After getting the train on Good Friday with the bike from Bellinzona to Horgen on the Southern side lake Zurich, it was time to push on through the bank holiday traffic into the relative tranquility and rolling hills of the Appfenzella towards St Gallen. Saturday saw the really big hills and endless decending on the way to Feldkirch in Austria. Easter Sunday took me heading North to the Aurstian German border then back into Switzerland along the shores of Lake Bodensee to Kreuzlikgen near Konstanz. Then Monday was due South and a fast ride on totally empty roads back to Zurich to get the train home.
Friday. Horgen to St Gallen 160km
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| No vehicle access to this church, nice hedge too and setting the scene to come beyond |
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| Somethings are the same as UK, we all make hay when the sun shine |
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| After riding lots of hills, I needed lunch......I managed about half |
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"Hello is that the planning depertment?"... "Yes"... "I would like to build 3 concrete tower blocks in the middle of the country side, is this OK?" .... "Are there any other tower block in the area?"... "Nope"... "Then that's fine but please make them as unsympathetic to the immediate environment as possible and drop the envelope full of used notes off with the Mayor as usual. Thank you for you call." Click |
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| Traffic free roads on a Good Friday......bliss |
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| Looking back the other way |
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| Early eveing sun and the top of the last big climb of the day.....finally |
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| Really at the top, the sign says so. Down hill to St Gallen all the way :-) |
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| Locked up at St Gallen YHA |
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| St Gallen YHA used to be an old school, it even had a fall outshelter which was used as the games room |
Down town St Gallen
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| Not sure what this is, not sure the Swiss knew either as there was no plaque. |
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| St Gallen Theatre....One of many |
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| St Gallen Museum...One of many |
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| Nice lighting |
Saturday. St Gallen to Feldkirch, Austia 95km
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1st Climb of the day at 8.30 went on for 20kms or there abouts. Perfect roads and
no traffic and what there was seemed to be in no hurry to get anywhere |
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| Uurrrgggg |
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| The view from the top |
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| Having a rest too |
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| Tree trees |
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| Tree Owl |
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| I saw no traffic for a long time except for two Swiss Hells Angels on Buells all loaded for the weekend. Open faced lids, big beards and club colours on their backs. They passed with a favourable amount of room, but I'd heard them coming for some time :-) |
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AUSTRIA and what I call a real cycle route, a decent flat surface, no gravel, no dog shit, no pedestrians, no glass.
Thank you Austia Highways...If you could sort out the head wind next time, that would great :-) |
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| Fedldkirch old town |
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| Feldkirch cathedral |
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Anarak time....Spotted in a car park in Feldkirch....
Land Rover Series 2b Forward Control, Carmichael fire tender conversion.
Rare???....Very
Valuable???.....Well..... |
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...It might have been before they cut a hole in this side to advertise the local bike shop...
By the stickers on the outside and the wheel racks in the crew compartment behind the front seats, this might have been a cycle team support vehicle. Must have cost a flippin fortune to run though.....4.5l V8 |
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| Feildkirch Jugendherberge. Once a lepper house, then a doss house for the poor, now a youth hostel. Great inside |
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| = Youth Hostel and my new German word :-) |
Sunday. Feldkirch to Konstanz 120km
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The rain cometh.... and it really did.
It made a change to zip along in the cool rain for a couple of hours after the heat of the previous two days. |
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| After crossing the Rhine back into Switzerland, I tackled 20km of gravel track where I was told in no uncertian terms a road bike would surely fall apart on the trail, my tyres would be shredded and were not suitable for such a route...I arrive at lake Konstans (Bodensee) covered from head to toe in dust bike, tyres intact. |
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Today is a flat day. Flat days are good to rest legs after hilly days.
But flat days mean you are sat down in the saddle all day....one gets a sore arse.
Another 100% bike only route |
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| Konstanz YHA |
Easter Monday. Konstaz to Zurich 130km
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| Anorak time again. Spotted down a side road. Land Rover Series 3 109 Station Wagon. The back had been converted into what looked like chicken pens. The vignet was current for 2011 so I guess it was still on road. Like the brick under the front tyre, this I imagine would be to counter the oil that will have certainly leaked into the hand brake drum from the gearbox.....just like they all do. |
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| A lot of farms in Switzerland display a number of enamel plaques on their barns to display their prowess in cattle breeding. This farmed has been busy....really busy. |
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| More gravel....no doubt anything other than an overweight Swiss bloke on a full sus SWorks could possibly make it through here intact. Well I did and so did the bloke on the full sus SWorks, but my bike was quicker and a whole load cheaper :-) |
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Seemingly the airport (flughafen) can be reached by either going left or right.
Its to the right, the clue is in the noise..... |
At this point the need to get into the centre of Zurich to something of a priority so I tackled the most direct route into town...down another gravel river bank route. I mixed it with some local moutain bikers for a while who said they enjoyed slip streaming a crazy english guy on his road bike. At least thats what I think they said as I swung back into the traffic. The train ride home was bliss, the carridge was empty, just me and the bloke with the beer trolley :-)
