CURRENT LOCATION: Camping du Canal, Kembs
Basel… You almost ruined my day. More later on that score. Basel aside, today was up there with one of the best days of cycling and I’m so delighted that I’ve been able to sample at least some of the delights of the shore of the Bodensee. It was the stuff of cycling dreams; beautiful scenery, nice weather, great cycle paths, fascinating places to visit and a satisfying distance covered. It’s one of those days when you are better off not reading this drivel and just watching the video.
Anyone still here? The highlights were (we haven’t had bullet points ok for a while so here goes…):
- Getting my clothes washed at 7am in Konstanz (despite the owner telling me off for putting the bike inside the laundrette – I was tempted to tell him how much I paid for it…).
- Buying a pack of razors for €1.99 in a small corner shop that happened to be open at 8am, going back to the hotel and hacking off the beard. (It took 3 razors…).
- The spiral cycling paths to the bridges in Konstanz…
- …and the bridge that was called ‘The Cycling Bridge’!
- My first salty pretzel of the trip, especially the salt crystals that had fallen off while I was eating the pretzel that I could eat at the end.
- The cycling from Konstanz to Schaffhausen. Every single centimetre was wonderful.
- Stein Am Rhein. Wow! Just watch the video…
- The Rheinfall. Some people in recent days have suggested that it’s good, but not that good. Having followed the Rhine for quite a few days now, I was impressed.
- The friendly welcome at Camping du Canal, the playlist in the bar (which resembles the naff list of songs on my iTunes playlist…) and this:
Less worthy of praise:
- Basel station (no lifts or ramps)
- Basel mobile phone coverage (meaning no access to Google Maps)
- Basel cycling directions (meaning I spend 10 minutes staring at a road junction because I have no idea where I am).
(Can you spot the theme?)
Tomorrow? Goodness knows… Stay tuned.
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Categories: Adventure, Cycling, Le Grand Tour, Travel
Oh exciting idea, this tour! Where are you headed next? Could it be north into Alsace? 😄 we remember Basel phone coverage not being the best a few years ago, but we’d thought it had picked up now that EU roaming charges are a thing of the past. Oh well. Safe onward travels!
All the best from Strasbourg
Stephanie and Jerome
Strafari
Hi. Just catching up on some messages – apologies for the long day!!! – and yes, I continued north. Finished the trip along the Rhine, mostly… 🙂
Fantastic
Thanks 🙂
Loving the videos and photos – thank you for sharing them and taking the time each day to put it altogether. I am just back from completing Eurovelo 15 – so it is a joy to see it all again through your eyes. I also encountered the lack of lifts at Basel train station…..so frustrating – there are also some lifts with a ‘defekt’ at Dusseldorf station…..may be useful to allow extra time if you are planning to miss the more industrial bit of the Rhine. Wishing you all the best.
Thanks Sharon. I have positive memories of visiting Basel back in 2010. I remember arriving at the train station and buying food there but it certainly wasn’t the train station that I experienced today… I’ll bear your comments about Düsseldorf in mind if I happen to use it 🙂