Switzerland

Long Way Home

Chapter 4

We had a huge downhill with switchback after switchback to descend into Yverdon, arriving frozen to the bikes like giant popsicles. The time we’d wasted earlier in the day caught up with us and so did the rain and icy winds as we struggled on into Lausanne on Lake Geneva. The temperature had descended to a whole new level as we prayed for an available cabin at the campground. The cabin gods weren’t with us as the campground was hosting a ‘Camping Expo’ and was packed solid. Too cold, wet and knackered to care, we put up the tent and huddled inside listening to the rain pelt down.

Next morning there was a thick crust of snow and ice on the tent and the rain continued relentlessly. Luckily the camp receptionist could recognise desperation when he saw it, and with people departing their accommodation early we were able to declare a rest day from the warmth of a cabin, watching snow carpet the campsite. The Expo was a bit of a write-off with many of the tents on display unable to survive the conditions (a good time to choose one!).We set out again the following day, happy that the Swiss had developed a cycle route which allows you to soak up jaw-dropping mountain scenery while pedalling serenely along a river valley. In fact the two days we spent cycling the Rhone bike path from Lausanne to Brig were probably the flattest of the trip to date. Outwardly pristine, precise and perfect, Switzerland does seem to have an unhealthy number of garden gnomes surreptiously dotting the picture postcard landscape……