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Sunday
Date: 3. August 2025
From Geneva Airport, Switzerland to Morges, Switzerland
After all the preparations and a last minute dash to the dentist, I finally got to Geneva in one piece, bike and all. Getting to the starting point of a trip can be a bit nerve wrecking: You depend on so many other people getting their job right. At Geneva Airport for example, our bus was following a laguagge train and suitcases kept coming off, so the driver had to stop and pick them up.
I was thinking, what if the same happened to my bike, falling off the top of a high pile of suitcases, I would be in trouble. Anyway, my bike, my bag and myself got here safely. Then it was 1 1/2 hours putting the bike back together again and packing the Ortlieb bags.
After that it was trying to get out of the airport, without ending up on the motorway to France. You can see from the GPS tracker that it worked out and then it was just 25 miles along the lake shore to my first campsite in Morges. It was a main road, but with either marked or separate cycle tracks all the way. The weather was great, although a bit on the warm side. It looks as if it is going to be OK for the rest of the week as well.
Tomorrow it's up at the crack of dawn with on y 61 miles to go.
Monday
Date: 4. August 2025
From Morges to Biel, Switzerland
It actually turned out to be an 80 mile run with a lot of climbs (a couple of them at 13 and 14 %. However, I got here OK and tomorrow will be a bit shorter.
As I cycled along, I couldn't help comparing this trip to the last one. One some stretches I met more cyclists in one hour than I did during my whole American trip. There were absolutely hords of them. In fact, coming from the opposite direction at one point were about 40 elderly Italians, all on electric bikes. I actually saw their support bus earlier, with trailer and all.
Also, I have to get used to seeing what seemed every couple of miles another unbelievably neat village or castle on a hill. This feels very different from cycle 50 miles with nothing to see but the prairie and then al run down place, population 56.
Anyway, I am adjusting and also getting used to cycling under a hot, Southern sun.
Tuesday
Date: 5. August 2025
From Biel to Brugg, Switzerland
When I got up this morning (around 5 am), I noticed with dread with dread that one of my cycling sandals was missing. What sod would do something like that?
Looking around I finally found it. I presume it was a fox. So no harm done. But spare a thought for the owner of the baby bottle that was laying next to it. I am sure they had spares, otherwise there would have to be hell to pay. I was long gone before it kicked off. I can just imagine the conversation: "Can you pass me the bottle for the baby, please." "It's right there on the table where I put." "No, you didn't, because it's not there." "I definitely did. You don't believe me?" "Well the baby is crying and you better get the other bottle from the car. We will have a word about this later!" etc. etc.
Although Martin warned me, I was still surprised to see that apart from a few hardcore cyclists holding out, everyone was on an electric bike. I felt like somebody from the last century, which I suppose I am.
Also, I presume very few of the people on electric bikes would probably consider going out on normal bikes. So, the more I see them, the more I am convinced they are an excellent thing. Although not for me, yet.
Talking about impressions, the smell of the farms in the middle of villages, next to what seemed thrithing small businesses, the church bells ringing at 12 noon and 7 pm, to mention just a few.
It was only a 70 mile today and it was mostly flat. In fact it reminded me of cycling in Holland. Dykes, some of them seemed 8 meters high, had been built to keep the Aare in its course.
I was at the Brugg Youth Hostel at 2 pm so I decided to visit the Roman museum in Windisch, or Vindonissa, as it was called then. In must have been one of the largest military camps, set up to control a large area of the empire.
There were a lot of interesting facts, showing how advanced the Romans were. One of them was the water supply which they knew was essential to keep everyone healthy, which only needed renewing in the 18 hundreds. Amazing.
Anyway, it's to Herisau tomorrow, and after that, a rest day.
Wednesday
Date: 6. August 2025
From Brugg to Herisau, Switzerland
I got to Herisau rather late and the 80 miles were rather a push. I got the usual exuberant welcome from Vati and the key to Martin and Doris's flat. Earlier in the day I had contacted Kurt to see about meeting up and we arranged to have lunch (breakfast?) at 11.30 on Thursday in the Oberdorfkafi, one of my dad's usual haunts.
Also, some other members of expressed an interest in meeting up and we were just going to see.
My Dad, although 95, still seems to be up for the odd adventure. At the start of the week, Martin went off with him on a two day trip and the only thing he knew was that they were going to see an old girlfriend. So, off the two men went on the train and bus to Laupen, walked through the town and came to an industrial estate.
There they met a man who opened a container and out came a Dresine, my dad's old girlfriend! For the uninitiated, a Dresine is petrol-powered rail service vehicle use in 50s and 60s. My Dad used it as part of his job and he regularly took us boys out in it on jobs. Against all regulations I am sure but so what, if it provides you children with valuable life experiences, like standing in a tunnel with a train speeding past inches away. After that they went up to the Simplon Pass where they stayed in the Hospiz. It is run by monks and in the past played an important part in keeping travellers and goods safe when crossing this treacherous mountain pass.
Again, a place that holds strong memories for my Dad from his mountaineering days. The next day it was through southern Switzerland back to Herisau.
For me, it was off to the spotless flat. That changed quickly of course, with me arriving with all my gear. After the crowded Youth Hostel the previous night, it was a relief to have the place to myself.
Anyway, I had camp cooker problem to solve: In the UK and US paraffin is easily available and works perfectly. However ,Lampenoel, which I bought on arrival had too high a flashpoint and so it was off to the Landi to get som Brennsprit, but that was too low but mixing them both work just fine. There is nothing like a problem, pottering and experimenting!
Thursday
Date: 7. August 2025
Family Day
What the Swiss family are good at is being spontaneous: After lunch with Vati and Kurt, it was off to the farm my brother run previously and was taken on by his son. There they are building a Stöckli, a small building next to the farm. Stöcklis were a tradition in Swiss farming in the past to provide housing for retired parents and grandparents, and Kurt and his Wife, Moni, will move in there. Generational problems are well-known in farming communities, but they all seem to get on extremely well.
Then, it was off for Zvieri und Znach (afternoon tea and dinner) at Toni, one of my many Swiss nephews, his wife and their three children. All arranged in very last moment but they could not have been more welcoming. It was great to catch up what was happening in the Ruprecht Clan im Appenzellerland, there are so many of them I have lost count and forgot some great nephews' names. Luckily I have got Hilary to help me with that.
Checking the map of surnames, although Laupen, the "Heimatort" of the Ruprechts has the most there are more than a few in the Herisau are, and just about all of them will belong to our family. By comparison, there are a few in Stirling are, and I wonder how could that happen.
Friday
Date: 8. August 2025
From Herisau, Switzerland to Donaueschingen
This was to get me to the start of my actual trip.
It was downhill from Herisau to Kreuzlingen where the Rhine leaves the Bodensee, across the border into Germany and fairly flat all the way to Singen, an amazing place with volcanic cones rising above the town.
From there, and I could have checked it, there was over 1,300 feet of a climb to get into the Donau valley, up a south facing slope to boot. I remember it from the States, you look ahead and search for even small patches of shade to get some relief from the heat. What is good to know is that over the next few weeks it will get easier as I adjust to the heat and my fitness goes up.
Anyway, I got to my campsite and decided to stay another night and chill out (in 30°?) tomorrow.
We will see how relaxing the evenings particularly will be. They have a Seefest on over the weekend.
Saturday
Date: 9. August 2025
Chilling Out
As anticipated, there was loud music last night. What I didn't anticipate was that I fell asleep despite of it, so I don't know when it actually stopped. A good day of pushing it works wonders I find.
The temperature is around 30°, so in the shade, a slight breeze and no cycling, it feels ok.
The campsite is on the Danube cycle path and I am having my first conversations with people who have done it or are doing it, picking up tips: a great campsite in Passau for example or that the next 30 miles, although following a flat river, will be a bit of up and down.
They have also a Strandbad here, but I wasn't tempted. As soon as you are out of the shade, it gets too much.
I have monopolize a seating area for the day, eating breakfast lunch and dinner here. It might put off others using it, but then I can always play the old-man-card.
Tonight, for the Seefest, a band was playing with a rather wide repertoire, needed because of the diverse audience: the first part they played traditional music from this part of the country. It sounded a bit similar to what you hear a this kind of events. Judging by the audience response , they loved it. Later on it was John Denver, Tina Turner and the likes.
It wasn't too bad to go to sleep with.