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Although I was in such a beautiful apartment with a lovely bed, I didn't sleep at all well. Not sure why, perhaps I am missing my open canvas living or more likely, I don't ever sleep too well in a new place. But I am starting to feel a bit less out-of-sorts and more 'normal' It was a gloriously sunny day, heading toward slightly uncomfortable temperatures in fact but that was fine in this cool apartment. Irina came around for breakfast which was the most tremendous spread including all sorts of meat, bread, avocado and lots of tomatoes that she grew and made doubly awesome as we sat in the lush greenery of the garden. Could not have asked for a better start to any day. Irina left for the afternoon and I went down to pick up my bike which had new brakes, chain and 3 spokes repaired as well as realigning the front wheel after my fall outside of Riedlingen. It was expensive and I am not sure I needed a new chain to be honest, but so what - it was good to get checked out. Took a trip to a camping store where I bought an air pillow and some eco mosquito repellent and spray, I had been eaten alive. I mentioned this to Irina later, specifically that the little blighters were finding their way into my tent via a small hole (how damn clever are these blasted flies, they have evolved to such a degree that they can find a tiny hole on the inside of my inner tent FFS) and she brought down some fabric to sew in a piece of fabric to repair it. Irina had plans for that night, but we stopped off at Trollinger again for the hugest beer ever and I had a quiet night in with pasta. At one point, a neighbour walked in to water the garden. She was unaware I was staying there and we both had the fright of our lives. It was so good to just stay in and do nothing. A quiet day but a bloody good one.

Very excited as I am off to Stuttgart for a few days to meet up with my good friend Irina, another Blue Badge Guide. She has moved back to Germany for the duration of the Pandemic to be with her family. Up early, as per usual and down to Ulm where I cycled around, checking out Ulm Minster with its 530 ft high steeple which makes it the tallest in the world. You can't miss it and no need to check out the route as you can see if from miles away. I stop off for some breakfast, take out some cash and take a tone of photos of the church and send a short video to my friend Helen who I met on the Camino. As you can imagine, there were a lot of churches on that walk, so figured she would be impressed to see the humungous spire. However I have to say the city of Ulm itself was not terrifically inspiring, although not entirely sure how much inspiration one would expect at 9.00am in the morning. I have decided to take the train to Stuttgart rather than cycle, not least as we are just about to have a heatwave for the next few days. A train strike has been announced but everything should be OK, apparently. Found the station, asked at the info desk where, of course, bikes go free and took the slow train. So happy to see Irina standing at the train platform and I am really going to enjoy the next few days. Even though I am super happy to see her, there is no denying that I am in a weird state of mind myself at the moment, very tired as not sleeping well and just all over the place. We immediately set off for a spot of lunch, Irina with her electric bike which was well suited to the hills, but I was kind of pleased to see that they didn't present any major issues to me; I am already getting fitter obviously. On the way we pass by a cycle shop and I decide that this might be a good time to get the bike checked over. I am conscious that my spokes have taken quite a battering over the past few weeks so good to get them checked over. There was a long queue but once Irina had explained that I was cycling to Istanbul, the cycle mechanic took me under her wing and told me to come back later and drop the bike off. I asked again about betting some low rider racks for my front tyres, but as usual there weren't any. After a delicious and healthy lunch, so good to be with a familiar face, I cycled back to the apartment that a friend of hers had lent to me, as she was away on a trip to Europe somewhere. It was such a beautiful space, large and importantly, very cool with a stunning outside space full of greenery. After all this time in my tent, I couldn't believe my luck. Perfect timing as I was also feeling a bit out of sorts, not sure if it is the travel, the not sleeping well, perhaps diet, perhaps a bit alone. Whatever the reason, it made such a difference knowing I would be here for the next 3 nights and a great way to just organise, get my stuff together and recharge. Not just myself but also my batteries I washed my stuff, lay down and rested until Irina came around a bit later and we went out for dinner at a restaurant called Trollinger overlooking the Feuresee lake and St John's Church which was a local landmark that was bombed in the war. Which of course meant by us, but I didn't say anything. I eat some maultaschen, a local dish which was essentially a meaty ravioli which is massively filling on top of my two huge salads earlier that day. But at least I am eating super healthily and will be on top form when I leave on Sunday. It was a lovely night though; we had a few laughs and the weather was so balmy that it was a real joy to be outside. I didn't sleep well, of course, but I am feeling a bit better as I type this at 8.00AM in the morning. Great to know I will be back to normal in a couple of days, this will be a very well-timed break. Irina is so keen to show me Stuttgart and I am keen to see. She is bringing a hearty breakfast around and we will sit in the front garden. Not sure what the plan is, but happy to chill. I have shopping to do and more body recovery time to focus on. Due to lack of concentration, the Elemnt Bolt ran out of battery, but at least I now have an internet connection, I am able to update the software and hopefully upload my rides so far.

What an amazing day! Started out with a glorious cycle through flat fields with absolutely no one else around. Unless you count the storks, which were all over the place. Standing sentinel in the fields and nesting on top of pylons and church spires. They were just everywhere. Gorgeous medieval villages with timbered and painted walls. Stopped at Munderkingen for breakfast and chatted with a father and son who spoke English perfectly. I get the impression that Munderkingen is a rather moneyed place. The locals were certainly keen on the storks and everywhere there were models of them, and I mean everywhere. Iin people's front gardens, the town squares and gardens. All different designs, and I really like the one that was holding a baby. There was a short 20% gradient with a rest stop dedicated to cyclists at its summit. A lovely old dog just hung around there and all the locals stopped to pet him. I picked up the rope and started playing with him. so nice. Then onto Enhingen which was super lovely. I bought a beer and then a pizza at a very fancy resto on the square with a fountain that I recognised from guidebooks. Then set off in the direction of Ulm and eventually found my campsite which was set up in the garden of a local kayak club. Took a bit of finding as I worked my way through huge parking lots full of very fancy mobile homes. As I set my tent, I got to chatting with my awesome neighbours Marc and Anne. I am meeting so many more people now, and it was so nice to sit and chat over a few huge pizzas. Turns out they Marc and Anne had been on a couple of short cycle trips before and this time they were heading north to Heidelberg. We laughed a lot and spent a ton of money, but that's what it’s for. We found it quite hard to locate anyone that would take our money for the campsite that night, but in the end we just gave it to the barman who said he would pass it on. I did wonder, but he seemed honest enough. Things that are lovely on this trip so far down the Danube are manyfold. The views are serene, bucolic and the roads so good, it is like cycling on velvet at times. As expected, I often meet up with the same faces at campsites and it is a very friendly community, one in which family life is most definitely at the forefront of most people's lives. So many young couples with large families of friendly, charming kids. Their parents just show 'em on the back of their bikes in a variety of methods and get on with it. In the evening, the kids excitedly play whilst the parents, uncomplainingly just carry on. Everyone speaks English so well, by and large. And if not, they try and are always smiling. What a smashing bunch the German people are. Really lovely. I haven't met a single English person yet, which is strange although perhaps Covid has reduced our numbers. This part of the trip is much nicer than the first part. France was harder going and visually not as stimulating. Roads not as nice and lots of looking at google maps. The villages there were frankly rather uninspiring and as I think I mentioned elsewhere, the few shops were always shut. However now it has become much easier, all you have to do is follow the cycle routs signs and no need to think about much, apart from the meandering river that you crisscross, often via cute wooden bridges and as you do, it sometimes sweeps out at you, Lush, green, fecund, bucolic. I find myself singing the song from Tomorrow Belongs to Us from Cabaret, which is not entirely suitable. The Germans are such an outdoorsy people.

I woke up to the most beautiful, tranquil and memorable of views with the mist rising above the Danube to create a mystical, ethereal kind of vibe. Not sure at which point I realised that I was in the Black Forest, which I have heard so much about over the years. It really is as special and magical and not what I was expecting, although I am not sure what I was expecting to be honest. Love how this early morning light gently illuminates the hard cliff surfaces of the Swabian Jura mountain range. I wonder what kind of rock it is? Limestone, I think. I am kind of tired, still not sleeping brilliantly but I seem to be fine when I hit the road and I do love the early mornings when all is quiet and still. I am annoyed that I misplaced my glasses, but at least they are not super expensive and weren't my reading specs or Oakley sunglasses; now that would have really upset me. I will pick some up at the next big town, as well as a new washbag and possibly a sleeping bag. I notice that there are a few loose seams appearing, but is fine for now. I will definitely chuck this at my final destination as no point bringing it home. I also decide to leave my useless gas cannister at reception, sure someone will find a use for it, as indeed someone has probably done with my glasses which I am now sure I left at the desk when signing in last night. I had been unable to get any signal on my phone at all last night, which was rather lovely. As I set off for the day, I notice some nice looking restaurants and think that it would have been rather nice to have eaten there last night. Before I knew it, I was heading into the town of Sigmaringen with the impressive Schloss Sigmaringen looming 150 metres high on a chalk cliff. My friend Irina had mentioned this castle and it didn't disappoint. Straight out of a Disney film with pointy towers and pseudo-gothic styling, largely the product of a rebuild after a huge fire in 1893. It is still owned by the Hohenzollern family with its long list of German Emperors and kings of Prussia although they don't live there anymore. I stop to chat to a very healthy looking French couple, feeling very clever as I explain the Hohenzollern which I had only just read about 5 minutes earlier. The town was gorgeous, so pretty and I dropped anchor at a very loaded looking cafe had gorged on a super healthy and filling breakfast whilst charging up the electrics. I am noticing that I tend to follow groups of cyclists for a few days and currently there was a rather striking lady with the brightest pink hair and a smile to match. We chatted about our journeys and I mentioned I needed to find a gas cannister. We parted company and then about 20 mins later, whilst I was searching around for some loos in another part of the town (handy tip, search for a Rathaus which means town hall, great loos always), she exploded from behind me with instructions on how to get to a hardware store nearby. So nice, and confirmed what I had already found out. Turned out much harder than you would think though, as I spent literally the next hour and a half or so trying to cross a railway crossing to get to the store and getting annoyed that I just couldn't seem to find a way there. All of my happy vibes had disappeared by the time I eventually managed to get the damn thing. As I cycled out from the town, the mountain ranges fell away and it came a bit more monotonous. As I whistled along, my tire got caught in a railway track and I came off the bike, scratching my knee and bruising my ego. My leg became a bit of a bloody mess, although the cut was not deep, but it really shook me. The campsite was very very basic, Campingplatz Vöhringer Hof. But many of the same families there from last night and if felt quite homely to be amongst friends. The kids find it quite funny to see me walking around with Hello Kitty cool bag which I used to transport chilled cans of beer. After I had erected my tent, I decided to take the bike back into town and have another beer. The place looked lovely with the half timbered buildings that are such a feature. Lots of gorgeous restaurants and I wished I had not boshed that crappy bratwurst. A few pangs of loneliness, it has to be said.

Wow, sensory overload today. Without a doubt, this has been the most incredible day of cycling so far. Now I am at Donaueschingen I really feel optimistic. This is the beginning of the next stage, in my mind at least. Perhaps it is because this is where my guidebook begins, my app starts to kick in and because, well it is the source of the River Danube. The true source of the Danube, if you're being fussy, is actually another 35KM up from Donaueschingen at Bregquelle, the source of the longer of the two tributaries (the Breg and the Brigach) that meet here to form the river. I thought about leaving my stuff here and doing a return trip, but that is just being pernickety. I have also decided that it is no longer necessary to get up at the crack of dawn to set off. I think that was borne from my experience of the mini heatwave as I set off from Calais and it was not possible to cycle after midday. Anyway, everything is so wet from condensation, that it makes sense to set off a bit later in the morning and I really fancy a nice breakfast today. I feel good about everything, I wake up and start punching the air and clenching my fists with excitement. It is a great feeling. I open up both sides of my tent and it just feels bigger. I am going to have to do a slight double back on myself first thing though as I am currently 5K away from the official source so want to go there. Think I will aim for 85K today, to Sigmaringen. Sounds like there will be Karst mountains on my way, and let's face it - who doesn't like a bit of Karst. A long and late start, largely due to the fact that I stupidly followed the advice of an annoying Dutch couple that said the road to Donaueschingen was blocked so I went miles out of my way including some rather shitty roads to get to the official start of the river, known as the Donauquelle. I made a mental note to myself that although they may have been right, I should have checked the route myself and possibly saved me some aggro of getting lost, navigating major roads and generally flustered. One thing I am coming to learn is there is usually a way, even when the way says it is blocked.. I also stopped by a supermarket to buy a decent breakfast and felt rather smug when a lady on a bike looked at my loaded bike and could not believe I was cycling to Istanbul, on a regular pedal cycle rather than an electric bike which everyone over here seems to have. The Donauquelle has an impressive white marble monument consisting of a group of figures with mother 'Baar' pointing out to her daughters the way of the river to her daughter the 'young' Danube. The actual source is a pool which reflected the surroundings and reminded me of Writ in Water by Mark Wallinger at Runnymede, celebrating the legacy of Magna Carta. I took my time in the glorious sunshine, great photo ops and excited that I had got this far and thrilled to be setting off, albeit very late in the day, on this next part of my périple. Finally, en route, I love how there is always a side route that follows any main road here, the first part of the day was through fields in sunshine. Flying along, just the usual miles and miles of corn growing everywhere and lots of storks standing sentinel. I saw a black squirrel, which was odd as I have also seen the odd red one too. Wildflowers pepper the roadsides and inside the wheat field of crops too. I knew I was very late if I wanted to make it to Sigmaringen in one day, and I do want to get my skates on a bit tbh. But the morning was so lovely and I came across a rather gorgeous little café called Nina's Ess Art, so I decided to have a coffee. Onwards to Tuttlingen, which I made for around 13.30 Hrs. An unexpectedly nice town, very clean and a world centre of medical technology; turns out that 50% of the world medical instruments are manufactured here and all the towns’ squares and streets are named after famous pharma companies situated here. I had a sandwich by the sparkly and a tad sterile main square and decided to press onto at least Beuron. And then my day really began, as the landscape opened out into the most incredible vista of Karst mountains, majestic, mysterious, enveloping, other worldly and so bloody beautiful. As I cycled along, I felt humbled and insignificant and also a bit lonely. I would have liked to share this moment with someone else, but this feeling didn't last long. I took a few pictures and some video, but I knew full well from experience, that nothing could capture this feeling and no picture would do it justice. Just wow. Given how astounding this was, I decided against rushing and to enjoy it all. I followed the winding course of the Danube through some wooded areas with not particularly wonderful road surfaces until I eventually found a campsite called Camping Wagenburg. The owner was kinda grumpy and facilities left a bit to be desired, but I found a nice spot and started setting up my tent. In my excitement, I slipped out my regular routine and just chucked things on the ground. I also realise that I had lost my cycling glasses, either there or left at reception when checking in. Once I had the tent up, I started to cook up dinner, but my gas cannister had finally run out and I found out that the replacement I had been carrying had the wrong type of fixture for my stove. On top of that, the legs of my portable stove had become wobbly. Luckily my neighbours were were a friendly bunch and they lent me their cannister and a Leatherman multi tool thing that allowed me to fix it. Another dinner of couscous, tuna and tomatoes. I was dying for a beer, but none available. But what an amazing day, unforgettable and even better, this felt like just the beginning.

The room may have been a bit dark and oppressive, but it overlooked a lovely stone tower which appeared to have some history attached to it. Whilst it wasn’t exactly sunny, it was at least dry, so I enjoyed another powerful hot shower, packed up my stuff which was all over the pokey room and headed down for a hearty breakfast of cold meats, boiled eggs, cheese and bread. Before leaving, I decided to take a walk around the village, or is it a town? Turns out is rather a nice-looking place, very Swiss with the usual smattering of half-timbered houses in a hilly medieval setting. The upper tower dates back to the mid-13th Century and I realise that if I had turned right out of the hotel last night rather than left, I would have found a few more inviting places to eat than the crappy pizza takeaway place. I got chatting to a few cyclists who were up for the weekend, including a nice couple with a very happy looking dog which they pulled along behind their bikes in a wee trailer. As I was preparing my own bike which I had left in the garage, I spied a very full looking money belt that had obviously been left in error by some other residents. I thought about handing it in, but decided to just carry on some basic maintenance cleaning and a few moments later, a very frazzled looking hotel worker burst into the place and I pointed directly at it. She looked very relieved as I think there were passports in there too. My plan was to cycle back over the Rhine into Germany and to the popular tourist attraction of Lake Constance via Neuhausen am Rheinfall and Schaffhausen. The landscape was pleasant, clean, wholesome and kind of monotonous, which in itself was interesting in that my benchmark of what passed for monotonous had most definitely changed if I now regarded this open swathe of countryside bordered by the scenic Kaiserstuhl mountain range in such a manner. However I did pass through a hamlet displaying a marquee sign 'Leave to the Nightingale Her Shady Woods' and nearby a bicycle halfway up the exterior of a building that had become overgrown with green vegetation, which, in combination, made me think of The Shining for some reason. Neuhausen am Rheinfall was home to Europe's largest waterfall and promised to be pretty spectacular given the huge quantities of rainfall over the past few days and I was quite hyped to see it. It didn’t take long to get there and it didn’t disappoint either. Utterly magnificent and much as I expected. Crowds of visitors including loads of US students eating bratwurst and sauerkraut with boats of various sizes traversing the huge plumes of spray from the thunderous roar of the falls. There were several viewing platforms which looked as though you would need to get a boat to reach them, or perhaps you could climb up inside some of the rocks; I wasn’t quite sure. But I made a note that if ever I were in the area again, I would definitely return and spend more time. As I stopped for a coffee and checked out the map, I had a change of plan and decided to bypass Lake Constance and head straight for Donaueschingen which was only a couple of hours away and was the source of the Danube, or at least the source as far as I was concerned. So great to have no timetable, commitments or schedule to stick to and instead, make things up on the fly and just go with the ebb and flow. I would simply add on Lake Constance to the return trip I would make one day, taking the EV 15 along the Rhine. Good plan! I had bags of energy which was lucky as I would need it. You don’t get to the source of a massive river without going up some super steep hills and the further I went towards Donaueschingen, the more intense they became. I also came across a few signposts with Camino de Santiago shell signs, and it brought back some lovely memories of a couple of summers before. I also came across The sun came out and it started getting quite hot on the climb and I stopped off at a petrol station for some coke and to stock up on items for dinner that night. It was a Sunday and supermarkets and shops tend to be shut in Germany so small stations were the best option. I was pretty impressed that I made it quite far without getting off the bike, but there were a couple of hairpin bends that I didn’t have a hope in Hell of making. Outside of the hilly bits, the flatter areas were really peaceful and contemplative, and I allowed my mind to wander aimlessly. Hawks and swallows soared and dived into the nearby fields. I found a campsite called Riedsee-Camping which was very family friendly and had a large lake and recreational pool area. As usual, the space put aside for tents was small and near the bins. I had it up within minutes and headed straight off to the lake for a swim. The water was amazing, really fresh and the orange light of the fading sunset cast a warm glow all over. However the rest of the site was pretty grim, with never ending rows and rows of static mobile homes cheek by jowl with each other. It was clearly a place where people had second homes, but why on earth would they all choose to come here. It was the remotest thing to remote that you could imagine and everybody knew each other’s business, it was impossible not too when you were rammed into such close proximity your neighbour. Perhaps this was a German thing, and as usual they all seemed very nice. I noticed more and more electric bikes and felt rather chuffed that I was using my own pedal power to get along. I was also rather pleased to see how small my panniers were in comparison with others. I was becoming a pro.

I am permanently knackered. I never sleep well but some comfort is that I used to think that my general 'unwellness' was down to lack of good diet on this trip, but recently I have been eating royally and I still look exhausted. But I can't make a full night sleep and I seem to still continue, nay thrive, when I am on the bike so not going to worry about it. I am 55 years old, it's the way such a body works. I left at 8.30 this morning and as usual, took me a few missed turns to get out of Möhlin. But I was so happy, waking up in the campsite in decent weather with such lovely neighbours made me do a little dance inside. I am getting the camping thing now and just so happy to connect with different people who were all so lovely, warm, open and nice. That's campsites for you and any residual procrastinating I had about carrying all this extra stuff was removed. As I cycled out, the family from the Netherlands and a couple of others cheered and clapped as I set off. That was a moment, it felt so so good. I was bitten or stung on the neck as I was leaving the pool yesterday and what was an ugly red blemish has turned into a white swelling all day. I start to envisage all sorts of bad things happening and then I just relax and realise that none of them will happen. One of my ongoing negative concerns is if I get stung in the throat, it swells and I can't breathe. I didn’t' really check the forecast, but there was definitely an air of foreboding and I considered hanging around a bit for any deluge to pass. The lovely Spanish family had had a bad night as one of the girls had got sick. He had also checked the weather forecast which predicted torrential rain, so they had decided to stay put for the day. The rain part did get me worried as he didn’t seem to be the kind of guy to get things wrong. But in the end, I just went for it. As I left, everyone in this small campsite waved me off and I felt on top of the world. Quite easy to follow the routes just by looking at the signs, which all seem to vary a bit but mainly have the green bike on a white background. I remember that this bit was supposed to be achingly beautiful as it hugged the banks of the Rhine, although the very first bit through the wooded areas were a big of a pain as they were gravelly. But I did see flashes of the river and by God, it was swollen. As I continued upstream, there were a few weirs that were absolutely raging and if you fell in whilst crossing one of the bridges that formed part of the weir, you wouldn’t have a chance. It truly was awesome to watch the sheer power of nature in action, the roar of the torrent as it mercilessly tore down its length. I was really looking forward to getting to the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen. I remember from various blogs that you could just flip between Germany and Switzerland by crossing bridges and I did my first one at Fridolinsbrücke or the Fridolin Bridge in English to get over to Bad Säckingen, which turned out to be a super lovely town with a twin towered church called Fridolinsmuenster that had the same kind of paintings on it as the town hall at Mulhouse. I hardly covered any distance but decided to still have a coffee and womble around. Particularly loved the wooden bridge that crossed the river, the longest roofed wooden bridge of Europe. I quite liked the name of the place too. As the morning progressed, the weather looked more inclement. I passed onto Laufenberg which was another super pretty town separated on two sides by a gorgeous stone bridge. But the clouds were so intense and the Rhine so full that it didn't have the picture postcard look one would expect. But that was OK. I know that this stretch of the route is stunning, but the clouds just got heavier and I wanted to press on. I got as far as Küssaberg where I stopped for an unhealthy kebab thing and nervously looked at the heavens. I should have just stopped, taken a look at the forecast and got a hotel there and then. But I didn't, I pressed on and the rain started. I arrived at the most depressing campsite, Camping Hochrhein, a few moments away. The shitty weather didn't help but it looked so grim that I just did not want to spend my time locked away there, so I continued on. Head down, rain getting worse and no lights. I pass by some guy changing his inner tube and realise that there is always someone else worse off than you. At least the signage for the route is good and I draw from internal reserves of stubbornness to just keep going. Silly, it's just too wet. I pass by some sewage treatment works that really enhance the experience and every now and again stop to check booking.com. I panic slightly and just want to choose the closest place, and if that means a campsite, then so be it. I stupidly cross over a weir back to the Swiss side - even in the rain I marvel at the sheer volume of water crashing through the gates - and my wheel gets jammed in a tram track and I fall over. God how depressing. The rain got even worse and there was nowhere for me to shelter, until I found a small gateway to a private house and essentially just stood inside their property. I could hear the sounds of laughter and making merry, which heightened my nightmare situation. I got a signal and found the closest hotel I could find on booking.com, quite honestly I would have paid anything. I even felt wet on the inside. As ever, the universe was with me and I found the Hotel Kreuz a short distance away. As I slopped my way through a packed restaurant, the waiter / manager gave me a look that suggested they were fully booked, but with some relief he cross checked a few papers and log books and brought me up to my room, which was gloomily furnished with heavy, dark wooden furniture which only heightened the overall sense of doom caused by the crappy grey weather outside. But the shower was warm, the bed dry and I have never felt happier to be inside. I had missed lunch and was ravenous, so went out to some local pizza takeaway place for the most expensive pizza and can of beer I have ever bought in my life. Still, the owners were Turkish, super friendly and interested in my trip when I told them I was on my way to Istanbul. And after this day, I couldn't have cared less about the expense.

I have loved this short break away from my tent, enjoying the good life and getting everything clean. My train back to Basel was booked for 10.00am so we decided to go for a final early morning womble around Zug. Stopped off to buy coffee and croissants and we sat to eat them by the lakeside. It was a glorious morning, sun shining down on the old town and illuminating the mountains in the distance in a strange glow, not least as there were still a lot of clouds to pierce through. To our right, a couple of swimmers were going for an early morning dip before work, happily stripping off in the way that you just don’t get in Britain. Perhaps you don’t normally get that in Switzerland either, but it was refreshing to witness the un self-conscious attitude and what a great way to start the day, crystal clear water and stunning views. Then back to the flat to clear out a bunch of cardboard boxes and crates that Kasar had been amassing in her cellar. We drove them around to the recycling plant which was every bit as efficient as you would expect a recycling plant to be in Switzerland. Everyone who worked there and everyone dropping off their recycling working together as in an orchestra, The train pulled away and my mood elevated as I looked out at the various lakes of Zug & Lucerne as they shot by. Some of the landscape looked a bit dull to be fair but before I knew it, I was back in Basel which felt familiar, which in a way it was. I had prebooked my campsite in the small village of Möhlin, a short hop of 20KM, although it took me ages to get out of the city as I got accustomed to the multiplicity of cycle route signs which I was prepared for. A flat, simple cycle where I came across a field of gladioli which provided a huge splash of colour and made me think of Dame Edna Everage. I stopped to take pictures and realised that it was essentially a shop where passers-by went in, cut the stems that they wanted and left money in a box, €0.40 per stem. Very instagrammable. Arrived at the campsite which seemed pretty unremarkable. As can happen, the manager was out so I pitched up and expected him to turn up at some point. There must have been quite a lot of rain as the ground was quite soggy, but I found a dry enough spot and noticed an inviting looking swimming pool complex just the other side of the campsite. I was so happy to be back in my tent and my routine, which normally consisted of arriving somewhere, putting up the tent in around 15 mins max, taking a shower in which, I washed my clothes, food and bed. This time I wasn't too sweaty, so I immediately went off to the supermarket and bought lots of really healthy food, including a perfect avocado, salad, pasta with pesto, couscous, tomatoes and 2 cold beers. The sun was still shining when I got back to my tent and that swimming pool looked super inviting, so I got my shorts on and went over. It was still open and free to enter, something to do with the fact the weather was awful yesterday / there were no guards - whatever. I got chatting to a lovely family, Spanish from Madrid, but lived in Zurich for the past 7 years. The father was a scientist, energetic, curious in everything and such a great guy. His family, consisting of wife and two young daughters were equally inquisitive and engaged and it was a lovely way to spend time just splashing around in the pool and laughing loads. We all ended up eating together in the communal dining area, so great to have the company. As I went back to my tent, I got chatting with a young family from the Netherlands with 4 children from a freshly baked baby to a young teenage, maybe even not a teenage girl. Another wonderful family, chaotic mayhem surrounding their huge tent and camper van. It is something that I am just not used to seeing but I came across again and again on this part of the trip; young families often with really young kids all on bikes, their parents uncomplaining as they put them in trailers behind and bring everything with them if too small. Always smiling, chilled and creating the most wonderful memories for them all. Back in the tent, I checked out my route for tomorrow and even booked a campsite in advance as it looked like there may be some rain on the way and I wanted to be prepared. God, this is a great campsite, so happy to be here and surrounded by such positive energy. I feel amazing, happy, joyous, excited, and lucky to be alive. One thing that helped put me in a really good mood was that Lauren Pears, the girl who wrote the original blog post about travelling to Istanbul has responded to me. I dunno, makes me feel like all will be OK.

Today we went for an early morning stroll around Zug which borders a large 25mile lake with stunning, typical Swiss views over the Rigi and Pilatus Mountain ranges. There is a small area of cobbled windy streets bordered with timbered chalet style and painted houses festooned with colourful flags that looked wonderful, even if the skies were grey and slightly overcast. In contrast too was the 15th century church of St Oswald (who had one of his arms brought there from Northumberland, something like that anyway) with the multiplicity of modern techie looking buildings too. It is not a cheap place by any standards which became very noticeable when I bought us a lunchtime takeout of red Thai curry, pad Thai for and spring rolls for £50. Still, that’s Switzerland for you and at least everything works on time. Such a lovely time with Kasar last night. We barely see each other now that we live in different countries, but a shared common history goes a long way. Plus, I forgot what a great chef she was and sitting in an actual gorgeous apartment and sleep in sumptuous feather bed comfort was, quite literally, a dream. I had thought about taking a cycle around the perimeter of Lake Zug that afternoon, but it was so lovely to be in such a comfortable space that I opted to stay put that afternoon, research some of the next parts of this trip and snooze. And let’s face it, I am already cycling everyday around beautiful places so it makes a great change to be able to do something different, like stay in. I checked the map and realised it would have been easier, quicker and cheaper to cycle to Schaffhausen and get a train to Zug from there, rather than the return trip to Basel I had opted for. One of the reasons I had not done so was to comply with self-imposed deadlines to meet up with Kasar after giving her a schedule for my arrival. I realised that this whole notion of appointments and schedules, so normal in everyday life, had become something quite foreign to me with this new found liberated daily approach to life and I was keen to get back on the road again, even though this brief water side sojourn, bordered by inspiring and life affirming Swiss views was undoubtedly a welcome diversion and one of those lovely memory bank experiences. Kasar had some friends coming over that night for dinner and once again I thought how lovely it was to be able to combine sleeping under canvas in such a variety of places with good old dinner parties in civilised settings.

Time to sit and think about things last night / this morning. Firstly, one corner of the tent inside was soaking and I looked for the leak but realised that a water bottle had leaked. Luckily the laptop was sealed and OK but my travel book is sodden. As were my pillowcases and some other stuff. But the book will dry out and it will be fine. I have been reflecting upon the amount of stuff I have and other cyclists who just have smaller loads. Looks like you can get miniscule tents or cool bivvy bags and the rest of the time, just spend a few more euros on finding accommodation in youth hostels etc. It would make the bike easier to handle and what I now realise, save on the set up and packing time every day. Like the book being sodden, it is acceptance and I won't let it spoil the rest of my trip. So far I have had blisteringly hot weather, downpours, awful food etc and it is all part of what I signed up for. Accept it for what it is. Move on. I was so tired yesterday; I think from pent up stress at everything. I almost fell asleep when I arrived at this campsite and had the tent up. I have definitely caught up a lot more now but that too is a lesson. I do actually quite like when the tent is up and the inner doors open - it gives a feeling of space, especially when its raining it is quite lovely. However, it does get nippy at night, as well as lots of mossies so need to be closed. This is something I should enjoy, profit from my experience of camping and go with the flow. One thing that is for absolute certain, once I am on my bike, I am free. Free to just be. I love it, the amazing feeling of just being out on the road. Cycling along, views around me. It more than makes up for all the organisational shit around me. Sun is out this morning; I am off to see Kasar and a couple of days of luxury. All good. Was a bit slow to pack but the guy in the mobile home next to me invited me over for a coffee once I was packed. Nice, maybe gay. He was sitting with a woman. Turns out he had bought the mobile home after selling his house, which sounded like a cool thing, until I realised his home had been in the village and basically, he now lived in the mobile home. Wonder what the story was there, why he sold up etc. I also saw the most absolutely hugest mobile home ever, literally the size of a small double decker bus. Just HUGE. Everybody stopped to stare. Set off, saw a McD and got a coffee which I spilt all over the floor and chatted with Augusto & Irina. Thought about buying a travel pillow and spare replacement brake pads and getting A to send over. He was sensible and said I could get them over here, but he bought a pair anyway for £18. Irina also said she could get some but as luck would have it, I passed a cycle shop on the way and a very fragrant squeaky-clean sales guy helped me. Followed the road and before i knew it I was in Basel. Absolutely no passport control and on the border of Germany, Switzerland and France. So happy to be here and out of France. I am totally knackered though and got a train to Kasar. Made it to Zug, or more accurately Lindenpark which is one stop from Zug. Nice to only have a short ride and know that I am going to get everything clean and nice for the next couple of days. Unable to snooze but am now installed in her flat which looks gorgeous, one lot of clothes in the washing machine and am just waiting for them to be dry so I can have a shower and put them on. Looking forward to the next couple of days for sure.

What an awful day today. Tons of rain and I only managed 13 miles before taking refuge in a church porch in the village of Kembs, an hour away from Basel. So close to leaving France, and yet so far. The rain was so bad and I felt so miserable. I waited huddled in the church porch for about 45 minutes, nothing open in the vicinity, no coffee shop, bar or even a restaurant. Such a dead town, lifeless. I searched for a local Air BnB or hotel, but nothing. There was a campsite about 15 minutes away so I just made a dash for it and rolled in sopping wet. Got no sleep at all last night, just too pumped about leaving France and wondering when or how I would get to see my friend Kasar in Zug. As it happened, she rang up as I was having a breakfast of salad and this muesli bread type of thing (really needing the fibre) and after chatting with a lovey German woman who was on her cycling tour towards the Atlantic coast for 4 weeks. Nice lady, I saw her briefly at the common space where I was writing yesterday diary. Her partner was either English or studying in England (Norwich) and had a heart attack and died in London 8 years previously. She seemed OK about it and was a seasoned bike tourist. I noticed she was well prepared for the rain as she set off in the opposite direction to me, on her way to Besançon and the Atlantic Coast. She didn't bat an eyelid when I said I was going to Turkey and clarified the route I should take, which was not via Zurich. Anyway, chatting to Kasar was great and I realised how much I would look forward to seeing her again so decided that once I got to Basel I would get a train down there for a couple of days. It is Irina birthday today and now I have decided to take the trip to Zug as an additional circuit and return to Basel to continue the journey, then why not just do the same and make the effort to see her. I appreciate the real people in my life more and more and she is one of them. Def need to rethink the way I do my bike tours. Will start looking into accom en route which seems only slightly more expeno than campsites tbh. Also going to look into sleeping bags when I get home to compare sizes when they are rolled up and small. Pleased to have discovered a muesli fibre saturated bread type thing from Super U. Looking into bivvy bags now, this trip has certainly been a learning experience on how to do things. Gotta say, I am rather enjoying being in my tent with both interior sides up, giving me so much space yet it is raining outside.

Today is the first day that I really feel that I am getting into a groove. This is very much helped by actually being on a EV route at last, so much better than crossing France which was full of deathly quiet villages with nothing going on and everything shut just when you needed whatever they sold to be open. From a distance, they are pretty with nice pointy shaped church towers and most of them have gorgeous floral decorations all over the place. In their front gardens, hanging off bridges crossing water (which is usually the river Doubs). Some really go to town with gnomes and weird creatures, but for the most part it is all very tasteful and very colourful. The stunning weather has to help; that and not having young vandals that rip them to pieces of course. So today I awoke in the very basic and not inspiring campsite. I had decided to take this trip one day at a time and decided that I was only going to Mulhouse which sounded pretty and 60KM away. All the way down the EV6, but finding it was a bit of a challenge. Everything was wet from the arrival the day before. I had no food, but just when you are wondering what to do, you turn and there is a Super U. Wandered around the supermarket, feeling so uninspired and ended up buying a readymade sandwich, a couple of apples and then a super huge pain au chocolat and a croissant. Chatted with people in lycra who were there too. 4 nice people from Marseille doing a VTT route along the 'top' I followed the route out and then behold, a McDonalds. I have decided I like these because they always have a great WiFi connection, coffee that I like rather than the short bitter strong stuff the French make. I also had a McRoll with bacon and a steak patty. Then I was on my way and what a morning it was. Just brilliant. I didn't have that far to go and just enjoyed the scenery. Main things were the never-ending herons that were just perched by the side of the canal like sentinels, I guess just waiting in case they could see a fish. Actually, not sure if they were herons, but they looked like them. (They weren’t, they were storks). Maybe a cignone blanche or a cormorant. The riversides were teeming with life, and I thought I saw a beaver until I realised they were coypu which are massive rats, basically. Brought over from South America for their fur but abandoned in the great depression, they wreak havoc and are a total pest, but they look funny with their whiskers as they just womble about eating. They eat something like 80% of their body weight every day, or something mad like that. I felt so good, so alive, everything working. Last night I felt a bit low after the rain, but it all disappears as soon as you hit the road. Stopped off just short of the campsite for a pint of beer, a fag and some sausage and frites. I am on holiday and need to be good to myself. All the food I am eating is a real chore, so WTF. Chatted with lots of people in the bar and then continued on. So many Germans and I soon realise that this town has Germanic routes. Campsite is lovely, lots of space, a pool and just a nice vibe. Got a call from Alan to say he is having a nightmare in Italy, his £45 bike has totally broken down. I send him a message and then get on with my day. In the late afternoon, I go out to see the town, which is chocolate box pretty, especially around the main square with a Germanic renaissance town hall and multi coloured buildings. I take a few pics as I sup a hugely expensive beer outside the church there and ring my bestie Irina in Stuttgart who knows the town well. Then to Super U to buy lots of food, including pasta for tonight. I can't bear the idea of retching tonight over crappy lentils. Need to check my accounting and note that Switzerland is gonna be expeno for sure. But I do need to actually see bits of the trip outside of the EV route.