On to Basel, Switzerland

The hotel manager had informed me on my arrival the hotel would be closed on Monday and no breakfast would be available.  I would also have to check myself out leaving the room key in the door.

The staff had been very helpful during my stay and the food was excellent.  My bike was recovered from the lockup and packed with my panniers.  Battery fitted; I rode to the front of the hotel for a photo.

Sometimes the EuroVelo 15 signs are hard to see and on other occasions the gps in the phone has a lag and you miss a turn.  That happened several times today resulting in me either having to backtrack or detour to get back on the route.

The first detour was fortunate as it resulted in me passing an Aldi where I stopped to buy a cold pizza square for breakfast and two apples for lunch.

Much of todays route roughly followed the Rhine.  Although vegetation (mostly trees) obscured it.

However at one location the path was immediately beside the river.  At the 40km point I stopped and took a photo of an old fortified tower beside the river.  I suspect it was used by some local noble to collect a toll from passing river traffic. 

Cycling further on I noticed an old covered timber bridge.  It looked interesting and so I stopped to take a photo.  Had I looked closer at the gps track I would have realised the route took me over it.

It's now a pedestrian and bike bridge.  I used the 360 camera to film my crossing.

A lunch stop at the 60km point beside the river.  I'd just cycled through an interesting village with narrow cobblestone streets again using the 360 camera.

By 3pm I had cycled 90km and reached my destination for the day.  The Swiss city of Basel.  It's on the northern border of Switzerland.  Further north on the west bank of the Rhine is France whilst Germany is on the east bank.

After checking into my accommodation I had a quick shower and went for a walk around the old part of the city.  There were a few interesting buildings but not as many as I was hoping to see.  I'll stay tonight and continue on tomorrow.

Strasbourg is 160km north and probably slightly too far for me to attempt in one day.

The Hotel Les Trois Rois ,reputedly one of the oldest hotels in Europe.

Jenny the lighthouse was constructed in 2010 by the local village as a tourist attraction (that appears to have worked!).  It's a replica of the same lighthouse which was constructed at the opposite end of the Rhine in Holland. 

 

 

Landau to Kaiserstuhl

The forecast during the night hadn't occurred when I woke at 5.30am.  Better to pack when it's dry so I was up and on the road by 6:15.

With no planned destination for the day I started to enjoy the scenery and then the rain came.  The cheap rain jacket was donned and I pressed on between showers.  The jacket doesn't breath so I'm not sure what got me more wet?  The rain or sweating inside the jacket.   By 10am I reached the ferry terminal and boarded the waiting ferry to make the crossing to Constanz.  The fare cost 6.50 euro, one way with the bike.

 

After making my way out of Constanz (there were several detours as I missed some signs) I found myself riding through countryside.  I'm back in Switzerland!

After cycling beside the lake for some time I crossed the Rhine at Stein am Rhein.  It is a small town west of Lake Constance (Bodensee), in north-eastern Switzerland. It’s known for its preserved, half-timbered medieval houses with painted facades, clustered around Rathausplatz in the old town.

The town looked very attractive and I dismounted to walk the bike down the main street with the 360deg camera recording. 

The next section of the EV15 had me riding on the north bank of the Rhine, but still in Switzerland.

It was at this location I noticed a man and woman swimming down the river towing their gear.  

The old covered timber bridge is still used by light vehicles.

I'm not sure what the building in this next photo was used for but it looked interesting.

By now I was starting to think abound accommodation.  I'm wet and don't particularly want to erect the tent when the forecast is for more rain.  Looking at the route on my phone I noticed a very reasonably priced (for Switzerland) hotel in the small town of Kaiserstuhl.  Tomorrow is Sunday and almost everything will be shut.  I've planned that Sunday's will be my rest days and I decided to book into the hotel for two nights.

According to Google Maps it's 2½ hours to the hotel and I cycled on trying to conserve the battery as my legs are starting to feel dead.  All I've eaten is a banana for breakfast.

The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful.  They could provide breakfast on Sunday morning but the hotel kitchen was closed on Monday.  I'll look for a supermarket.

That evening I had an enjoyable meal.  Pork is the cheap meat option and I had a pork steak filled with cheese.

You would think that with the lack of food over the past week I would have eaten everything on the plate.  However my stomach appears to have shrunk!

In the last two days I've cycled 250km and am sightly ahead of schedule.  My next stop is probably going to be Basel but I will try and stay on the German side of the Rhine as it's cheaper.

 

Chur to Landau

An early start as I knew it would be another long day.  I wanted to reach Lake Constance and; hopefully; stay ahead of the predicted rain. 

Initially a slight detour was required to reach a local supermarket where I bought two bananas and two apples along with a replacement tin of food.  I think it was Ravioli.

Once again the EV15 route took me across the valley floor and into the foothills. 

Looking back up the valley to Chur

Finally the EV15 took me to the path on the flood bank beside the Rhine.  Easy riding; albeit slightly boring.

My issue started to become water.  I'd started the day with 1.5 litres in my camelback but it was such a hot day and with nothing around me I needed to ration my intake.

Then I noticed a building in the distance which appeared to look like a small hotel or café.  Water!

It was closed…. Bugger!  Then I noticed the Swiss flag and realised it was an abandoned border post.  It became the first of a number I passed during the day.  At one point I was in Lichtenstein before crossing back into Switzerland.  Then I reached Austria where the authorities had established a bike repair point and a water fountain.  The camelback could be filled.  Thank you Austria!

At Bregenz, Austria I could see Lake Constance.  It's obviously a popular tourist destination.  An ice cream was a reward for completing 100km but the camping ground was full.  I cycled on eventually crossing into Germany!

The next campsite was closed (1 - 3 pm) for lunch.  This isn't uncommon and I cycled on reaching Lindau where I had to stop for a tourist train.  The crossing point was manned to ensure cyclists (there were many) remained outside the barriers.

The cycle paths in this area were very good and heavily utilized.  I suspect many of the cyclists are tourists who have brought their eBike on their holiday.   Ebikes are more common than conventional bikes.

I found a vacancy at my third campsite and attempted to erect the tent finding the ground so rocky and hard it was almost impossible to push in a peg. 

This camping ground had a small café that served food.  I order the meatloaf; which was probably a mistake.  It looked nothing like Jan's homemade meatloaf.  Two large and thick squares of luncheon (polony, fritz, etc).  The accompanying salad was swiftly eaten.

124km today.   Rain is forecast overnight and tomorrow.

 

Altdorf to Chur

It was going to be a long day because the weather forecast for the following three days was for rain.  Not wanting to cross a mountain pass in those conditions (remember Taiwan 3 years ago!) it had to be done today or wait several days.  I opted to go!

Upon reaching the summit of Oberallp Pass I stopped and took several photos, including the obligatory one of the lighthouse. Obviously the summit is a popular location on a fine day.

Initially the descent is a serious of hairpin switchbacks as altitude is rapidly lost.  With a heavily laden bike I was going very slowly to ensure I maintained control.   The racing bikers rocketed past.

On the southern hills I could see the start of the River Rhine cascading down.  I had intended to walk to Lake Toma which is the source but the lack of time precluded it.

The Eurovelo 15 route wandered across the valley floor and sometimes back into the foothills which I occasionally found to be steep and unsealed.

By the time I reached Chur I was exhausted and sore.  There was a small shop in the camping ground but no hot food was available.  I was too tired to go exploring and for food dropped my tin of chilli con carne into my Jetboil with some water and heated it

I was in bed by 7pm.

 

. 

 

 

Trifel Castle and Lucerne

I'm really struggling to catch up with the blog!

You can see Trifel Castle from Ray & Anna's apartment.  It's major claim to fame is that Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in it for several months during the period he had been seized and held for ransom on his return from the Crusaders.

The castle is constructed of red sandstone and has been rebuilt several times.  Most notably under the orders of Hitler who visited it once.  I took few photos during our visit as I mostly used the 360 camera and will edit the recordings on my return home.

In a slightly more westerly direction is a large rock famous for the frequent number of rock climbers who scale it.

 

Whilst we were at its base five foreign climbers appeared and started preparing to scale it.

With the bike repaired (new rear wheel and internally geared hub) I headed south passing through Basel to reach Lucerne. 

My return on the Eurovelo 15 route takes me through Basel so I didn't spend much time there on the way south.

It was late by the time I reached lucerne and rather than search for a campsite I opted for a hostel dormitory bed in the city.  I didn't realise it would be mixed sex.  Two males… four females!  It was a very hot night (I mean the temperature) and sleep proved to be difficult.

After a shower I had a wander around the centre of the city.  It's the second time I've been here and not much has changed in the interim period.

The hostel was very central and located in a former prison.  For slightly more money you could spend a night in a cell.

Chapel Bridge.  A landmark 1300s wooden bridge with grand stone water tower & a roof decorated with 17th-century art.

Northern entrance to the bridge on the right of the photo.

The River Reuss.  Exit point for Lake Lucerne.

Downstream from the Chapel Bridge is another wooden bridge.  

Spreuerbrücke Bridge. It is a 15th-century, wooden covered pedestrian bridge featuring a series of paintings with a death motif In the apex of the roof gables

Tomorrow I'm taking the ferry on Lake Lucerne.