After spending a day in the very good camping ground near Fully, it was time to head on to Lake Geneva.

The route took me along the Rhone which was progressively getting bigger and bigger. The speed of the water is amazing. What you also notice is that, unlike rivers like the Murray or Murrumbidgee in Australia, the Rhone goes in the relatively straight line.

Fish Lunch

I hadn’t travelled too far when I came across a small restaurant that was very busy. It had started to rain so I decided to stop for lunch. I see why the place was busy – it was very good.

It continued to rain sporadically as I headed towards Villeneuve. My original plane had been to ride beyond Montreux, however as I approached the lake I came across camping ground. I checked in and quick set up my tent before the rain really stated to come down.

Short Ride

Next day was really short ride. I had not gone much past Montreux when I came across a really nice little camp site right of the lake. The weather was very hot.

I decided that that was far enough for the day. I pitched my tent and went for a swim. The place had a small café. The owner convinced me to have a cheese fondue. It is really is a winter meal not the thing for a hot summer’s day.

Continuing on along the Lake

In the morning I had a chat to a young German couple that were camped next to me. They had decided to stay an extra day because “it was so restful and wonderful to see at [sic]”.

I headed off down the lake. The wealth and prosperity of Switzerland is palpable in this part of the country. All the cars are the latest model Mercedes and BMWs etc. The houses and apartments all seem to be luxurious. The café s and restaurants are mainly upmarket, not cheap take a way joints. There are marinas with very snazzy yachts dotted all along the lake.

I had thought about taking the ferry from Nyon across to France and heading into Geneva from that side of the lake.

I stopped Rolle notice sign to a ferry stop. I checked out the prices of the ferries. My eyes watered. I noticed another sign to a campsite. I rode to the site and decided to stop.

As I was setting up my tent and couple of blokes arrive with Bob Trailers. These are an alternative to us panniers.

They turned out to be Columbians living and working in France. One told me that me the he was a physicist working at Strasbourg University He said that he had done his Phd on an X ray detector. He told me a lot about it. He was now trying to bring his invention to the point when it could go into production. He said that this was difficult to do in France, particularly if you were not French.  He said it was very frustrating and he was seriously thinking of moving to the USA.

Short ride into Geneva

It was a relatively short ride into Geneva in the morning. I stopped short of the city and had a very expensive (in AUD) lunch in restaurant in park by the lake. It was a great view across lake to the city and the famous water spout.

As I rode into city along the lake, I recalled my first visit to Geneva in 1966. That is an awful long time ago.

Flickr Link

https://flic.kr/s/aHskeBX8jx

Garmin Links

To Lake Geneva

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/860224930

Short Ride past Monteux

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/863308101

Along the Lake

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/863308129

Into Geneva

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/863308146

I rode into Basle from Huningue. As it turned out I had to wait until nearly 4.00 p.m. before I could board the first of 3 trains that were to take me to Andermatt.

Expensive meal

It was quite late when I finally arrived in Andermatt. I knew that there was a campsite just out of town. It only operates in summer and you use that facilities in ski lift terminal and that is over the road.

I headed into town and order a meal. This was my first experience of Swiss prices being converted into the relatively weak Australian dollar. I makes camping wherever possible a necessity rather than an option.

Very Tough Cyclist

Back at the camp site I got into a conversation with bloke from Belgium who told me that he had been cycling in Australia last year. He had ridden from Melbourne to Darwin, via wester NSW and Queensland.

I was impressed. I was doubly impressed when he rolled his left trouser leg up to reveal a prosthetic limb below his knee. He casually took of the limb and hopped towards his tent.

Getting Advice

In the morning I stopped to have a coffee in small café that also sold maps. The owner turned out to be cyclist. He was interested in my trip.

He told me that I would find that climb over the Furka Pass “difficult with all that luggage”. He also told me to watch out for the motorbikes, however “it won’t be a busy as it gets over the weekend”. He also gave me some advice regarding cycling in Italy. In short he suggested taking the train through the “shitty bits – it a bit 3^rd world in parts”.

Over the Furka Pass

At the bottom of the Furka Pass there is a sign that tells you that over the next 13 kilometres, you will be climbing over 800 metres. I have done bigger climbs in Australia from Corryong to Thredbo, but with not as much stuff on the bike.

James Bond Spot

The climb is a classic zig zag alpine road. At one point I came across a sign and a plague pointing out that the this road was used in a scene in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Check out the Flickr link and the link to YouTube.

After the zig zag bit, the road goes in a relatively straight line to the summit of the pass. This was the toughest part of the climb. It is really annoying when you can see where you have to get to, but it takes forever to get there.

Ice Cream and Beer Stops

I stopped for a coffee and ice cream at one point. I had a beer at the rather dilapidated restaurant at the top of pass.

Fast Ride Down

It was an extremely fast ride down the other side of the pass. The Flickr videos say it all.

Campsite by the river

I was basically knackered when I got on to the Rhone Valley floor on the other side of the pass.

As I was riding along the cycle path, I came across a nice little campsite. I decided that would do me just fine and checked in.

It was a great spot, but there was problem having a shower. It required a ½ Franc Coin for a couple of minutes. The shop at the site didn’t have any of those coins. I was rescued by a Dutch couple, who have several. They made the comment that it was “absurd to charge for showers when you are paying so much for the site”.

Detour to Rome Bridge

As I headed to Brig, the route took a turn away from the main Rhone valley into a forest. The track became a dirt path down to a stone bridge. Some walkers told me that it was an ancient Roman Bridge. The climb up from the bridge was so steep I had to walk the bike.

Getting lost after Brig

I became a bit lost after Brig. As stopped to look at my map and fellow cyclist stop. He turned out to be yet another Dutchman – the place has to be empty. He told me that I was on the right path.

It wasn’t too long before I seemed to have lost the path again. As it turn out the same bloke came passed me again. I asked him if he knew if there were are camp sites nearby. He said he was staying at one and he led me to it. It turned out to excellent.

Australia out for 60

I checked the cricket score on the internet. Unbelievable.

Heading towards Lake Geneva

I was bit slow getting started the next morning.

At one point I was passed by women on an electric bicycle. She slowed down for chat. She told that she was heading to Lausanne. She told that she lived in Zurich and was having a weekend ride.

We ended up riding together for the remainer of the day. I was extremely hot. Just short of a town called Fully, my fellow cyclist spotted a sign to a hotel and campsite. We checked in out.

The place turned out to fantastic. It has good pool, restaurant and shop.

I decide to stay two nights.

Flickr Link

https://flic.kr/s/aHskh6cdYi

Garmin Links

Over the Furka Pass

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/856927267

South of Brig

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/856927331

To Near Fully

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/857977586

Link to You Tube Goldfinger Clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RdK51Igeqc

On the Sunday I spent some time in the tourist office. A very nice girl was interested in my trip. She told me that she was s cyclists and gave me a map of the cycle routes in the area.

The Eurovelo Route 5 that brought me into town along the canal, heads west after Colmar. The other option to stay on the canal. I decide to take the Route 5.

The route follows small farm roads through vineyards overlooking the river valley below.

Stop for dessert

I stopped for lunch at about 1.50 p.m. This was too late for a full meal. All I was able to order was dessert, a very large cheesecake.

I passed a WW1 on the Vieil Armand battlefield. This yet another place where thousands of lives were lost. This time all the soldiers that were killed were French and Germans.

Into Mulhouse

The route took me into a city called Mulhouse. It is a fairly drab place. As usual it was difficult to find the cycle route leaving the city.

I had to ask people a number of times how to get to the canal and the cycle path.

On the canal path

After leaving Mulhouse I was back on the cycle path that follows the canal. It was quite late and I had been in the saddle for over seven hours. I expected to find campsites on the canal. I knew that there was one in Huningue, however I was more than happy to stop if there was one before then.

As it turned out, there was no place to stay before Huningue.

Camping at Petite Port

My trip is vaguely following the route taken by an English bloke who rode from Canterbury to Rome. He stopped in Huningue and stayed at the Petite Port camping ground. He described it as “being a favourite place for cyclists and kayakers”. He was right, the place was full of cyclists – mainly Dutch as usual- people that kayak down the Rhine.

He also described the experience of having to cross the Rhine into Germany to buy anything. There is huge shopping centre just over the bridge in Germany. It would appear that the shops in France have given up.

I decided to stay in Huningue for the day. I took the opportunity to cross into Germany for a haircut. I was allocated a very young girl to do the cut. I am certain that I must have been one of her first, if not the first, paying customer she had. A number of customers came and went as she cut my hair. She also took the opportunity to practice her English, which she told me was “very important to be proficient at”.

As it turned out, I think she did a very good job. I am not sure if the owner on the shop would have made any money out of the cut.

Kayaking

In the afternoon I when for a walk on the canal that runs off the Rhine. Next to the canal there is stream that has very fast flowing water. There were a lot people kayaking and using small ‘body board’ type floating things. I looked like heaps of fun.

Train to Andermatt

I had done a bit of research into the cycling options in Switzerland. There are four main National Cycling Routes. One goes from Basel to Andermatt. This follows the Rhine.

The one which is generally thought to be the best route is the Route 1 that follows that Rhone from Andermatt to Geneva.

I decided to take the train to Andermatt. In the morning I packed up and headed across the Swiss border into Basle and the caught the first leg of the train journey to Andermatt.

Flickr Link

https://flic.kr/s/aHskhsS4of

Garmin Link

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/853471295

I got a bit lost leaving Strasbourg. The cycle route is known as the Rhine Route, but actually follows that canal that is surprising far from the river.

I rode through some industrial areas on arterial road that were next to the main highway. There were a number of very scantily dresses ladies, young and old on the road – an interest place to pick up business.

Finally on the Canal

I finally found the canal and the cycle track.

It was a straight forward route to Colmar.

The campsite was easy to find being at the end of the canal.

Quiet Night

Colmar is a very popular tourist town. I headed off looking for place to eat. It was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday night. I ended up eating in an Italian restaurant.

Long Lunch

I decided to stay the day in Colmar. I walked back into the town and had a very long lunch of mussels and beer, reading and listening to podcasts.

Flickr Link

https://flic.kr/s/aHskgSzcLS

Garmin Link

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/850968794