June 4th - June 6th Thun to Wllisau

Left Thun and pretty soon hit a road detour that had us unsure of where we were actually going as the GPX files were not updated. Already tricky on unfamilar roads, being on the right hand side of the road and in a different language. Muddled along and got back on track but missed 30km somewhere due to detour? Kept our sense of humour.

No idea...

We cycled through lush pastures after climbing up what they call the 'Kings stairs'. A good view of Lake Thun and alpine faces. We see the occassional fox in the fields and many large birds called kites, with their prominent forked tail and mewing call. Crows attack them regularly. We had our lunch on the side of the road, which seems to becoming the norm. The Herz 99 route stays off main roads and rolls up and down the sides of the valleys. Small towns often in the bottom which means a haul back out again.

Another exciting lunch spot

We arrived at Langnau early, again beating the rain. Very helpful staff and so grateful they would do a load of laundry for us. We booked dinner at their restaurant which was delicious; pea soup with coriander and coconut cream. Locals were playing cards, and the older lady wait staff had the Swiss German patter keeping everyone happy. Another family owned hotel, 18 rooms only, and the building is 200yrs old and very comfortable. Ice hockey is the main winter event in Langnau and hikers/bikers for the summer.

Amazing roofline on our Langnau hotel. Seems to be the style on all the farmhouses we pass also. Adapted for snow to not damage spouting or dump on anyone below.

It was really cold again next morning for our cycle to Burgdorf. We should have brought our icebreaker balaclavas with us. 10C rise to 13C midday and even though you keep warm plugging up the hills absolutely glacial along the  tops.

Many of the farm houses have names and dates prominent. We worked out this was the birth dates and names of children who live there.

Also every house needs a snow plough in the alpine area.

Over the last few days we wondered how all these small farms - 25ha and maybe 30 dairy cows are economic. Especially when they are fed indoors 7 months of the year. Granted someone probably may have an off farm income but?  Well in fact the agricultural sector is heavily subsided and protected by the Swiss government. 

Border protection by restricting imports, high tariffs, subsidising crops, cultural landscape protection ( so it stays pretty)  for Switzerland, animal welfare payments; you name it. From what we can work out something like CHF 87,000/ NZD$173,000 per each little farm is paid out. This is what NZ battles against when we export our low input non subsidised dairy products. Switzerlands cost of production is very high with all the grass harvesting to be then feed out all winter, mountains of fertiliser, fuel use etc. The Swiss govt subsidises billions of francs, 50% of the Agri sector. Everwhere you look it is Bio, Enviro, Natural...woke words - how can it be true?

Some Belted Galloway cattle in the distance although most cows are Holstein or Swiss Brown. Another small hillock to get over. Wearing merino long sleeve.

Many mixed stands of trees. Not too much wildlife - deer, small animals. We saw one squirrel. No possums on the road.

Town of Burgdorf is dominated by the 800yr castle. There is a youth hostel in it which we are staying in. Did have to cycle up a steep cobblestone access  of course!!

Burgdorf castle ....now youth hostel and wedding venue.

View from our bedroom window in the castle.

Castle entrance

Many of the buildings in the town are decorated

Standard transport in the small towns, car use frowned upon unless a 'silent assassin' otherwise known as an electric car. We detest how they creep up behind you.

A cool start again in the morning as we set out for Willisau. Rolling lanscape of the Emmental. There was a village dedicted to all things emmental cheese. Cabinets of different aged cheese, all sorts of dried meats and yogurts, ricottas, quark etc. - dairy heaven. Was worth a coffee stop.  Did not have to have our picnic lunch on the roadside today, a nice park bench at Madiswil train station. Sun came out and warmed up a bit so grateful for that.

This is a holstein cow with bell I am chatting to.  You hear the bells clanging away all the time in the lowlands and alps.  Must drive them mad. Goats and sheep also have them.

Holstein are big, heavy cows producing lots of milk which is what they are paid for in Switzerland. Too heavy to be outside in winter conditions whereas our Friesians are hardy, compact and produce milk with higher fat content.

These are two versions of slurry spreaders which causes the distinct smell everwhere and makes the grass so green.

We have not seen very many people when cycling, the occassional farmer crossing his yard as we cycle through, a dog walker but really just the two of us. Poor Jeff is really missing out, language a barrier of course. After we arrived in Willisau today did the usual grocery run to supplement our breakfast and lunch supplies. Called into a cafe up the historic main street. Chatted to a lovely couple in their seventies who come into the bigger town from their tiny village. Both met through flying small planes. He had been a GP but deaf as a post so conversation a bit onesided but seem to enjoy chatting with two kiwis.

Willisau main street

Our hotel, we are on the top floor. Stairs are hard work after cycling.

Many decorative buldings in the town.

Clock towers at each end of the main street plus Catholic church bells reminding folks of their Sunday obligations. Ear plugs will be working hard tonight.

Window display, classic.

May 31st to June 3rd Lausanne to Thun Switzerland

 Day #1

Terraced vineyards above Lake Lausanne

Coffee stop, 2 coffees = Swiss franc CHF8 which is equivalent to NZD$20.

One of the many hilltop towns

Looking relaxed at Lake Lausanne before we start the first day. After one month travelling about Turkiye we knew it would be tough.

The trip by train from Geneva airport to Lausanne only took an hour. We did noticed quite a lot of graffiti on the rail corridor. 

Was a warm 25C day. At the hotel we learnt that in Switzerland, and Lausanne in particular, it is legally prohibited to turn on aircon until the 1st June and then it has to be at least 25C outside  before regulations allow you to drop the temp. in your room 5C only!!  This is all energy and environmental decrees. It is a very controlled country by the Federal Council and Assembly. Astounding given the massive quantities of wood burnt over the 6 to 7 months of winter. The irony lost perhaps.

Switzerland has 9 million people and approx. 40,000 sq km land mass compared to 5 million people and 268,000 sq km for New Zealand. Switzerland is land locked by France, Germany, Italy and Austria. So folks speak Swiss derivatives from these countries.  The majority of the countries wealth comes from being a safe haven - the legendary financial sector attracts vast amounts of global capital. They also have high value exports of  pharmaceuticals. 

Switzerland bascially closes Sundays and Mondays. Sometimes also Tuesdays which is tricky for tourists looking for an open grocery store or even just somewhere to eat. We had researched this before we came so have plotted options  because food is very necessary when cycling hilly terrain! Tap water is supposed to be ok but tastes awful at times so stick with bottled water. 

A few issues with the hire bicycles, they are brand new but had not been serviced grr!!, We plugged on to the end of the second day where we found a cycle repair shop. We have sent the invoice to Eurotrek, who we rented the roadbikes from highlighting our disppointment and expect to be refunded. Eurotrek provided the GPX files for navigation, shift our backpacks from place to place, and find accommodation. We guide and cater for ourselves.  They are not a patch on the UK company we have used for the last two years regarding service, value and skilled staff.

The second day we set out to beat the forecast thunder and hail storms, due at 2pm. Thankfully second day not so brutal as the previous, bicycle issues not withstanding.

Got to Laupen by 1pm-ish and the heavens opened rain and hail an hour later whilst we were settled having a drink under a cafe awning.

We now know why Switzerland is so green.... cow manure. The air is pungent with dairy shed effluent and winter bedding that has been spread on every available field. Cows are kept housed October to April in huge sheds, so that is millions of litres of waste and bedding to great rid of.  Cows are turned out now so lots of ringing bells as they each have one around their neck. Also many fields of autumn sown barley and wheat in full head.

Our hotel in Laupen

Like the Turks the Swiss have flags or their emblem everywhere, very patriotic.

Wild bears have been returned to the Swiss Alps

Yes day 3 was a grind from the get go. Kept telling ourselves it would prepare us for tomorrow which looks to be vertical...   The Swiss have huge houses, generally three stories and just as wide. All that time spent indoors plus animals are housed at the back and the usual array of farm equipment. Our cycling route often passes through someones yard so need to keep an eye out for moving tractors and wandering animals.  Steadings dotted all over the hillsides, very high up, with villages tending to be settlements in the valleys. Hence the constant climbing up and down.

Fields of autumn sown barley

Roads range from sealed, concrete or what they call "natural" i.e. gravel/mud.

A closed cafe so used it for our lunch stop with food we need to bring everyday to keep us fuelled. Matching helmets hired go with our Ground Effect jackets.

Grateful to get to Thun, a pretty river town and the hotel is nice called The Krone. After a chilly, wet cycle good to see and feel the sun. Who knew it could be 11C in June ( summer) in Switzerland. Found a great restaurant for an early dinner.

Turreted Thun castle from the 1100's

The river Aare flows from the lake at Thun to the federal capital Bern.