee stop presented itself until we reached the former military town of Germersheim and made a small diversion into the centre for lunch. The rest of the day's journey was on fast paved flood dyke or agricultural road through water meadows. At one point a friendly Algerian pensioner got out his bike and rode with us to make sure we got on to the right Rhine cycleway (the wrong one was flooded - a recurrent theme around here!). We arrived in Speyer, dry and rather warm, mid afternoon for a look around the impressive cathedral and a very welcome beer. After checking in at the hotel and changing, we headed off to explore and, to our delight, met up with 'The Brompton Ladies' we had met earlier in the trip. Rita and Martha (from Lisbon, Portugal) had not had such a good day as us as they had gone up the east side of the river and it was tough going. They had also been forced to use the train yesterday, which made us feel better! After a chat and an exchange of email addresses, we left them to their planning and went for a walk, ending up at the Domhof beer garden for an excellent meal. Now we are back at the hotel trying not to scratch our lumpy legs!
58.8 km; 17kph avg; 3:28 moving time; 145m ascent

Day 12, Strasbourg to Karlsruhe

Like all days that start really well, it can only go in one direction. And it did. We awoke early, as expected with the tram stop beneath our window competing with the tradesmen to deafen us into wakefulness. After a reasonable breakfast in a plaster dust coated salon, we paid up and headed out of town on a cloudy but warm day. Navigating through the outskirts was straightforward and after the pretty suburbs we cycled through woodland on a well signed route. Most of the track was blacktop and we made good progress until ascending onto the Rhine flood dyke which was gravel track and hence slower. We reached the huge lock area at Gambsheim and watched the Rhine barges as we had a coffee. Shortly after this point we were blocked at road works and followed a well signed alternative route that took us through pretty Alsace country villages and was actually better than the pre-planned route close to the river. After another opportune coffee stop (just in time for a take-away as France shuts at lunchtime!) the journey went downhill, metaphorically. We eventually merged with the 'original' route which took us through much wetland reserve area where herons rule in abundance and stagnant water was all around. We flew through clouds of 'flies' which bounced off our faces and arms as we cycled through. All too soon we came across the consequences of the past weeks of rain and had flooded sections to paddle through and walk around. As soon as our progress dropped to walking pace we realised that the flies are in fact mosquitos. Big ones. Hungry ones. Eventually by-passing the floods we were back in the saddle, but then the blackening skies opened. We stopped to don full waterproofs and continued in a torrential downpour. When rejoining the flood dyke an old gent leaned out of an upstairs window and started telling us something incomprehensible in French ... or German. (We are still in Alsace). I suspect we were soon to realise what it was. We soon came across another section of the Cycleway that turned silty, then muddy then wet, then impassable. We doubled back and transferred over to the road and continued to Neuberg ferry. Whilst dithering at the turn-off down to the ferry, a guardian angel, in the form of a lady who had passed us earlier, doubled back to give us some advice. She got out of her car and stood with us in the pouring rain for 10 minutes explaining in broken English that the road to the ferry was flooded and the ferry wasn't operating. We went over all the alternatives and she recommended getting the train to Karlsruhe. We would never have known Neuberg had a station as it was well on the far side of the village. The only alternative was a trek to the next bridge and cross to Karlsruhe there, making the day well over 100km. In the rain. At first this was my preferred option, but Anne soon persuaded me that this was a very stupid idea (she was right), (always is). We got two tickets for us and bikes (for the cost of one ticket at home) and had a comfortable, though slightly ignominious end to the day's journey. But boy, is the cycle provision on German trains good! Our hotel is 100m from the main station at Karlsruhe. So, today is not the longest day yet (should have been 86 km), but hey-ho. Whoever you are, madam, you saved our day and we are in your debt!
Panniers, shoes, kit has all been rinsed in the shower, and we have the luxury of a heated towel rail, so our washing is now up to date. Pity the bikes are mingin'! A walk around the surrounds failed to reveal any city centre, and it was difficult finding anywhere for a beer or to eat. Maybe it was a holiday experience like this that influenced Sir Arthur Harris? Anyway, Karlsruhe is not on our list of places to revisit at a later date. And another thing: the ferry we need tomorrow is not operating either due to floods. So we shall cross back by train again to Worth am Rhein and head north from there! It wasn't meant to be this difficult!
76.2 km; 17.6 kph avg; 4:19 moving time; Ascent 47m

Day11, Neuf Brisach to Strasbourg

Now we are in France there are croissants for breakfast ... excellent. After filling our boots, we retrieved our bikes from the most awesome bike shed you have ever seen (Grand Designers would kill for it) and headed off to the Carrefour for some shopping as there was to be a lot of canal side cycling today. Cream cheese, Parma ham and more croissants, and chocolate croissants too, all reside on the rack for the next few miles. We set off in fine bright sunshine with the temperature approaching 20C - just perfect. Poor French (OpenSource) maps prevented detailed routing, but signage was excellent so we soon found our way to the Canal du Rhone & Rhin which we followed for nearly 60km all the way to Strasbourg. We diverted briefly at Marckolsheim (key player in the Maginot Line) for a coffee, but otherwise kept to the canal path which was excellent quality blacktop throughout on which we could cruise comfortably at 20-25 kph. We had chatted with two Portuguese ladies on Bromptons at breakfast, who we'd seen the previous day, only to find that they are doing the same epic tour as us on their folding bikes. The cycling is so easy that this is eminently doable and they are planning on roughly the same timing as us. A picnic stop at a bench in the sun was a welcome refuelling stop but otherwise the trip was uneventful and the scenery quite variable with pretty stretches, industrial stretches, and overgrown 'wildlife' stretches. And the odd pillbox thrown in along the way to remind us of the war! Strasbourg was reached finally and we checked in to a fine hotel (besieged by tradesmen for refurbishment), showered, changed and headed off to explore the city and to eat! Beware beer prices here: €6.50 for 1/2 litre ... fine if you're a Eurocrat on expenses! Now back at hotel booking accommodation ahead - Anne's head is spinning, it's getting late and it's a long day tomorrow!!
74.7 km; 18.9 kph avg; 03:56 moving time; 61m ascent

Day 10, Basel to Neuf Briesach

Having finally exhausted all our Swiss Francs, which was not difficult, we bid farewell to Switzerland for the last time. After, that is, I'd retightened the loose valve in my front wheel that had resulted in a flat overnight. With chains relubed after the water yesterday we grabbed a glimpse of the Rhine for the only time today as we hit the streets of Basel and quickly passed into country no. 5, France. Following signs rather than the predetermined route kicked us into St Louis before returning to the comfort of the Garmin-reassured directions. The first stretch took us on an excellent blacktop canal path which took us as far the big sluice area marking the start of the Canal du Rhone & Rhine. From here we followed that canal for another 9km before heading off through a massive area of forest for 18km. It all got a bit samey but at least the cycle track, though remote, continued as an excellent tarmacced surface. When we eventually emerged out into rural, agricultural and flat French countryside we absolutely confirmed that France shuts down on Sunday's!! No coffee/cake/beer stops all day. Just a picnic of 'stolen' bread rolls from breakfasts past, a tomato (shared), bananas and grapes. Today was perfect cycling weather, starting fresh and got warmer but never too hot. More importantly, it was dry, with sun and cloud and a refreshingly cooling headwind. We finally reached our destination of Neuf Briesach, a fascinating fortified octagonal shaped town originally built as a defence against the Germans in early 18th century - we are in Alsace so lots of ownership land changes. Our hotel is right on the centre of the fortified area. We couldn't check in until 17:00, so with 1.5 hours to wait, we thankfully found a cafe-bar open (at last!) for beer crepes and coffee, before exploring the town's novel structure. As we wandered towards the hotel we became deafened by car horns blowing everywhere, so it's a fair bet that France have just beaten Ireland in Euro 2016.
69.9 km; 16.7 kph avg; 4:11 moving time; 82m ascent

Day 9, Bad Saekingen to Basel

We slept well last night with the balcony doors wide open ... until the storm broke. Wow, plenty of thunder and lightning, and very, very heavy rain. Come the morning the rain has stopped, the temperature dropped, and cloud covered the skies. We set off after breakfast in pleasant heat (but high humidity) back into town to cross back into Switzerland. Tarmac soon morphed into gravel track through cool woodland as we again followed the Rhine. At about half way we rode into Rhinefelden, another pretty town, ready for a coffee. Being the skinflints we are, we diverted over the bridge to the German side to get a €-priced coffee instead of a CHF-priced wallet-emptier. We also stocked up at a German bakery and bought more GPS batteries before returning to Switzerland. On we rode through building heat and clearing sky until reaching the Roman colonial city (ruins thereof) at Augusta Raurica. We sat on the steps of the amphitheater eating cake as we watched in horror the skies turn from day to night in the direction we were heading. Discretion being the better part of valour, we found seating under cover at the museum and waited for the rain to start, in awe of the thunder all around. We didn't have to wait long. The heavens opened and the temperature plummeted as we kicked back and waited for it to pass. An hour later it backed off to steady light rain so, with full waterproofs donned, off we set. Then it came on heavy again. So heavy it stung through the rain jacket! We rode through flooded sections nearly up to my hubs. OK, so I wouldn't have ridden it if I'd realised it was that deep. Then we reached Muttenz, just outside Basel. All we had to do was cycle across the high street. Only problem was that it was a raging torrent; Fire Service were attending; shopkeepers were sandbagging their shops and those who hadn't were trying to swab out; we even chatted with a chap who explained that he was part of a wedding party who were separated from the venue on the other side of the road! "It's a wedding they'll remember for decades" he said.
We eventually found a section of the road slow and shallow enough to wade across and we were on our way. Again the waterproof cycling sandals were a boon. No need for overshoes. At least the rain and flood waters were warm! Despite all the weather delays, we arrived Basel Youth Hostel at around 4pm. Another excellent refurbished building, basic but superb quality. Mind you, at £102 for a Youth Hostel room you'd expect it! You are right, we are still in Switzerland! For the last time.
45.8 km; 14.3 kph; 3:11 moving time; 199m ascent

Day 8, Bad Zurzach to Bad Saekingen

5 deg cooler today? ... we don't think so! Maybe two at best. Maybe. Woke up to the news that UK has voted to leave EU. Everyone we speak to today asks us what we think: shocked, appalled then disappointed. What have we done? Indyref2 is bound to follow. The glory days of Empire are behind us and will not return with Brexit. Politics over, I'm on holiday (which is suddenly even more expensive!).
With the heat returned we are particularly thankful that today is a short and fairly flat day (and is back into Germany with reasonable prices). We only got 8k after a mediocre breakfast before we stopped in yet another lovely old town centre (Waldshut) for a welcome iced coffee and cake. Refreshed, we made it another 15k before a second coffee stop in Laufenburg on a terrace overlooking the river and medieval buildings. On we rode through the heat until reaching our stopover town of Bad Saekingen where we collapsed in a town square beer garden for a cold one. Then it was on to the hotel on the edge of town (alright, on the edge of a business park) where we have a brilliant big room with balcony overlooking the Rhine (and the road, and the Franke factory, and the Swiss railway). First ribeye of the holiday was fab; pity the Internet connection is rubbish!
p.s. To all who scoffed at my bargain purchase of Shimano SPD cycling sandals (knocked down from £81 to £19.99 in the sale), they are the business for this trip. Shame about the tan marks, and I did have to watch for the snow in Oberalppass, but they are unbeatable now!
39.5 km; 14.8 kph avg; 2:39 moving time; 264m ascent

Day 7, Stein am Rhein to Bad Zurzach

Purgatory! Not our best day so far! It all started with a wonderful breakfast that was taken inside because even at 08:00 it was too hot outside. We set off and soon left the Heritage-listed town behind but with a slightly unexpected degree of climbing. We elected to take the allegedly more scenic south route which added 11 km to the day's ride, and whilst all very pretty as we rode through fields of maize, sunflower and asparagus it did involve a lot of climbing. Now, 530m in around 45 miles is normally pretty small beer, but when a lot of it is on rough gravel track through woods at over 32C in the shade, carrying the weight we are lugging, it takes on a different dimension! Accuweather predicted a 'real feel' temperature of 38C, and this felt more than reasonable. At times it was as though a fan heater was blowing on us with occasional opening of the oven door! Periodic intervals of smooth Tarmac upped the pace, but amplified the heat. The one high point (literally) of the trip was seeing the Rhine Falls ( biggest waterfall in Europe by volume flow) but you couldn't get a proper look without buying an entrance ticket ... which we didn't. It was a real tourist trap! A lunch stop of bakery-bought pretzel sandwiches was taken in a shady spot by the river, and the calories were needed for the hot climbs (I burned 3637 today). The gasthof we were staying at was reached with considerable relief until we found that the restaurant was closed on Thursday; you weren't allowed to bring food back to eat; and the bar closed at 7pm so we couldn't get a drink after our evening stroll! We went across the road for a pizza, waited an eternity in steaming heat, alone in the pizzeria, and found that they had only fired up the oven when I placed my order. At this Anne finally lost it! She demanded a free second beer each , and got it! The salad and calzone, when eventually it came, were delicious! A free beer at Swiss prices is s real score! Shame we couldn't bring it over to the beautiful enclosed courtyard of the gasthof.
At least it should be 5deg cooler tomorrow.
73.6 km; 15.8 kph avg; 04:38 moving time; 532m ascent

Day 6, Meersburg to Stein am Rhein

We awoke much earlier than planned as the kitchen supplies were trollied down the narrow cobbled lane under our window. We gave up after 45 minutes and went down to breakfast at 07:30. Best breakfast so far : first time for bacon rolls. Such a pleasant change after a week of cheese and salami! We packed up and left the hotel down the double hairpin to the ferry terminal. A quick sail across the lake on mill-pond water took us over to the outskirts of Konstanz. We rode into the old centre for a wander round and the inevitable coffee stop despite only having gone a few kilometres. Today is a short day so no need to hurry. Also, it started out hot, with gin-clear skies, and just got hotter as the day wore on. As soon as we cleared Konstanz we stopped to slather on the sunscreen then tried to keep moving to retain the resultant cooling breeze. Several sections of the path were closed due to high water having flooded them so diversions had to be followed. Brief stops for purchase of a lakeside picnic lunch from the bakery and supermarket, and another coffee stop, punctuated progress until we arrived, well over-heated, at our destination of Stein am Rhein. As we were early, we headed over the bridge for a recce of this absolutely picture-perfect old town, then headed off to our superb refurbished 510-year old B&B. A walk back into the village for tea reminded us we were back into Switzerland from this morning's Germany : a pizza, a Mediterranean salad, 1/2 litre beer and 100 ml glass of wine was £39. By 8pm the heat was still stifling; we estimate it must have reached 30C this afternoon. Bad news is it's going to be even hotter tomorrow.
42.3 km; 13.9 kph avg; 3:02 moving time; 221m ascent

Day 5, Bregenz to Meersburg

Yet again we awoke to rain. After a good breakfast we set off in waterproofs through the drizzle, but it soon stopped and the day improved as time wore on. It was pretty much a dead flat cycle ride around the edge of Bodensee/Lake Konstanz with an exploratory meander around the island of Lindau. We stopped at a cafe by the lighthouse at the harbour entrance for our first coffee of the day, then continued. The Bodensee Radweg (circular cycle route) is a big tourist draw and we were constantly dodging large German tourists on pedelecs and ridiculous continental style bikes with handlebars at almost shoulder height! But the cycle track was first class except for a stretch adjacent the busy main road. A second coffee and cake stop by the lake at Langenargen served as lunch and we watched a Zeppelin airship pass overhead. No, really! Not quite Hindenberg sized, but as the next town of Friedsrichshaven is the home of Zeppelin, it's appearance wasn't a surprise. As today was an easy ride we cycled past our destination to the museum of Unteruhldingen (ancient stilt houses built over the lake) then back to our fantastic and very old hotel high on the hillside in the ancient town of Meersburg. As it was a fine (and the longest) evening, the day finished with a walkabout after tea. We were glad we switched our original plan from the west to the east side of the lake as 1) the weather this side is better and 2) we are in Euro-zone and it's way cheaper than the Swiss side!
70.7 km; 16.1 kph avg; 4:22 moving time; 250m ascent

Day 4, Schaan-Vaduz to Bregenz

The hostel was good for the room and the bed and the facilities, but pretty minimalist on breakfast. Adequate though. We headed off over the Rhine and out of Liechtenstein on a fresh morning with heavy but unthreatening clouds. The official route would have taken us through the town centre of Buchs, but vying with early morning traffic for road space held no appeal so we took the navigationally simpler option of the Rhine flood dyke cycle track. Velvet blacktop was offset against traffic noise from the adjacent main road, but all turned peaceful when we rejoined the official route through the countryside mostly running alongside a drainage canal and through fields. No vine terraces today, but no climbing to reach them either. By now, the clouds had vanished. We stopped for coffee and cake at 33km in Altstatten, a beautiful medieval town centre, and continued in glorious sunshine. It all turned pear-shaped as we approached St Margrethen. This we should have skirted round, but a closed section of Cycleway ricocheted us into unsigned city-centre and industrial outskirts mayhem. Happily, with OpenSource mapping on the Garmin, and weeks of pre-planned routing with BaseCamp, we navigated our way back on course. Rejoining the flood dyke we passed into country no. 3 : Austria. From here if should have been simple, but another closed section (due to flood damage resulting from the recent heavy rain in the region) caused a second deviation from route, prettier and quieter this time! Local signage helped (Anne points out that I missed it and she spotted it!), and the Garmin reassured (I'll claim that one), and we cycled through water meadows and flood polders to find where all that silt the Rhine was carrying was deposited: the Rhine delta on Bodensee/Lake Konstanz. A late picnic lunch stop followed whilst looking out over the lake and we were in awe of the number of cycles 'doing the circuit'. We continued and meandered slowly into Bregenz finally ending up in a beer garden overlooking the lake where we were delighted at how cheap the beer was after Swiss prices. Almost as cheap as home! Then on to the hotel and the luxury of having our own bathroom and beds ready made! Anne has now switched from Swiss Pinot Noir and Blauburgunder, to Austrian Zweigelt. Germany and France yet to come!
68.6 km; 16.2 kph avg; 4:13 moving time; 125m ascent

Day 3, Chur to Schaan-Vaduz

We awoke to steady rain ... how weather changes so quickly in the mountains! We had a slow breakfast and dawdled with our packing in the hope that it would stop. It didn't. Leaving Chur in full waterproofs, with the surrounding peaks swaddled in cloud, we rode past the less scenic industrial areas on the outskirts and into the countryside. We passed pretty villages, with the odd steep climb which happily generated some heat as it was pretty chilly. An early lunch stop at a guesthouse restaurant was a great relief as very little is open in Switzerland on Sunday. We sat outside as the view was to die for, as was the bill. Two bowls of soup, 4 half-slices of bread and two very small (100 ml) glasses of wine relieved us of £29!! The soup was nice; just as well! The rain didn't stop all morning and continued sporadically all afternoon, so not too many photo opportunities today, and no incentive to remove waterproof jacket and over-shorts. As it was a short day today we sidetracked to Bad Ragaz, a pretty spa town, where we had coffee and cake and bought provision for tea. From here we rode up onto the Rhine flood dyke for several kilometres into a light headwind (nothing changes, winds are always headwinds). Surface was fine, flat, velvet smooth tarmac so was a pleasure to ride. As the river swung right we crossed the bridge into our second country. Welcome to Liechtenstein (pop. 35,000). We passed through Vaduz centre into the next part of town, Schaan where we searched for a while for the Youth Hostel. Asking one resident, we got a scare as she told us it was "no more, closed". She was wrong. As we knew there was no catering in the hostel, we feasted on tuna salad stuffed into seeded croissants. Delish! Now I must go and make my bed.
57.1 km; 15.6 kph avg; 3:42 moving time; 302m ascent

Day 2, Disentis to Chur

I learned a salutary lesson today, happily at minimal cost, but more about that later.
We left Disentis with patchy mist shrouding the hillsides and settled in for a 31 km descent to Ilanz. It was not such a relaxing ride as we kept to the main road due to the recent bad weather potentially affecting the off-road option and it was moderately busy. The scenery was stunning but we concentrated on the road and with great relief stopped for coffee in Ilanz. The gloomy clouds disappeared and the sun came out as we delayered and commenced a long climbing section on a beautiful back road out of the town. Eventually we reached the high point for some respite as the sun was hot and bright. So here comes the lesson : as the road tilted downwards we came to a tunnel. We put on just the flashing lights as it was only 150m long, but it incorporated a tight RH bend and was unlit. Transitioning from bright sunlight to total blackness, wearing dark glasses, I had no exit to fixate on, no frame of reference to judge my position or orientation, and I started to wobble. The weight of the bar bag, combined with the weight of the panniers amplified the wobble and whilst I may not have known which way was up, I soon discovered which way was down! Spread-eagled in the dark with cars approaching was no fun. Anne was waiting at the exit having had a similar scare but not following through like me, and we stopped for a drink until I stopped shaking! As I waited I heard a group of motorcyclists screaming towards the tunnel followed by extreme rapid deceleration and a slow passage to my position. Two emerged, slowed, looked at each other and turned round and rode back into the tunnel. I strongly suspect a companion may have suffered a similar scare to me. My only consequence is a bruised hip and scuffed elbow; no damage to bike or clothing. Next time slow down and allow time to adjust to the dark!
We reached the confluence of the Vorderhein and the Hinterrhein (now becoming the Rhein), a raging torrent of battleship grey, silt-laden water, and stopped for a picnic lunch. A steep climb followed (dropped the chain twice - really must check that limit screw!) with the threat of a thunderstorm that didn't materialise. The gentle descent into Chur finished with a beer in the sunshine in the old town. Thence to the hotel for a shower and a pizza.
69.5 km; 17.8 kph avg; 3:54 moving time; 537m ascent!

Day 1 (Zurich to) Oberalppass to Disentis

When my panniers were stuffed to capacity in the first place, why did I have to buy a fancy (bulky) red Swiss drink bottle in Zurich? This, Anne asks whilst refusing to put it her pannier. It's so unfair. Her shoes and clothes are so much smaller than mine and she's not carrying 3.1/2kg of tools, spares and techie gadgets! Anyway, for those interested: I'm carrying 15.5kg ; Anne 11.0kg ; and Anne considers this as it should be as I'm bigger than her, so there!
So, we left the youth hostel at 07:55 in the dry despite the rain pounding down until at least 4am. Departing Zurich on plan, we were a little in awe of the amount of snow (and cloud!) on the distant mountains. The 3-train journey was a beautifully scenic and efficient trip and we successfully made both tight connections without a hitch which meant we avoided two 1-hour waits and got to Oberalppass 2 hours earlier than expected. We alighted above the snow line and walked round, avoiding piles of slushy snow melting in the sun, to the adjacent restaurant for a soup and beer lunch. Appetites sated, we cycled the 21 km to the hotel in Disentis. Or, more accurately, we sat on the bikes whilst they free-wheeled the 21 km down stupendous hairpins descending from 2050m to 1230m. The only break in the rhythm was to don rain gear for a heavy shower that came out of nowhere and stopped just as quickly. The distance passed so quickly that we overshot the hotel and had to retrace 1/2km. After changing we walked down to explore Disentis and get a coffee before returning to the hotel for a beer in the sun and food.
25.3km; 20.0kph avg; 01:15 moving time; 30m ascent (mainly because we overshot the hotel)

Day 0, Tourist/Rest Day Zurich

Plenty rain in the night; plenty rain in the morning; but after a generous buffet breakfast it backed off a little as we walked into town along the route we will cycle to the railway station tomorrow. In plenty of time, inevitably! The day dried up gradually but remained overcast and windless. We did discover one downside to Swiss railways: the cost. Rail tickets for us and the bikes relieved us of £135 for a 75 mile trip (OK, 3x trains). And gentlemen, never turn up at Zurich Hauptbahnhoff with a full bladder as the pisoir fee is £1.20! Maybe that's why the coffees here are small despite costing £3.30 a cup. Yes, Switzerland is not a holiday destination for those on a frugal budget. Maybe that explains the fact that there appears to be no obesity problem here as we have spotted absolutely no overweight folk; but then, there is huge incentive not to eat any more than absolutely necessary as the food costs are so eye-watering! We played the tourist all day (note Anne's rather fetching new cap) walking 18km in the process. Zurich is a fine place with a pretty lake, quaint old buildings and no high-rise, so plenty to see on our walking tour. We watched a closing mountain stage of the Tour de Suisse on the coffee shop TV; it was pouring with rain. As I write the Ukraine/N. Ireland game is playing in pouring rain. As I look out the window, it's pouring with rain. It's not looking good for our journey to the 2000m high point start of our tour tomorrow!
(18km on foot)

Adventure begins

With Anne exerting her usual influence, the (8-seater) taxi was booked for 07:15 and a trouble-free trip got us to the airport so early for our flight that they offered to get us away on an earlier flight! We took the offer as it would give plenty of time at Heathrow for them to check the bikes through. All went well; we, and the bikes, happily, arrived at Zurich totally unscathed. It took nearly 2 hours to unwrap, rebuild, and set up the bikes. This was extended as I cross threaded the pump adapter and, on unscrewing it, backed out the valve internals. With a flat, valveless tyre and a pump with a jammed valve in it, I had to search out a helpful customs man with a pair of pliers. Eventually all was sorted, whilst Anne sat drumming her fingers, and we were on our way. As it was now nearly 19:30, we bought tickets for the train to the centre of Zurich. Wow, Swiss trains are the business. Smart, clean, velvet smooth, silent and totally rattle free, with plenty room for bikes, almost exactly like Scotrail isn't. With just 5km to cycle from the station to the youth hostel, we arrived ready for a pint just before the rain started. Result!

Bikes ready.

Well, I've done my bit, now we shall see how they stand up to baggage handlers at Aberdeen, LHR Terminal 5, and Zurich. I just hope I can unpack the bikes a whole lot quicker than it took to wrap them!

Preparations start in earnest

Time to buckle down, clean and pack the bikes, and think about what we are taking. It's difficult to sit at 10C in Aberdeenshire and think what we'll need in 20C+ temperatures. However, some meteorological similarities exist as for the first few days we are in this area ...