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Day 31 Back to Bregenz

44k 250m

Took the train back from Lausanne to the Ancient monastery town of St Gallen and then rode back into Austria. 10k down to the lake and then back across the Rhine delta to the same campsite in Bregenz.

It’s really the end of 3 journeys.

The upper Rhine/Rhône with Sue, Mike and Helen. 664km 9239m of climbing. A fantastic trip with everyone so happy riding through a special geography with the two great rivers both having inland ‘seas’ and second deltas separated by the wonderful high Alps.

The Mainz to Bregenz trip, 1289k 12496m of climbing, mainly about moving up the Rhine but also special scenery in Alsace and the upper Danube valley.

The full Rhine journey which started 5 years ago. The sign at lake Toma said that 50m people live in its catchment area and there has certainly been an immense variety of landscape and culture.

(Its 800km down the Rhône and across the French Mediterranean to Barcelona, and I think about 3000km from Bregenz down the Inn and Danube to the Black Sea.....).

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Back at Bregenz

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Tea before setting of in St Gallen

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Day 30 Aigle to Lausanne

60 km 1200m about 6 castles 2 world class

Last proper cycling day and almost too many highlights.

Started the day by mending my brakes made harder as non of us knew the French for adjustable spanner.

Then a second look at the chateaux of Agile surrounded by its sea of vines.

A pleasant cycle down the last section of the upper Rhône and across its small delta.

Chillon’s spectacular castle where I recited one of Byron’s stanzas.

Then Montreux the day before the start of its famous Jaz festival, pushed the bikes along the promonade where stalls were being erected looking at the statues of people who had lived (or died) there including Freddie Mercury, Stravinsky and Miles Davis. Luxurious tropical planting but snow mountains still visible across the lake.

Had ice cream on the riviera and felt very relaxed. Had forgotten we still had 20k to go through the UNESCO world heritage Lavaux vineyard terraces which are 800 Yrs old. A quite spectacular cycle track going up to 300m above the lake with superb close and long views but also a lot of short but very steep climbs.

Made it and ate in hotel as lacking energy to explore Laudanne- watched England Belgium.

Plan for tommorrow is to find a train across Switzerland back to our campsite in Bregenz.

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All the peleton made it up the last up the Lavaux vineyards

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Montreux statues of Freddie Mercury and a saxophone in tropical planting

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Chillon castle

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The last bridge on the Rhône looking forwards to the blue lake Geneva and back to the Alps

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Day 29 Sion to Aigle

69 k 410m about 6 chateaux

Had time to look at the outsides of the 3 remarkable castles of Sion in the morning before setting off.

Theoretically an easy flat day but in fact there was a strong headwind up the vallley so required some effort.

Mainly good paths on the side of the river with views of very fertile land with vines and orchards and then mountains beyond the valley.

Made the 90 degree turn at Martinay so after 5 days going west we are now going North towards lake Geneva.

Had an excellent stop for Valais apricots and local pear juice.

Passed the very old town of San Maurice with its abbey and bridge painted by Turner and arrived at our bnb at Aigle - a town famous for making Chablis and with a well preserved castle which I went round but will photo tomorrow.

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Into the wind

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Pears and apricots

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Sion and Sallion castles

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Day 27 Fietsch to Sion

90km 800m about 8 castles several dramatic

Basically down hill all day on a beautiful sunny day some headwind but not enough to counter the gradient that was on our side.

Steeply down for 20k for second breakfast in Brig which had a unique 3 towered fortified palace built with the profits of its control over the Simpson pass to Italy.

The Rhône starting the day as a fast mountain stream in a gorge and ending it as a wide river.

Several fuelling stops while gazing upwards at chateaux on pinnacles.

At Sierre crossed the language line from German to French.

Mike delighted to see a hoopie and heard several nightingales.

Finally arrived at Sion a nice old town, the capital of the Valais canton, with two large castles and a beautiful church on hills above. Had refreshing local rosti with white wine to end a memorable day.

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The twin chateaux of Sion

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On the warm flat valley but snow mountains always in sight

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A hot day and vines give some shade

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The Rhône at the start and end of the day - quite an increase in size