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Published: July 11th 2014
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Biking day 2
distance- 80K
Yesterday and today were tough biking days because of the weather but we are still hoping for sunshine in the future. Yesterday we rode from Chexbres to Saanen-Gstaad with a stop for lunch in Gruyere. We started the day with a bit of rain during the first hour but the rain held off during the afternoon making for a very nice afternoon ride. There was a large climb in the morning followed by a few welcome descents and then a much longer, gradual climb in the afternoon. All the climbs wore me out and I was feeling very sore and a bit drained going into dinner
Yesterday we left the wine country in Chexbres and entered cheese country. The scenery was still gorgeous and included lots of rolling hills, churches, farmhouses. We got to see more cows, goats, and horses along the way also. Lunch was at the cheese museum in Gruyere and you can bet we got to sample some cheese. Our hotel at Saanen was very quirky and had quite a beautiful view outside. The hotel also had a 'shoe drying room' as it is a ski resort in the winter
which was wonderful for our wet cycling shoes!
Saanen to Wengan- biking day 3
distance- 70 K
I woke up this morning and looked out the window to another rainy day. It was 45 degrees at the time and the high for the day was to be in the 50s. I started today feeling tired and discouraged, just wishing for the rain to leave for a bit so I could really see some of the beautiful landscape that has been covered up by the clouds over the last couple of days. However, there is still so much beauty even with the rain and the clouds. Weather is weather and there's nothing any of us can do about it other than embrace what it has to offer us! I enjoy biking in the cooler temps over the hot, humid Charleston weather and there is something very freeing when riding down a descent and feeling that cool rain on your skin. In the end, the ride was actually very nice and beautiful. We rode a few steep climbs but not as many as yesterday and had quite a few downhills to enjoy.
We are
officially in the German speaking part of Switzerland and I've enjoyed seeing the language change on the signs and the slightly different feel of the towns and villages we pass through. We stopped at an 'honestly' stop, which was on the side of a barn where they had a fridge filled with jams and cheeses. You take what you want and just leave your money- honestly policy. Lunch was picnic style in the middle of a field off the main bike course and there were a few coffee breaks through the day. In the afternoon we had a nice ride along a river with a few back and forths over the river on very old and interesting looking bridges. Before arriving in Interlaken we rode next to a lake with a huge nicely paved bike lane. The lake view with the mountain backdrop was very pretty. We stored our bikes in Interlaken and rode a train to Wengan. Wengan is such a great town, probably my favorite I've seen yet, and it is quite a ways up a mountain. No cars are allowed here and everyone just gets in and out by train. The train ride up included spectacular views
of the rocky mountain side with waterfalls and the villages that sit at the bottom. Dinner was raclette- it is chicken or sausage for the meat eaters and veggies and potatoes served on top of a very rich melted cheese. It is kind of like a cheese fondue with everything already cooked.
Side note on the food thus far- Mike and I have detoured from what is normally a vegan/vegetarian diet at home so that we can relax and enjoy the local cuisine. Meat is not appetizing to either of us so we've been avoiding that but cheese is my kryptonite and I've been enjoying many of the cheeses along the way. Oh, and the pastries...and the chocolate....
Tomorrow is a day off the bikes. Typically in clearer weather the group goes on a hike for some lovely views. However I'm looking forward to a day out of the rain and we may choose to enjoy the town of Wengan or Interlaken rather than the hike. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Pictures to come soon, I have quite a few on my phone I need to upload!
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