Then we got on our bikes and rode along the Thunersee Lake at the base of the Alps to Interlaken, about 25 kms away. The ride was beautiful with a plethora of small Swiss villages along the lake, on the edge of the mountain range. We rode through tunnels, beside waterfalls, up and down winding roads and past (authentic) swiss chalets. Amazing!
The best part of the day is that Alice felt NO PAIN. She did great, felt even better and is raring to go, albeit slowly and with increasing distances to start. YAY!! Interlaken (literally meaning between two lakes) is rather touristy with a Banff feel, but is so with good reason. It is nestled below the Jungfraujoch, otherwise known as “The Top of Europe”, which is the highest peak in the continent, at 13, 642 feet. Sadly our wardrobe of shorts and t-shirts will be a deterrent to going to the top (glacier), but there are several lower points where we may go.
So we are going to stay here at least two nights. Tomorrow we will go around the other lake, Brienzersee Lake, which should be a ride of about 36 kms. Fingers crossed that Alice feels as good as she did today…
Daily grading criteria:
- weather (B+) – very pleasant for biking (20c and sunny) but still chilly at night.
- landscape A+
- cycling challenge (easy)
- physical and emotional response (A – a confidence builder for Alice)
- our relationship (A – steady and holding)
- food (B+ - fewer carbs with salad and fish. yum)
- accommodations (B)
- other people – (n/a)
- entertainment – (n/a)
Overall grade: A-
Peter (and Alice)
_____
July 11 - Lovely. We really had no intention of going to Switzerland during the first leg of our travels but it has turned out to be an incredible spot to begin.
We spent the day cycling around Brienzesee, which ended up being some 39km including solid climbs and even a mistaken-detour down a mountain bike path. These points were a bit haired for me given that I am still trying to get my gearing correct (so as not to wear myself out or to load up my knees, which remain healthy and pain-free today); plus the rugged (read cliff-side rocky) terrain made me a bit wussy on both up and downhill slopes. Nevertheless, my confidence is growing and I am enjoying booting around on the bikes.
The scenery is simply spectacular, particularly for someone who has not really experienced mountains – I guess the Swiss Alps are the place to start! We timed our ride today with lunch in a fishing village called Iseltwald and took in some local fare of perch and whitefish (delicious) plus some much craved salad (still trying to keep the carb loading in check). And while at lunch we met a lovely Swiss man (Marcus) who gave us great suggestions for where to go next – seems like we will be staying on in Switzerland for a wee bit longer.
Saturday night we tried to find some fun, but instead we ate more. Stereotypically we ended up eating a phenomenal cheese fondue while taking in the view from a distance of the Swiss Alps, specifically the ‘Top of Europe’ (JungFrau), which appeared as if painted in the sky. The server liked us enough to finish off our fondue with some complementary (seemingly homemade) pear/apple schnapps. Hence we wandered home tipsy…
Daily grading criteria:
- weather (B-) – very chilly (especially when stopped) so we wore our raingear all day but managed to take in lunch outside.
- landscape A+
- cycling challenge (easy to moderate)
- physical and emotional response (B+ on account of gearing & terrain in some parts for Alice; plus we managed to do some push-ups & sit-ups to keep the rest of ourselves in shape – the Crossfit crew will be proud)
- our relationship (A – steady and holding (still))
- food (A-)
- accommodations (C – we’ve been moved to a super small room albeit with a beautiful view)
- other people – B – great chat with Marcus about cycling in Switerzland
- entertainment – (n/a)
Overall Grade: B
Alice and Peter
_____
July 12 -Today was actually a day with three distinct parts. We can’t rate the day as one so we rated each part separately:
1) In the morning, we took advantage of high cloud cover and headed to approximately 1900 meters high, to a spot called Schynige Platte. There we took in tremendous views of the Swiss Alps including the Eiger (known to most as a top climbing spot and motivation for an outdoor wear company name– North Face) and Jungfraubahn (known as the “Top of Europe”). Unbelievable! Just look at some of the pictures. We were awestruck and it rounded out our Swiss Alps experience (for now anyway).
AAAAAA++++++
(Lots of pictures, but we thought they were worth seeing. Bare with us...)
Views from Schynige Platte:
Reflection from the train on the way up
L-R: Eiger (North Face), Monch, Jungfraubahn (Top of Europe)
2) Then we packed up and biked from Interlaken to Thun. We took a route that took us highway side and through villages where the inhabitants clearly hated us as they kept trying o run us off the road. Alice fell once (bruised wrist – not bad) and we both lost our chains at key moments. Then it rained… BLECHHH!
D- (should be an F, but as we survived, we suppose it could be worse)
3) When we arrived in Thun, we settled into this nice hotel and are now enjoying wine and beer, nachos and a salad. We are mellow and relaxed.
B
Peter (and Alice)
The CrossFit crew is proud!
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