Day #1
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| One of the many hilltop towns |
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.
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| Wild bears have been returned to the Swiss Alps |
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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.
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.
