SWITZERLAND

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Friday 2nd July
Mostly travel today - more sleeping on autobahn so don’t see how fast steve is driving. Mangaged to get through Austria without buying the compulsory tax - Swiss customs didn’t seeme to be too worried about us either so the illegal immigrants in the storage box are OK and the crack cocaine is still safe ( that is a joke for all concerned relatives who think we are people trafficking and drug smuggling!) . Arrived at campsite about three - beautiful setting right besides the lake - couldn’t get a spot right on the lakes edge but for reasons described tomorrow this was a blessing in disguise. Are sandwiched in between the dutch and the germans - everyone very pleasant , facilities are excellent showers are bigger than our en suite bathroom. Couldn’t be bothered making any tea so had takeaway pizza from camp restaurant although at £15 we wont be eating out much in Switzerland. Chilled out at tent ready for exploring tomorrow. A few rumbles of thunder were heard - this would scare some of my friends ( ie Lynsey would be under the table) but didn’t amount to anything. Let a Chinese lantern off over the lake which was very picturesque and did not cause any forest fires.

Saturday 3rd July
Sun on tent makes it impossible to lie in so up at 9am to cycle into Brienz for breakfast . No one serving food till 11.30 so coffee and coke it was . Explored a few souvenir shops but prices a tad high for all the hand carved wooden pieces. £60 for a small wooden planter that would take 2 pots - albeit painted as a cow or a cat its still expensive. ( see pictures for more detail) . Checked out all the restaurants - nothing cheap on offer so off to the supermarket where I spotted coloured eggs and turtle shaped bread ( see pictures for more detail) - weird the swiss. Got back to camp to make sandwiches for dinner and do the washing as good facilities and weather is ideal for drying - little did we know what was coming . Lay down to sunbathe when Steve called me to the lake to watch the lightning - we are at the far end of lake Briensee with Interlaken in the middle before lake Thunsee behind in a valley surrounded by mountains- Interlaken was slowly being obscured by cloud . The wind started to get up and was a constant flow , gradually getting stronger creating waves on the lake that is usually as still as a millpond . Tents started to get blown about a bit so Steve got out his trusty hammer to batten down the hatches when the tent on the waters edge flew straight out of the ground and towards our car, I managed to catch it and peg it down - three people were struggling with the caravan awning next door and we had to peg out the New Zealenders tents across as well as that would have been next - It was bizarre . After about an hour it calmed down with no rain the occupants of both tents returned - the swiss lady was ever so grateful for saving her stuff - gave SF a beer , and the new Zealanders Johnny Ellie Ollie and Chrissie took us to the pub to watch the football and bought us a beer. Made spaghetti carbonara for tea at a cost of CHF 10 compared to the 50 it would have cost us for 2 pizzas in town , went for a walk to the lake and whilst checking out the swans and their 4 cygnets ( 2 grey- 2 white ?) if any one can offer an explanation for this would be gratefully received. And ended up talking to an English couple Keith and Sally from Droitwich for about 3 hours and drinking copious amounts of wine - felt like we had known them forever - set another lantern off ( first one failed miserably ) the 2nd one eventually went up to the sound of candle in the wind and I believe I can fly kindly provided by Keiths I Pod. Went to bed around 11.30.- All washing out hopefully will be dry by morning .

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