Walking above Airolo

We went to investigate the area around Airolo and the Ritom Lake recently, in 2 separate walks.  Here is what we found:

www - Weekend Adventure Part 2

A few more photos from Lake Garda, esp the Isola del Garda

A real dream Island ! But the landside is also quite nice.:

Gardone Riveria

Splendid Hotel Mayer and a ferry called Goethe... the Italians are obviously very tourist-friendly !

www -Where Were We?

Here are a few pictures from our latest adventure...

Weekend Adventure Part 1

I wish I could grow banana trees like this in my garden...

I found this a little bit scary...

... and this a little more scary.

Thankfully my fellow explorer was not scared...

... and neither was this relaxed lady...

... nor this peacefully meditating lady.

Ganesha, the cheerful Elephant God

Funky Water Lily

And sticking with the metal sculpture theme,
someone seeming a bit of out of place between
all the exotic statues in the park...

Finally, an interesting picture we took outside the park:

A well designed pedestrian crossing... and no, it's not in Ticino...

Euscorpius Germanus.

Euscorpius Germanus.

Distribution:- Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy (east of the river Adige (Etsch)), Slovenia and Switzerland.

Habitat:- (other than our lobby) This species is found in mountainous areas with high humidity. (Yep we have that). In some areas they are found above 2000 meters, and some of these areas have an average annual temperature between 4 and 10 degrees C (in January, the temperature in some of these areas can drop to minus 4). E. germanus is usually found under stones, under bark (or behind your front door). This species is rarely associated with human activities.....(Bloody is now, it's in our appartment building)

Venom:- (I hope never to find out) Little medical data available, but data from Italy suggest local effects only (ie your foot). Mildly venomous. Harmless scorpion, which rarely will use its stinger.




Yes I was rather close. I wont be going to the basement without my shoes on ever again



Vegetable Growing

A long long time ago... in the depth of cold snowy winter, we first met our new landlady and -lord. Predictably, one of my first questions was: "Would you mind if I take a corner of the (very large) garden to grow some tomatoes?"... Thankfully, Lord and Lady were kind enough to say "oh, alright then", and on the next visit I was shown the corner of the garden I was allowed to use.

So once it got warmer, it wastime to turn plans into actions, so in April, one Saturday was dedicated to a trip to the local DIY shop to purchase spade and fork, and a week later Andy set to work...



Mid April, under a Palm leaf... and with a cool beer as encouragement, Andy sets to work



So here is part one, ready to go... beautiful loam too



Part 2 done... now all we need is for Meike to put in some plants...

 

... and a month later, the windowsill nursery is declared ready for transplanting....



 Just to give some idea about where this mini "horto" is in relation to the house, and what the surroundings are like, here are some more pics



View from veg plot up to house.... remember, no water butt, and the tap for the watering can is where the house is....





Former chicken coop, turned random storage and interesting feature



The rest of the garden is rather a wild, mysterious adventure garden.... oh to be a child here !



Easter Road Tour. 2 countries, 4 days, 500km

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

No vehicle access to this church, nice hedge too and setting the scene to come beyond



Somethings are the same as UK, we all make hay when the sun shine

After riding lots of hills, I needed lunch......I managed about half

"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

Traffic free roads on a Good Friday......bliss

Looking back the other way

Early eveing sun and the top of the last big climb of the day.....finally



Really at the top, the sign says so.  Down hill to St Gallen all the way :-)



Locked up at St Gallen YHA

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

Not sure what this is, not sure the Swiss knew either as there was no plaque.



St Gallen Theatre....One of many



St Gallen Museum...One of many

Nice lighting

Saturday. St Gallen to Feldkirch, Austia 95km

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

Uurrrgggg

The view from the top

Having a rest too

Tree trees



Tree Owl





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 :-)




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  :-)




Fedldkirch old town



Feldkirch cathedral

Anarak time....Spotted in a car park in Feldkirch....
Land Rover Series 2b Forward Control, Carmichael fire tender conversion.
 Rare???....Very
Valuable???.....Well.....



...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






Feildkirch Jugendherberge. Once a lepper house, then a doss house for the poor, now a youth hostel. Great inside




= Youth Hostel and my new German word :-) 



Sunday. Feldkirch to Konstanz 120km

 

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.

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.

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



Konstanz YHA



Easter Monday. Konstaz to Zurich 130km

 

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.

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.

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 :-)



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 :-)