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Sunday 12th September Once again another cafe, another diary start. This time our story will take us from France to Germany to Switzerland to Austria all in the space of a week!
Strasbourg was nice - so nice that in fact our tired bodies demanded that we stay there another day so that we would supposedly be fresh to start off again. SO, Sunday - thankfully managed to sort out some petrol and finally relax! Yesterday proved to be more of a "things to do" day with no real stoppage time - having spent 3 hours typing the last lot of diary on a French keyboard only to discover that they did have an English one stored away!! Joy! Great communication! (Paul is a little miffed at present as he didn't manage to get chatted up by balding and ginger haired Italian bar staff - ah better luck next time! Maybe lose the beard that's been growing rapidly - but bizarrely Kate finds it quite fetching - especially in his buff and red tinted glasses!) Monday 13th September Monday morning, rush hour traffic wasn't as bad as expected. But we wished someone hadn't kindly informed us that there was in fact a well used cycle route going down from Strasbourg all the way to Basel! This would have saved us an hour of pedalling about on the outskirts of the city (having just left said route!) trying to find the road out of town! Once on the road though, the day was flat, quiet and sadly uninteresting considering we were following such a great river as the Rhine. The highlight of the day was Kate's hour long conversation (Franco-Germanic) with a retired slightly boozy Gendarme, whilst we were having our lunch. We stayed the night at a slightly expensive (over priced) campsite on the Ile du Rhin, just over the border into Germany. Again, Kate seemed to have no luck with the "smiling" receptionist! Tuesday 14th September Tuesday saw us returning to the monotony of the ride until we crossed the border into Switzerland (Kate thought the large border gate was a large looming monument - never mind!) reaching the historic (read 'expensive') city of Basel. An expensive McDonald's coke and some lunch later we were back on the road heading towards our evening destination of Mumpf. Pedalling back and forth over the Rhine and following an unknown cycle route meant that we were never really sure when we were in Switzerland or in Germany! Upon our arrival in Mumpf where it was tipping it down with rain, with thunder and lightening, we reached the gates of the campsite to find that it was locked. Desperate to find some shelter we decided to pitch our tent under some trees just by the gates and bought some extra water for the night. We spent a depressing and fitful night hoping not to be fined for free camping. We fell asleep to the sound of motorway, the main road and the railroad with the flash of headlights on our tent! Wednesday 15th September
A brief dry spell allowed us to quickly get up and pack away early the next morning ready to rejoin the road headed for the Bodensee. Fifty yards on we found the actual gates to the said campsite open and welcoming! Oh bugger but at least it was a cheap night! Today proved to be the hardest out of all the days - a brief encounter with motorway regulation tunnels and cars honking furiously at us forced us to choose the scenic but perhaps better placed cycle route we'd crossed the day before. It takes the long way round but you're guaranteed not to be breaking the law! 70 miles later we arrived in Eschenz on the tip of the Bodensee having past through the beautiful tourist town of Stein-am-Rhein, only to find the best placed campsite was up the largest hill we'd done that day. However, it was worth the stomping as the receptionist was friendly and showers were the hottest and the cleanest yet. We had a beautiful view over the Bodensee but the exposed siting made for a cold night. Thursday 16th September Our final day of this leg was meant to be a relatively easy 50 mile cruise along the lake's edge to Bregenz at the other end. The cycle route did remain level for most of the way and the early morning coldness gave way to a fresh but sunny afternoon. But the miles clocked up to nearly 60 as Paul's predictions of an easy day were crushed yet again. Never mind, it wasn't as bad as it could have been! The campsite itself looks pretty dodgy and only has extremely cold showers available but the campsite restaurant proved to be an excellent choice with lovely food and friendly service - just the tonic after riding 250 miles in only 4 days! A rest day is in order! Friday 17th September 754.1 miles, Bregenz, Austria Our deserved rest day! Saturday 18th September Rested and refreshed we left Bregenz. It was the coldest morning yet and even Paul was in lycra tights (ooff what a lovely sight!). It did warm up though so were quickly whipped off on the side of the road a little later! Our original plan to head to Munich and then to Passau over the next few days was quickly forgotten as we started to see signs towards Ulm which is on the Danube and only a few flat days from Passau. After much deliberation and exasperation (Ulm is in fact not that far from Strasbourg - if over wocca chocca mountains) we decided to head straight north to the Danube. After some tough hills and Alpine like scenery (we were lucky enough to bike the tail end of the Alps and not the real thing) we headed out onto flatter land and miles began to add up. We finished the day in Sinnigen, in a campsite where Oktoberfest (litre glasses of beer, traditional clothes and accordion music) was well under way - and we just thought that they had put this on for our benefit! Germany unexpectedly got one up on the French on this one - the campsite receptionist was both friendly and accommodating! It is also mum Williams´ birthday today so she'd be pleased at the harmonious attempt of Paul and Kate singing 'happy birthday' to her whilst pedalling furiously away! Sorry we couldn't be with you. Paul and Kate x
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Challoner's, Fasiledes, Amersham, Buckinghamshire