Stein am Rhein (Switzerland) to Radolfzell (Germany)
Auf Wiedersehen Schweiz, auf Weidersehen Rhein
Switzerland is a bit of an outlier in these parts. It is not part of the EU but is part of the Schengen Area which means all those border crossings we did yesterday and the one we will do today do not require pulling out a passport and answering questions. Indeed, those border crossings are pretty much non-events. You barely notice them.
What it does mean is that Switzerland still has its own currency: the Swiss franc, which is quite an expensive currency for Australians. We still have quite a bit of it. We offload some for ‘extras’ at our free breakfast at the camping place but still have a good 50 or so Swiss francs to spend this morning, as we will say goodbye to Switzerland and the Rhine river today.
I buy some supplies at a pharmacist, we have cake and coffee at a cafe but still have Swiss francs to spare. Outside Basel it’s just that little less expensive so just that little harder to offload the money.
We end up spending some on chocolate at a shop Robert and Madeleine pointed out to us (yay!) but there’s only so much chocolate we can carry on the bikes and in the heat. Neil also very cleverly negotiated change in tiny little chocolates. I try to buy a scarf but the shop owner can’t (won’t) take a split payment. Neil ends up being the winner with some new cycling gloves.
Today is short and sweet. We ride only 27km, crossing an invisible border between Switzerland and Germany and huffing over three butt-nutters to get there. I’m not sure why we had to do three hills, when all the other cyclists turned off after the second and had a lovely flat ride. I’m going to grudgingly say that the view from the third hill was pretty spectacular, over Lake Constance. At some point very soon we are going to cease all climbing (not that there’s been that much on this trip) and cruise downhill. That will be when we hit our final river of this trip: our old friend the Danube.
For today we roll downhill into Radolfzell and to our hotel for an afternoon of R&R. The most strenuous thing is a walk out on the peninsula we are staying on to have a relaxing drink – at the water-side restaurant for which Wednesday (today) is their “rest day” which means they are closed and there is no relaxing drink – and then into town to find dinner.
Can I just say that German food is very meaty? I’m struggling to read the menus outside restaurants easily and to find something then that does not include dead animal. We have a good deal of time now in German-speaking countries so hopefully that will get a bit easier. For tonight I settle for a stodgy, cheesy, oniony spaetzle.
Stats for today:
- Distance: 27km
- Climb: 139m
- Average speed: 15.9km/h
- Average temperature: 26C
- Moving time: 1:41:35
- See our ride on Strava
The beer picture
At the end of a day’s ride, our tradition is to enjoy a beer, and to photograph it for posterity. Today’s beer picture was taken on our hotel room balcony at Radolfzell with Neil holding a map of Lake Constance as a backdrop.
Along the way today:
