Week 2

June 11, Saturday.

Breisach am Rhine, Germany to Frick, Switzerland.
113 kms. 7 hrs. Av. 15.9 Total 698 kms.

I got up at 05:00 and on the road by 07:00. As soon as I left the town I went over the Rhine to the French side. I got on B52 and being Saturday and so early there was no traffic, maybe a car every 15 min. and the road was flat and new. Great for doing some Kms. not very much to see canal on the left side so I couldn't see anything and farmland with some woods on the other side.
All went good until I got to Chalampe, from there until Ottmarsheim there was nothing but heavy industry one large factory after another, also a petrochemical plant. I was really glad it was Saturday and no trucks just a car or two every 5 min.
By the time B52 turned into D468 I was in the suburbs of Basil, roads OK, and still not much traffic, than that also changed into N66 before it got into Basil.
First impressions on Basil, well it was not nice at all, it reminded me of Liege, Belgium, old and dirty with a lot of strange characters hanging about.
It was also complete chaos, it took me an hour to find the tourist office. There wasn't one sign anywhere and I ended up asking people were it was and nobody knew, they had apparently moved it and didn't tell anyone, it did get frustrating after a while. When I did find it they offered me a map of Basel and surrounding area, and to add insult to injury, they didn't have the maps I was looking for, I had to look for a book shop to get those.
Choosing to come through Basel on a Saturday was a very good idea.
The road from Basel to Frick was very busy and no shoulder, but the drivers were courteous which made it bearable. The scenery was changing also, the hills were growing it seemed.
The camping at Frick was, well put it this way, have you tried camping next to a bar under a railroad, then you would start getting close.
I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy, I was very tired going through Basel, the heavy traffic and doing a couple little hills, I really wasn't in the mood to look for another place. Anyone passing by Frick, well just keep passing.

     
Left to Right:
1- Going through the Swiss border was very informal they didn't bother asking me for my passport, I thought about making them stamp it but then again I thought best just to go on.
2- Crossing the Rhine again, with Basel in the background. I didn't start looking for the tourist office yet and was still smiling.
3- Somewhere in between Basel and Frick. The scenery had changed from the flatness of the Rhine river valley it was  getting much more interesting.

June 12, Sunday.

Frick, Switzerland to Murg, Switzerland.
123 kms. 7 hrs. 35 min. Av. 16.2 Total 821 kms.

Woke up at 05:00 got up at 05:30 and on the road by 07:00. I needed that extra little bit, with the drinkers first than the trains than the disco that broke up the party at around 05:00.
The day started good with the first few Kms flat than a very nice and stiff 3 km climb followed by a 4 km descend into Brugg.
After Brugg the road got better, seeing the hills in the early morning light was nice and all the fresh air really helped, with only a couple little bumps and very light traffic all the way to Zurich.
Zurich was totally the opposite to Basel, I really like it and would want to visit again with Monique. Clean not so congested with traffic (maybe because it was Sunday?)
Just a really nice place the whole atmosphere was great.
The ride around the lake was very nice also with good views and again light traffic.
And it just kept getting better from here on. After Lachen it really started to get nicer, after I went around this one hill I got my first sight of the real mountains and I got chills going up my spine, I got so excited I could not wait to climb them.
The views just kept getting better the closer I got to lake Walensee. This lake I found to be more beautiful than lake Zurich, the mountains were right up next to it very steep and dramatic looking, a pleasure to ride around this lake. I could not keep my eyes on the road.
When I stopped for a break, this local couple, cyclists, stopped and we had a chat about where was I from and where I was going, they were very interested in my bike and were considering cycle touring also. When I told them the camp site I was headed to they suggested I go to Murg, they said it was much nicer than the one I had planed for.
I took them up on their offer and it turned out to be a very nice camp ground, reasonably priced and very clean right on the lake. Just as I set up my tent this thunder storm came, man what luck, I got inside and made me a bowl of noodles for dinner and went to sleep.
After 123 kms I felt good, the sight of those mountains for the first time was really nice.

              
1- Right after my early morning climb, the hills in the morning are nice and the fresh air is just what the doctor ordered. Brugg is just down this road, after a very fast and exhilarating descend.
2- Zurich even though it's huge, it was clean and probably being Sunday not so busy. I would really like to come back to this city. The whole place was just welcoming, it's just a feeling I had.
3- The road going to Walensee was perfect, a good shoulder and very light traffic. Even the clouds could not dampen this day. Just a great ride in a very nice place. Around that hill in the distance is the following picture.
4- When I came around this hill is when I first caught site of the really huge mountains in the distance. Partly covered by clouds but you could still make out their height and majesty.
5- Well what could one say about a scene like this. I will leave that to your imagination ;-)
6- The very beautiful lake Walensee with its dramatic mountains all around, it was just a pleasure to ride around, despite the weather. Just one picture could not possibly do it justice but I have to be careful with the size of this page.

June 13, Monday.

Murg, Switzerland to Andeer, Switzerland.
91 kms. 6 hrs. 45 min. Av. 13.5 Total 913 kms.

Woke up at 05:00 and was on the road at 06:30. The day started out great for a few kms going along lake Walensee, after Walenstadt the traffic got really heavy (Monday) especially after 08:00.
The views were great, and getting better as I went along, lush green valleys surrounded by high forested mountains. And yes all the cows have bells on them in case anyone was wondering. hehe
Everything was going good until I reached Sargans the wind picked up, like in a couple of minutes it got from almost zero to gale force, really bad I just had to stop take a break put the bike in very low gear before I continued on to Chur. And it was a long hard ride getting there with the road steadily climbing, not steep but with the head wind it felt like a 7% hill.
By the time I reached Chur the wind died down some and I stopped for lunch at McDonalds.
After lunch I headed out of the small city (large town) on a very busy road and headed towards Reichenau when it started raining. It didn't last but it wasn't good for my morale though. At Reighenau I turned left into a very steep climb and headed into the ever growing hills.
The road was also very new and very quiet hardly any traffic which was a nice change for the day so far. The scenery got a lot better also, I started having trouble keeping my eyes on the road again.
The original plan was to stop at Thusis for the night, but when I got there and found the camp ground well, it might be good if I had a camper but with a tent forget it. It was located almost under an overpass between very tall pine trees, no grass and very hard ground.
After looking at my map I decided to push on to Andeer where it showed another camping.
It was only +/- 11kms further but all uphill and a bit steep also. I was getting quite tired by now but I struggled on and it paid off the scenery was fantastic even with the steep road and headwinds.
I haven't seen mountains so high since I was in Banf national park in Canada with my wife.  Around every turn I saw something new and more beautiful, dramatic gorge's covered in thick wood and the Rhine river far below, it made me forget how tired I was.
At Andeer I found this great campsite Sut Baselgia, (just type that in yahoo and you see what I mean) the places were with thick grass, reasonably priced, very clean, nestled between some very high mountains with snow covered peaks, service with a smile and only 25kms from Splugen pass, what else does one need?
After I had finished my laundry I had diner and went straight to bed. Soon afterwards though I heard the rain start and it dint stop until the morning. When I woke up and looked outside I could not see more than a few hundred meters the clouds were very low and it was cold.
When I got out of my tent I felt my knees for the first time on this trip, having done 327kms in 3 days, the hills and the high winds the previous day had taken their toll. 
When I walked over to the main building to wash up and get ready to go I saw the owner and asked him if he had seen the weather report.
He told me that the weather would not get better only worst for the rest of the day and he advised me that trying to go over the pass would be possible but not recommended, I would not be able to see anything and would most likely get very wet and cold in the process.
He said the following day the weather would improve a lot and if I wanted to stay he had a small room with two bunk beds that wasn't being used and he'd give it to me for a couple of francs more, so I would have a dry place to sleep before tackling the pass. Talk about a great offer at the right time, it had a heater and I got the chance to dry everything.
Needless to say I would highly recommend this campsite to anyone passing this way, a good camp at a perfect distance (25 kms) from the pass.

        
1- Lake Walensee, a great place to visit.
2- Sargans, nice town with some dramatic mountains around it. It got a bit windy after I took this picture.
3- The road to chur despite the wind the ride was nice. Again the views just got better as I went along.
4- After the first climb leaving Reichenau. With hardly any traffic around and the hills continuing to grow the ride just got better.

      
1- Heading towards Thusis. The fresh air the thick green wood made for a nice ride. The headwinds and the climbing continued.
2- The high and dramatic gorges after Thusis, it was a dream cycling through this place. I loved every minute.
3- Continued climbing. Andeer up ahead with the weather starting to deteriorate. In the end it paid off leaving Thusis.

June 14, Tuesday.

Unscheduled rest day, and I needed it. I wasn't aware how tired I was and how bad my knees felt. It was an omen, bad weather just made me realize it was time for a break.
I realized that I was too busy sightseeing and not paying much attention to the gears I was using, and just pushed too hard.
No problem I was way ahead of schedule. My knowledge of cycle touring was growing, on when, what and how much I should be eating, things too look for on maps, and now, listening to my body closer, and paying closer attention to the gears that I am using.
I will be learning more as the tour progressed.
So I took the time to regain my strength, rest my knees and pig out on a nice family sized pizza all to myself hehe.
I was told by the owner of the camp that Splugen pass is around 20 kms from Andeer, (actual 25) and uphill all the way. A short break before the village of Splugen, then the serious climbing would begin.
I got nervous when he said that, and tried not to show it, after thinking about it some, there was no going back, so it was no use being nervous, it became something that I had planed and trained for, and that was that.
Time to rest now with my book on a warm comfortable bed, tomorrow I would see how high and difficult these Alps are.

June 15, Wensday.

Andeer, Switzerland to Dervio, Italy.
93 kms. 7 hrs. Av. 13.5 Total 1006 kms.

I woke up at 06:00 and was on the road by 08:00, got my breakfast and lunch at the bakery, I had water and energy drinks from the day before, and I headed out.
The climbing started as soon as I got out of town, and steep. It continued to climb, and the scenery just kept getting better and better. The road soon changed into hairpins (switchbacks) and got even steeper. The weather was slowly clearing up and I kept seeing more and more of the high peaks around me.  All the hills were covered with thick woods and the fresh smell of pine was really nice.
Up and up I went through gorges and valleys, always surrounded by thick woods, and after a few Kms, the road straightened out a bit but still was going higher, at a shallower grade now.
After one last climb before the village of Sufers I came to this man made lake and I stopped by this information board on top of the dam to have something to eat and drink before I continued on. That's where I noticed the dirt track leading around the left side of the lake, and off coarse I was alone, that was a real treat riding around the lake on that dirt track.
I have never seen so many shades of green before, with all the mosses and the different plants and evergreens all around.
With the road steadily climbing I finally reached the village of Splugen and found the local supermarket to get re supplied.
The road immediately started going up at around 10% and with several hairpins.
AND IT WAS HARD GOING.
After that first very hard bit, the road straightened some but still kept going up at a lesser grade.
When I finally turned this one hill I saw the Swiss border post way up the mountain, and I new I was getting closer to the top. I had read on some cycling journal that there were 13 hairpins to the border post and then just a few more before the top so I started counting them as I went along and that helped a bit.
AND IT WAS EVEN HARDER GOING NOW.
When I did reach the top well there is no feeling like that, I really felt like I accomplished something. I called my wife from the top to share the moment it was just great, and she was very proud of me, I know I will never forget this.
And the views were nothing short of fantastic, the mountains and valleys all around.
After a while I put on my rain coat and leg warmers for the descend down into Italy.
The Italian side was a bit different, barren landscape for a long while, I went down to this little village at the edge of another man made lake.
I went around the lake and started another descend and it finally started getting green again, and I also noticed the smell of the evergreens was much stronger and sweeter on the Italian side.
This time though the drop was steep I would never attempt the pass from this direction it looked like a steady 13/14% all hairpins.
It also had tunnels with no lights and some serious potholes in them, scared the hell out of me when I hit a couple, and when I emerged from the other side I was glad my rims were still in good shape.
The views were great though, but the downhill was so steep I could hardly take my eyes off the road to enjoy them, only when I stopped for a break, or give my breaks a rest.
I took a few pictures but not as many as the Swiss side.
I passed through many little villages along the way all very nice, but I started to see more and more garbage along the road as I went along, the lower I got the more garbage and the roads got busier and no shoulder.
I checked out the camping at the north end of lake Como but it was not flat and next to a very busy road. So I decided to continue on to the next. I tried another a few Kms down S36 but it was a real dump so I continued on and the road changed to S38 and that's when it started raining, came down by the bucket and I got really soaked before I got the chance to take cover under a train bridge. I had time so I waited it out before continuing on to Dervio.
Dervio had a camp on the lake very cheap at 5 euro shower included which was what it was worth really, not even a toilet seat just a hole in the ground.
But after the days ride nothing, rain, bad campground, nothing could dampen my mood.
And I slept like a baby.

              
1- The first hairpins have started, Andeer is around the hill to the right. The hills were still misty in the early morning and I had to cover my sleeping bag and mattress.
2- A very nice road with little traffic, riding here was very nice indeed. Just look at the thick woods on either side of the road.
3- The man made lake, with the village of Sufers to the right and a very tall and majestic mountain on the far side.
I rode on the left side of the lake.
4- The very beautiful dirt track going along the lake. The colors were just fantastic. And the ride was very nice and peaceful.
5- The second set of hairpins right after Splugen. They were a shock I didn't expect them to be so steep. I didn't count them but my guess would be around 9 or 10. Very hard riding.
6- A straight piece of road before the final climb over the top. It still had a decent grade to it, I couldn't stop paddling for a second.

              
7- Almost to the top. You can just make out the straight section from the last picture just before the hairpins.
The Swiss border post is on the left. I haven't reached the top yet, I'm in no mans land.
8- Finally the top, once there I really forgot the sweat and pain I went through to get there, I had a real sense of achievement.
On top of the world one might say. hehe
9- The first Italian village of Montespluga. Talk about remote, I couldn't imagine anyone living there in the winter. Look at the dramatic backdrop though.
10- The man made lake on the Italian side, ringed by those really high mountains.
11- The final and very steep descend from the mountains. I'm glad I put on new brakes in Germany.
I had to stop once in a while to give them and my forearms  a rest. But what views.
12- Lake Como in front and the mountains I crossed in the background. About an hour later I got caught in the rain storm, they came quiet suddenly in the mountains.

June 16, Thursday.

Dervio, Italy to Iseo, Italy.
+/- 120 kms, Total 1126 kms. Computer gave out in the middle of the day, this is a very close estimate of the Kms.

I woke up at 05:00 and was on the road by 07:00. The road was busy and got even worst as I went along, with one section just before Lecco I had to get on the autostrada which is normally not allowed for bikes, but the views were great, cycling on the coast of lake Como.
The wooded hillsides with their cypress trees reaching all the way to the water front and the old villas with their 20"s style architecture was nice to see.
But off coarse the further south I went the dirtier it got, all sorts of water bottles, beer bottles and plastic bags lined the roads. (and I thought Greece was bad) (more on this later on)
Lecco was a very nice small city, the water front was nice and clean with many places to rest and check out the views, the same goes for the city center where I looked for a bookstore to buy my map of Lombardia, I wished I could have stayed longer to explore this city more.
From Lecco I went south along lake Garlate and then got on the S342 heading to Bergamo.
By now it got very hot, very busy with more heavy trucks than cars on the road, and the road din't have a shoulder, so the ride to Bergamo was really more of a cyclists nightmare.
Bergamo was also very big and busy so I just got in and out as soon as I could.
I was already starting to wonder the wisdom of going in this direction instead of heading south to Genoa and following that coast.
Anyway that was the plan and I was going to stick to it, one other tip I learned on this tour, always have more options open, and not be so rigid with sticking to the plan.
First tour and a learning experience, so some setbacks were going to happen, besides I had already made up my mind about cycle touring, I LOVE IT.
From Bergamo the only road heading my direction was an autostrada and I wasn't allowed on it so I was stuck to small country roads, where naturally I ended up getting lost and going quite a few Kms out of my way, hence the many Kms on this day.
I didn't take many photos in northern Italy as there wasn't much to see, I did not care to take pictures of major roads full of trucks and flat farmland.
I got to Iseo in late afternoon / early evening very tired and frustrated at the Italian roads and road signs, where they post not just the next town but the province also, and some have the same name. Also I noticed when I saw a sign for instance (Palazzolo 10 kms) for the next    8 kms I did not see another sign of Palazzolo, only signs of places further away or completely out of my way and it got very confusing.
Also they must have idiots hanging those signs up, I saw signs, (Sarnico 10 kms) then a couple of Kms further I saw a sign (Sarnico 13 kms), this phenomenon only occurred in northern Italy, I wonder how these people find their way around LOL.
At lake Iseo I stopped at the first camp and they had a few restrictions like leaving my passport and I couldn't leave before 08:30 and the ground was hard, she suggested with an attitude that I go to her friends place next camp where it was cheaper and I could leave when I wanted, I thanked her and went one further than her friends place, where I found this really nice camp on the lake with a swimming pool and thick grass, and when I went looking for the owner after setting up, to settle the bill, I found him in the kitchen preparing spaghetti for dinner, so I asked him for some and he set me up real nice large plate, warm rolls and a large coke for 3 euros, great place. I don't remember the name but as you come from Sarnico its the third camp, highly recommended.
Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to get to 30c, it's going to be a hot ride to Cremona.

        
1- Very nice riding on the shore of lake Como in the early morning. Not much traffic with great views, very peacefull, the calm before the storm.
2- One of the last views I had of the lake, on th shoreline of Lecco, before I left.
3- Dramatic hills right nex to the lake, the city of Lecco is to the right of the picture.
4- Camping at lake Iseo. A very nice lake, also with great views.
It would be nice to tour the lakes of northern Italy if one could avoid the large cities just to the south, with their busy roads.

June 17, Friday.

Iseo, Italy to Cremona, Italy.
+/- 79 kms. Total 1205 kms.
 

Bike computer crashed again, I don't know what's causing it, and I'm very upset by this.
I opened up the battery cover and made sure it was properly installed, and reset it.
I hope this works. I wanted to take pictures of the Km's shown on the screen. (crap)
Anyway I got up at 05:30 and was on the road by 07:30, the original plan was to go for Parma, but after looking at the map a second time I thought that might be pushing it a bit and I settled for Cremona.
Coming out of Iseo, I stopped at this small village bakery for supplies then headed straight south for Rovato, Chiari, Orzinuovi, Casalbuttano and finaly Cremona.
Busy roads, very few with a shoulder, even the country lanes were busy with trucks, and again more trucks than cars. The scenery was a bit boring also, flat farmland with many corn fields, not even worth the memory space on my digital camera.
When I found the only campsite in or around Cremona in turned out to be a real dump, the ground was poor, I had to fight off the spiders and mosquitoes to take a shower, the water smelled of rust and the kitchen was terrible, my spaghetti was under cooked, not strained well and the bread was stale. A real disappointment. If anyone passes through the Po river valley plan for hotels, camping sites are rare and very poor quality, not worth the money.
I met this Dutch couple there also cycle tourists, they were following this set route made by  another Dutchman, (Amsterdam naar Rome), they had started from from Valkenbourg which is close to Maastricht. They had gone over the Splugen pass the day I rested in Andeer, they said it was cold with some rain and very low clouds and naturally they didn't see much, pays to ask the locals.
They were seasoned cyclists and we had a nice chat, the next day they were heading for Modena, and I had plans for Parma.

1- Again only one picture today and that's of Lago Iseo early in the morning just before the morning traffic.
The rest of the ride was a bit boring no hills no great views, just corn fields with busy and confusing roads.
I guess it's part of touring, one gets days like this sometimes.