In the context of a two-month cycle around Europe I can put up with a few days here and there of uninspiring or troublesome cycling but I do feel for all those people who set their heart of cycling the Canal du Midi or, more pertinently to this week, from Basel to where I am now (about 20km south-west of Frankfurt). It really is keep-your-receipt stuff but unlike a pair of jeans from Marks & Spencers, you canโt take a cycling holiday back to the shop and ask for a refund.
The best thing about day 57 is that it wasnโt day 56. Thatโs not to say that day 57 will go down in history as being a great day of cycling but it wasnโt anywhere near as monotonous as yesterdayโs cycle. And in contrast (because itโs not all about the cyclingโฆ), yesterday evening was fun chatting with Dave from Seattle, the German chap and the French family with their very funny two boys. Tonight here in Phillipsburg itโs just me and the chap in the next tent who I saw for the first time about 30 seconds ago. Heโs wearing a dressing gown and a head torch. Itโs not a look that I have ever coveted on a campsite but who knows? Itโs only 9pm. The evening could yet turn out to be an entertaining oneโฆ
About 80% of today was deathly dull. Why did I end up cycling the Rhine-Rhรดne Canal again after having cycled it north to south in 2010 and been bored just as rigid back then? I suppose it was because I ended up on the French side of the Rhine last night. Tonightโs short video is a boring one reflecting the day quite wellโฆย
Baselโฆ 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 Iโm so delighted that Iโve 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. Itโs one of those days when you are better off not reading this drivel and just watching the video.
The first part of Plan B has been enactedโฆ Quite an achievement when you bear in mind that there wasnโt ever a detailed Plan A and when Plan B is about as vague as a Brexitier when you try pin them down on the benefits of the UK leaving the EU. I am currently en route to Konstanz in Germany. More of that in a moment.
Life is getting complicated, for good reasons. Iโm now in the Swiss town of Buchs and trying to plan tomorrow which will hopefully see me meet two people at either ends of the day; Ken, who is cycling 12 countries in 12 days (see his Twitter feed @highfielder80 for updates and the details of his trip) and my friend Claus (remember him from โCrossing Europeโฆโ?) who I havenโt seen for many years, in Breganz, Austria in the late afternoon. I need a social secretary! Iโm also hatching an interesting plan for Friday but more of that in due courseโฆ
And so this pan-European odyssey enters its final phase: the Rhine Cycle Route or EuroVelo 15. But before I could crack on with that this morning, I had some sorting out of loose ends from the penultimate phase: the Rhรดne Cycle Route or EuroVelo 17. I completed that route yesterday upon arrival in Andermatt but this morning finished putting together the podcast about cycling the Rhรดne. This included inserting a chat that I had with my neighbours on the campsite at Andermatt; a couple – Rich and Becca – from West Yorkshire of all places (my neck of the woods) who had cycled some of the route as well. The podcast was published this morning from cafรฉ at the train station in Andermatt but you donโt have to go that far to find it: all the links are at CyclingEurope.org/Podcast.
I did it! I arrived in my spiritual cycling home, Andermatt, a little earlier this afternoon after a lengthy, strenuous, exhilarating and ultimately beautifully satisfying climb to the Furka Pass. Iโm now celebrating with the best CHF5 bottle of wine that the local Coop could sell me accompanied with some good old bread and cheese. This is what cycle-camping is all about!
