25 August, 2007
First month recap
16 "official" Stages, 90 km average Stage, 1933 km total since arriving in Copenhagen, 24-25 kph average speed, one replaced chain, 2 sets of brake pads, one new rear wheel (replaced yesterday after shop owner pointed out the CRACKS in my rim at a number of spokes), new bar tape, one asshole driver that got the bird, 5 countries ridden in (Denmark, Holland, Germany, Austria, Swiss), 5 sets of friends/family visited, 3 Stages in the rain or at least partially, 3 "cheater" days on the train, mainly because of rain (Heidelberg to Ulm, Garmisch to Rette, and Lindau to Disentis), 2 epic passes, many meters elevation gained, a lot of good bier, many Euros and Francs spent, and a partridge in a pear tree.
My week in Thun, Switzerland
This has been a fabulous week with the Sommer's. I can not thank them enough for their hospitality and kindness. I am already sad to leave but looking forward to seeing the Grant's tomorrow. They have an 80 km route planned for us and we will meet at the train station near their home then continue by train to our starting town. To recap the week, on Monday I was a vegetable; Tuesday I toured Thun; Wednesday I got a massage and toured Thun some more; Thursday I rode to Bern to tour the city with Christian, then rode back in the RAIN; Friday I took the ferry to Interlaken, then had an AWESOME dinner at the SusAdi Restaurant, Saturday I went WAKEBOARDING on Thuner See. Pics are below:
The view of Thuner See from the Sommer's veranda.
The castle in Thun on the river Aare.
Two or three times a day, Adi takes his hunting dogs Falno and Talla on a walk. The Swiss are also big on hunting for mushrooms and I was fed handsomely this week with their fresh catch!
This is Adi and hunting partners' lodge that they use. Hunting season starts next weekend and Adi and colleagues are busy preparing for the first hunt.
The Munster Cathedral along the river Aare.
A view from the top of the Munster. The three clock towers show where the outer walls were after expanding the city to these borders. Bern is only 800 years old.
The infamous, and well fed, Bern bears!
A view of Thuner See from the ferry.
"Delightfully tacky, yet always UNREFINED". Interlaken, Switzerland
The USFDA asked that I make sure the food was up to par. The wings were perfectly American, although the waitresses are not.....
My dinner "date", Catherine! We had a very delicious dinner and the company was exceptional!
The very tired but appreciated, Adi and Susan Sommer. Thank you again for a wonderful time!
I HAD to say I.ve been on the lake in Europe, at least once! The water was too choppy for me to slalom. And considering the lake will be gone and it.ll be October when I get back, I had to do it!
This picture might have to be framed, what a backdrop!
Marc from Michigan, but living and working in Switzerland, shows Matt, Josh and I how to wakesurf. I hope you guys have figured it out since I.ve been gone. We need a better WAKE, look at the size of this Malibu!
The view of Thuner See from the Sommer's veranda.
The castle in Thun on the river Aare.
Two or three times a day, Adi takes his hunting dogs Falno and Talla on a walk. The Swiss are also big on hunting for mushrooms and I was fed handsomely this week with their fresh catch!
This is Adi and hunting partners' lodge that they use. Hunting season starts next weekend and Adi and colleagues are busy preparing for the first hunt.
The Munster Cathedral along the river Aare.
A view from the top of the Munster. The three clock towers show where the outer walls were after expanding the city to these borders. Bern is only 800 years old.
The infamous, and well fed, Bern bears!
A view of Thuner See from the ferry.
"Delightfully tacky, yet always UNREFINED". Interlaken, Switzerland
The USFDA asked that I make sure the food was up to par. The wings were perfectly American, although the waitresses are not.....
My dinner "date", Catherine! We had a very delicious dinner and the company was exceptional!
The very tired but appreciated, Adi and Susan Sommer. Thank you again for a wonderful time!
I HAD to say I.ve been on the lake in Europe, at least once! The water was too choppy for me to slalom. And considering the lake will be gone and it.ll be October when I get back, I had to do it!
This picture might have to be framed, what a backdrop!
Marc from Michigan, but living and working in Switzerland, shows Matt, Josh and I how to wakesurf. I hope you guys have figured it out since I.ve been gone. We need a better WAKE, look at the size of this Malibu!
23 August, 2007
What to bring.....
So I figured Part Deux should be about WHAT to bring, so here it is:
-Basically, two of about everything. 2 socks, 2 boxer shorts, splurge for 3 shirts that are easy to dry (two of my shirts are DryFit type and have 'picked' very easily, so they look pretty worn now), shorts with liner (good for swimming, but not good for tourist riding, chaffing....), zip off pants that convert to shorts (these are the BEST), 2 sets of cycling apparel; nothing cotton.
-Rain jacket with hood, rain chaps (didn.t know they existed before), long sleeve shirt (will be used often, but doesn.t have to be washed often, SmartWool), towel that compresses easily and dries quickly like a shammy (not used often, only for going to the beach or at Youth Hostels).
-2 tubes, a few Clif Bars (but you can buy more at bike shops), CamelBak electrolyte tablets (instead of powder mix, these are packable and 1 per bottle, new product that I found) Hammer Nutrition Endurolyte pills - 120/bottle.
-iPod with external speakers (I thought Bryan was crazy for packing these speakers for his trip, but they will be your new best friend when you get to your hotel. Have a Playlist called 'Chill' with Jack Johnson, Coldplay, Natalie Merchant, Kenny Chesney 'Old Blue Chair', reggae/island music, blues, downtempo/trip hop genre, etc. on it. Very good for when you get to your daily destination and needing some soothing music!!!)
-Vitamin I (Ibuprofren), 1 A Day Vitamins, basic toilietries with soap & shampoo (although you can pick things up along the way), GPS, mine is a TomTom One (TT).
I.m sure there are other things that I have forgotten already, but here are some of the basics.
-Basically, two of about everything. 2 socks, 2 boxer shorts, splurge for 3 shirts that are easy to dry (two of my shirts are DryFit type and have 'picked' very easily, so they look pretty worn now), shorts with liner (good for swimming, but not good for tourist riding, chaffing....), zip off pants that convert to shorts (these are the BEST), 2 sets of cycling apparel; nothing cotton.
-Rain jacket with hood, rain chaps (didn.t know they existed before), long sleeve shirt (will be used often, but doesn.t have to be washed often, SmartWool), towel that compresses easily and dries quickly like a shammy (not used often, only for going to the beach or at Youth Hostels).
-2 tubes, a few Clif Bars (but you can buy more at bike shops), CamelBak electrolyte tablets (instead of powder mix, these are packable and 1 per bottle, new product that I found) Hammer Nutrition Endurolyte pills - 120/bottle.
-iPod with external speakers (I thought Bryan was crazy for packing these speakers for his trip, but they will be your new best friend when you get to your hotel. Have a Playlist called 'Chill' with Jack Johnson, Coldplay, Natalie Merchant, Kenny Chesney 'Old Blue Chair', reggae/island music, blues, downtempo/trip hop genre, etc. on it. Very good for when you get to your daily destination and needing some soothing music!!!)
-Vitamin I (Ibuprofren), 1 A Day Vitamins, basic toilietries with soap & shampoo (although you can pick things up along the way), GPS, mine is a TomTom One (TT).
I.m sure there are other things that I have forgotten already, but here are some of the basics.
22 August, 2007
My typical day
Not that anyone has asked, but here has been a typical day cykel touring. I hope that this and the blog itself will inspire others to make this same type of journey, it.s really not that hard.
- Get up between 7-8:00. I always wear ear plugs at night, strange places, strange noises. So wake up time varies. But don.t bother trying to get an early start because all of the places I have been have breakfast included, or optional, and don.t start serving until 7:30 at the earliest, but typically 8:00.
-Eat a piece of bread with cheese, ham (or something that resembles a meat product!) and a little honey. Eat a piece of bread with strawberry jelly. Eat a bowl of muesli, corn flakes, etc. or yogurt with muesli. Possibly eat another piece of bread and jelly, but drink a whole lot of good strong coffee. They will ask you when you get to your table if you would like coffee or tea.
-PACK. This is the part of the day I hate the most. Since my casual shoes (KEEN sandals) go at the bottom of my panniers, I have to take EVERYTHING out to get to them in the evening. Based on weight, size, etc., they should go at the bottom. But, this requires repacking everything each morning, which is a pain and takes about 20 minutes.
-9-11:00 get on the road. Depending on your destination, kilometers, how the head and legs feel, etc. you may or may not get an early start. So depending on such, eat lunch when you.re hungry. I have found the Imbiss/kabap places to be like our Moe's, but not exactly. You get a decent meal that will fill you up for cheap, and it.s basically a Gyro by the way.
-Sight seeing can be done along the way at AOB.s, but my problem is worrying about my bike and bag being stolen. So I typically just take a picture and keep rolling. To me, this trip is about seeing and experiencing a lot of the countryside, not going into all of the tourist places. If I am in a town for the evening that has cool places to go, then do it then. But if/when you do stop, have all of your REAL valuables in your handlebar bag. My bag is probably worth more than the bike and most of my stuff anyway.
-About 4:00 or earlier you should have a destination town in mind and hope to be getting there soon. Small towns can fill up quick if you.re not careful. Most of the places I have stayed are single beds and you pay a singles price. Unlike the U.S. where you pay the double price regardless. Most places have been between €30-40 including breakfast. Look for a Gasthaus or Pension or something that says Zimmer 'Frei'. Which means Room 'Open' or 'Available'. If you see Zimmer 'Belegt', you.re S.O.L., move on to the next place.
-Wash your clothes and wring the hell out of them, 1st thing before you even wash yourself. You will wash your cycling clothes every day and your tourist clothes as needed. I don.t recommend taking your best cycling clothes, but if they are the most comfortable then do it. I went for comfort because my older stuff isn.t. I thought I bought the appropriate socks for walking around town in my sandals and also for cycling, but these SmartWool socks don.t dry very easy. I have two of everything to wear, so if it.s still wet just strap it on the outside of the bag to dry while you ride.
-Find the local grocery market for water and other things. They tpically close by 7:00 and are never open on Sunday. I have played water roulette about every time I have gone into the market. I don.t always find the same brand and unless it says 'Still', 'Natural' or 'Sport', don.t get it, it will be carbonated water. But even then I have bought one of these and it still has a hint of gas. But buy some trail mix type stuff because you never know when you won.t find lunch and a Cliff Bar just isn.t doing it for you anymore! Or, it.s great to have as an appetizer in your room with a small bottle of wine, which I do regularly. Unless you go to a gas station, you won.t find single cold beers in the market. If you can find prepared meals at the market, have that for dinner, but I did not find this as easy as in the U.S.. They don.t have already prepared sushi or salad bars like Kroger, which is one of my staple dinners back home!
-If you didn.t find anything at the market, cruise town either by bike or walk. I feel better riding around town with my lock and without my bag, so taking the bike is a great option for touring a city really quick in the afternoon/evening. If you are bad with your sense of direction, take the GPS with you, always! Dinner is roulette as well, although I have figured out some of the menu.
-After dinner, do some more walking/biking around town. This is one of the best parts of touring solo, just soaking in the sights and sounds and it.s quiet. Not that having someone with you isn.t great, but the experience is different. But don.t forget to get a two scoop gelatto for your stroll!
I.m sure there is more that I.ll think of later, but maybe this will inspire someone to take the plunge and come across the pond! If you want to come over for my last 4 weeks of the trip then COME ON, it.s pretty easy!
- Get up between 7-8:00. I always wear ear plugs at night, strange places, strange noises. So wake up time varies. But don.t bother trying to get an early start because all of the places I have been have breakfast included, or optional, and don.t start serving until 7:30 at the earliest, but typically 8:00.
-Eat a piece of bread with cheese, ham (or something that resembles a meat product!) and a little honey. Eat a piece of bread with strawberry jelly. Eat a bowl of muesli, corn flakes, etc. or yogurt with muesli. Possibly eat another piece of bread and jelly, but drink a whole lot of good strong coffee. They will ask you when you get to your table if you would like coffee or tea.
-PACK. This is the part of the day I hate the most. Since my casual shoes (KEEN sandals) go at the bottom of my panniers, I have to take EVERYTHING out to get to them in the evening. Based on weight, size, etc., they should go at the bottom. But, this requires repacking everything each morning, which is a pain and takes about 20 minutes.
-9-11:00 get on the road. Depending on your destination, kilometers, how the head and legs feel, etc. you may or may not get an early start. So depending on such, eat lunch when you.re hungry. I have found the Imbiss/kabap places to be like our Moe's, but not exactly. You get a decent meal that will fill you up for cheap, and it.s basically a Gyro by the way.
-Sight seeing can be done along the way at AOB.s, but my problem is worrying about my bike and bag being stolen. So I typically just take a picture and keep rolling. To me, this trip is about seeing and experiencing a lot of the countryside, not going into all of the tourist places. If I am in a town for the evening that has cool places to go, then do it then. But if/when you do stop, have all of your REAL valuables in your handlebar bag. My bag is probably worth more than the bike and most of my stuff anyway.
-About 4:00 or earlier you should have a destination town in mind and hope to be getting there soon. Small towns can fill up quick if you.re not careful. Most of the places I have stayed are single beds and you pay a singles price. Unlike the U.S. where you pay the double price regardless. Most places have been between €30-40 including breakfast. Look for a Gasthaus or Pension or something that says Zimmer 'Frei'. Which means Room 'Open' or 'Available'. If you see Zimmer 'Belegt', you.re S.O.L., move on to the next place.
-Wash your clothes and wring the hell out of them, 1st thing before you even wash yourself. You will wash your cycling clothes every day and your tourist clothes as needed. I don.t recommend taking your best cycling clothes, but if they are the most comfortable then do it. I went for comfort because my older stuff isn.t. I thought I bought the appropriate socks for walking around town in my sandals and also for cycling, but these SmartWool socks don.t dry very easy. I have two of everything to wear, so if it.s still wet just strap it on the outside of the bag to dry while you ride.
-Find the local grocery market for water and other things. They tpically close by 7:00 and are never open on Sunday. I have played water roulette about every time I have gone into the market. I don.t always find the same brand and unless it says 'Still', 'Natural' or 'Sport', don.t get it, it will be carbonated water. But even then I have bought one of these and it still has a hint of gas. But buy some trail mix type stuff because you never know when you won.t find lunch and a Cliff Bar just isn.t doing it for you anymore! Or, it.s great to have as an appetizer in your room with a small bottle of wine, which I do regularly. Unless you go to a gas station, you won.t find single cold beers in the market. If you can find prepared meals at the market, have that for dinner, but I did not find this as easy as in the U.S.. They don.t have already prepared sushi or salad bars like Kroger, which is one of my staple dinners back home!
-If you didn.t find anything at the market, cruise town either by bike or walk. I feel better riding around town with my lock and without my bag, so taking the bike is a great option for touring a city really quick in the afternoon/evening. If you are bad with your sense of direction, take the GPS with you, always! Dinner is roulette as well, although I have figured out some of the menu.
-After dinner, do some more walking/biking around town. This is one of the best parts of touring solo, just soaking in the sights and sounds and it.s quiet. Not that having someone with you isn.t great, but the experience is different. But don.t forget to get a two scoop gelatto for your stroll!
I.m sure there is more that I.ll think of later, but maybe this will inspire someone to take the plunge and come across the pond! If you want to come over for my last 4 weeks of the trip then COME ON, it.s pretty easy!
21 August, 2007
Greetings from Thun
Ahhhhh, it is so nice to see familiar faces and to RELAX! My legs are in need of attention, so I have a massage appointment for tomorrow and I.m looking forward to it! Yesterday was rain, rain, and more rain. A great day to stay inside. The only time I got out was to go with Adi to walk the dogs, Talla and Falno. Talla is a sweet black (but actually tan) lab, and Falno is a vivacious Collie. He.s a hard one to tame, but Adi gets that task! Today I went into town and bought two books (James Patterson, thanks TNV!), got my hairs cut, walked around a bit, stopped at the bike shop (service set up for Friday), had a big lunch with Adi and Susan, walked the property that Adi hunts for deer and wild mountain goats, drove around looking for signs of wildlife (reminded me of many times driving around Union County with Jason, looking for deer, or the next great 'Blue Hole'), saw a deer and a fox, got back and read my book some more (already half way through the first one), and now having a drink and enjoying the view from the upstairs window overlooking Thuner See! Tomorrow we will go into town for dinner, then Thursday I will go to Bern to see Christian and Rolf. Friday I am fortunate enough to be in town for dinner at SusAdi Restaurant! Susan and Adi put on dinner for any of 16 people that sign up in time, three times a month! Susan has 'pimped' me out, so I have a date! I am in for a real treat, because so far it has been like eating at a restaurant with them. They are both experts at searching for 'shrooms, good 'shrooms, the kind you eat! We had mushroom crepes for dinner last night and they were fantastic! Sunday I will leave for Zurich to visit with the Grant.s.
For those wondering, the Sommer and Bell family go back 15 years. Adrian.s son, Sven Martin Sommer, was our guest as an exchange student in 1993. And yes, he is a proud gradiet of Onion County High! We visited his family in the winter of '94, and it was my first trip to Europe. Now my 5th time back, and 3rd to Switzerland, it only gets better with age! Unfortunately Sven is no longer with us on this Earth, but in a place that God intended him to be. I feel fortunate to have known him, and to be a part of his family as well. Here.s to you all that are reading and the ones you love. Cheers, Sven!
For those wondering, the Sommer and Bell family go back 15 years. Adrian.s son, Sven Martin Sommer, was our guest as an exchange student in 1993. And yes, he is a proud gradiet of Onion County High! We visited his family in the winter of '94, and it was my first trip to Europe. Now my 5th time back, and 3rd to Switzerland, it only gets better with age! Unfortunately Sven is no longer with us on this Earth, but in a place that God intended him to be. I feel fortunate to have known him, and to be a part of his family as well. Here.s to you all that are reading and the ones you love. Cheers, Sven!
19 August, 2007
Stages 15 & 16 - Meiringen to Thun - 95 km total
It.s getting late here, so I should retire for the evening. But here are some photos from the past few days, and also all other recent blogs have been updated with photos and editorials as needed. The Sommer family says hello!
Stage 14 - Meiringen to Murren - 45 km
My first view of Brienzer See. One of the two lakes on either side of Interlaken.
The Eiger, or Monch, or Jungfrau, not sure which.
I believe it is the Eiger and Monch.
Becky on our hike up the mountain!
Jeff and his new "running" partner, Martina from Zurich. I.m not exactly sure how you run straight uphill, but he was still happy doing it by this point in Murren. I was very impressed with his 14 hour overall time.
The Schiltorn finish line of the Inferno race, as it is called. I am glad the tram ride up was free today, otherwise 70 Franc is pretty steep. Pun intended!
The last few meters before the top and finish line! :( That looks STEEP, and if you fall, it.s into the abyss below the clouds!
The two competitors, and me, enjoying a post race 'carbo load'!
Susan, Sarah, Christian, Adrian, Miriam
I can remember this fall vividly from my first visit to Lauterbrunnen in '01. But with the amount of rain they have had this year, the fall was exceptionally grand!
I thought my trek to Thun would be pretty flat, but I took the northern route across Thuner See instead. I was at 'See' level about 8 km ago, today was more challenging than I thought it would be for only 50k!
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