Switzerland and beyond

DAY 20
We feel like we have earnt a rest so today in generally spent lazing by the lake and checking out some of the street entertainment. Lots of tourists in Annecy but it´s a nice place. Only problem is our campsite is halfway up a mountain, very steep walk out of town.

DAY 21
See day 20...just a bit hotter and sunnier.

DAY 22
Hot, lake, sunny...do we really have to ride again? Meinir is looking in a lot of shops now and is tempted to buy non cycle related clothes, i don´t mind so much because i have switched the panniers to her bike so she has to carry whatever she buys now.

DAY 23
Back on the road. We leave Annecy early and completely lost trying to leave town. Trying to stay on the smaller roads and keep running into the motorway. I think it took about an hour to get on the right road. On the N508 to Frangy for a mid morning coffee and then the D992 for s steep climb and then flatter sections towards Geneve. After some nice rural scenery we cycle over a hill and see Geneve in the distance. Caned it from there down some fast hills and then passed through a little shed which i think was the Swiss border. The first difference i notice between Switzerland and France is things just seem to go right in Switzerland, cycling along and somehow end up on a cycle path heading towards the city centre. Not sure which direction to take? We take a guess and it turns out perfect. In France these situations always end up with us dodging speeding traffic along motorway slip roads.

Ended up at the lake and then found the train station at about 14:30, got some tickets for us and the bikes and were on the nice air conditioned train at 15:13 heading for Basel. After 2.5 hours we depart at Basel and head off along the Rhine cycle path towards the black forest. Pass through a similar border shed and we are in Germany. Third country in one day and now we can say we have seen Switzerland. It´s getting a bit late now, decide to try and get to Lörrach, no signs at all, no idea what´s happening, somehow pass back into Swiss territory i think but not sure. Blindly cycling around with Mei almost sick with hunger. Cycle through a small town and it turns out to be Lörrach, a simple sign saying something like "Lörrach" would be nice, just a little something so people know where they are. More aimless wanderings, asking lots of people where the camping is, very helpful Germans pointing us along different paths through a huge park. Next thing we are at the campsite which has a great restaurant and large beers.

87 kms and 3 countries.

DAY 24
Bit scary today, after last nights lack of signs and us having no maps things aren´t looking good. Start the day with a "Grosses Frühstüch", big continental breakfast. We are on a street called something "Schwartzwald Strasse", sounds good so we take a gamble that it will lead to the black forest. Miracle, we find an exellent cycle path that has all of the town names we need so off we go. I´m still amazed by this luck, great trail through lovely small towns in the black forest. Today is the first day that isn´t stupidly hot and sunny, warm and humid but cloudy, storm may be on the way. Head through Kandern and Badenweiler where we are really in the forest and there are several short steep climbs. I see a small deer in the forest watching us...which was nice. Mei is attacked by lots of strange flies, for some reason they like her which means they stay away from me.

Now travelling through wine country so we stop at Castelberg Kellar to taste some of the local stuff. Surprisingly good so we buy some for the evening then continue downhill to Staufen. Not far from our destination of Freiburg now.

42 kms

DAY 25
Hot, hot again. Took the scenic route over the mountain and through farms to Freiburg. Camp near the river just out of town and meet up with Florian (Swingles German agent) for pizza and a beer. We then generally wander about town, lovely place and it´s much bigger than the places we have been in the last few days. Huge storm comes in late and cools things off a bit.

DAY 26
Nice day of strolling around Freiburg, shopping in the market, some currywurst and beer for lunch, some shopping, walking around the old streets then sitting in the park relaxing. Great day. In the evening we cycle to Florian´s house which is about 15 kms outside the city. Lovely dinner and a few beers there and our first stay in a proper house in weeks.