6/22 and 6/23- Zug, Luzern, Interlaken

We rode 57 km on the 22 from Unterageri to Luzern, and 88 km on the 23rd from Luzern to Interlaken. We took a train over the Brünig pass on the 23rd, saving tons and tons of climbing, but there were still plenty of steep hills along the lake shores, with good views down below. Switzerland is staggeringly expensive, which has spoiled my mood a bit. Zug was quaint and old, and filled with little cafes on the lake shores. Luzern has sailboats, Maseratis, and casinos, and seems aimed firmly at the glitterati. I was really cranky after realizing a pint of beer was $10 at the place it was brewed, but I was cheered somewhat by great views from the bridges and the city wall. We've been camping, which is expensive, too, but the campsites have had relatively nice facilities. We've also been self catering at grocery stores. The cold cuts are pretty standard, the bread is above average and diverse, but the cheese and yogurt have been great. We've had a bit of Emmemthaler and Gruyere, and they are easy cheeses to demolish. We've also tried about 6 or so different Swiss beers (all Helles lagers), out of convenience stores and groceries.

The ride from Luzern to Interlaken was longer and more challenging, with some steep climbs on the mountains along the lake shores. We took a train from Giswil to Meiringin, over the Brünig pass, to save hundreds of meters of steep vertical climb. The views down from our riding route to the lake, and also from the bottom of the valleys, were astounding.

We've noted that the Swiss like to pack in the farmland. We cut across an air field as part of the bike path, and they were cultivating the area between runways. They also build up onto steep slopes, and I can't imagine how they harvest any of that.

There are fewer bikers here than Germany, and almost no bike tourers that we have seen. Some sections of bike path are phenomenal, like the carefully paved path built out over the edge of a lake, just for bikes and peds. In other sections, the route is rocky, uneven, and insanely steep. It's impossible to tell from the signs or our maps which will be which, except that it seems a roller blade icon indicates a particularly nice section. Swiss drivers are a mixed bag- some patient and safe, others blow by us with oncoming traffic and no shoulder, cutting it very close. It's far from a biker or budget traveler paradise, but the scenery is one of a kind.

The plan at this point is to spend a couple more days in Suisse, then hop a train up to the border and spend the rest of the time in Germany in the Black Forest, both to seek out better biking and see some places that interest us.

Sent from my phone