3 countries, Stechelberg, CH to Offenberg, DE 6/25

We hit 3 countries today, but only biked 36.75 miles. We woke up in the morning to pouring rain on our tent (and my laundry drying outside), rolled over and went back to sleep, and finally got moving in a light rain and fog. We rode from our campsite in Stechelberg down the valley back to Interlaken, where we caught a train to Strasbourg, France via Basel. We arranged it this way to pick up my dad's suitcase, which we'd sent via Swiss rail to be stored in Basel. Strasbourg is where we're storing the suitcase now, in the hotel to which we'll return in about a week for the leg with Libby and neighbors. Strasbourg is also a good launching point to visit the Black Forest, our next goal.

The Swiss rail system is very impressive- fast, clean, silent trains running punctually and regularly. They're not cheap, but compared to everything else in the country, they're value for money. Bikes cost us $20 extra for each of us in Switzerland, but they may have been free in France (no one ever checked the ticket).

We had a bit of a layover in Basel, but once we found the baggage storage office, it took only an efficient moment for my dad to get his bag.

This contrasts sharply with Strasbourg, where I tried to reserve a spot on my TGV to the airport for my bike. I waited in long lines at the ticket office, and once I got to the front, had to wait for one of the 2 English-speaking agents. One had a 'closing in 5 minutes' sign, but was busy selling about 18 tickets to a French speaker. The other had no such sign, but was also busy. 10 or so minutes roll by, and both English booths promptly close- one of which with no warning whatsoever. I asked other agents if they spoke English or Spanish or (snarkily) Chinese, but no go. So, frustrated at the Kafkaesque process, I bailed. My dad talked me into trying again. At a different set of ticket windows, there were no English signs, but I was determined to pidgin French my way through. I conveyed what I wanted- reservation, bicycle, TGV train number, date, but couldn't understand the answer. Fortunately, this ticket agent went and found the English-speaking manager, who told me that I was out of luck, and no matter what the internet says, I had to buy my ticket and reserve the bike at the same time. You can't even make bike reservations online. The logic behind having to do this all at once is incomprehensible to me.

Across the border to Germany, our 3rd country of the day, we rode through perfectly flat an nicely packed tracks running through farm land. We had searched for camping in the area, and had found Camping Kuhn in Offenburg. Of course, when we arrived, it was in an industrial park and they sold RVs. Fortunately people in the parking lot gave us directions to a campsite nearby. When we arrived, however, the gates were locked and there was a sign saying they were closed for weather. There were RVs there, though, and someone loaned us a cell phone to call the number on the gate. We got in and set up the tent, but one of the other RVers had to loan us their key to get into the toilet or out the front gate, and we couldn't open the door to the showers. We were about to use the key to go find some dinner in town when yet another of the RVers walked over and asked in German if we would like the leftover bratwurst they'd grilled with dinner. So we sat at their RV, and they generously gave us bread, salad, beer, and sausage while my dad talked to them in German and they tried to help conversation along. I didn't understand much at all, but they were 3 older siblings visiting the area, and we talked a bit about Germany and America, soccer and government.

We finally left and found more food at a kebab shop in town. Dinner and beer ran $15 total- very reasonable for the amount of food.

We couldn't leave until the owner arrived at 9 the next morning, but the price was 10 euro (fine) and everyone was so nice it ended up being a pleasant experience.


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