Tired again this morning and slow to move but each day, I’m feeling a little bit better. I was feeling lazy last night and purchased the hotel breakfast. They sent me to their sister hotel and the breakfast was fantastic. After that, I was ready to hit the road and went back to my hotel and packed up.
Today is a flat day – thankfully – but is more than 75kms which is a bit more than what I’d like at this stage of my recovery.
The cycling infrastructure is superb here in Austria but it’s a bit boring when you spend all day on flat paths riding down valleys. The redeeming features are the hills. They’re amazing, steep, craggy and always interesting.
I was in two minds about how to get to Paris. Option one was north from Feldkirch to the Bodensee and across à bit of southern Germany and into France. Option two involved more of Switzerland and that’s the one I chose … eventually. I didn’t have to decide until Feldkirch so I left it until then – after the first twenty odd kms.
Before then, I had a typical encounter with an ebiker. When they pass me, they swerve across me and immediately slow down. Today’s ebiker did just that but slowed even more as there was a series of bends. It’s just dumb riding. I really don’t understand them but I hope they’re having fun. One of them will cause an accident soon.
I often wonder why they do these sorts of things like above, or unthinkingly block a path as a group, or ride two abreast as they approach, or give you the Joe Biden stare – mouth agape and a confused look on their face. I think they’re just self obsessed and don’t recognise others as people or road users. Whatever the reason, they keep me on my toes all day in these parts.
After Feldkirch, I turned south and entered Liechtenstein. It seems strange that it’s a separate country and not part of Austria or Switzerland but I’m sure the locals would be indignant about that comment. I then followed the river and could see the valley that I’d follow later. There were thunderstorms there but by the time I arrived, they had largely departed and gone up the next valley.
Komoot sent me on a very strange, change of path. I needed to cross a stream that had rock levee banks and go under a low rail bridge. The trail wasn’t obvious so I had a couple of goes at it. In the process, I dropped my sunglasses while I was under the bridge working things out. When I realised, I went back to the bridge where a father and son were sheltering from the drizzle. As I approached, they left. After 50m, the dad looked over his shoulder, and I motioned that I’d lost my glasses. He pulled them out of his pocket and gave them to his son to return to me.
I thought this was strange. They were both wearing sunnies but chose to take mine rather than leave them where I dropped them. It’s not what I would have done.
I was soon in Sargans where I dropped by the supermarket for some more food before setting off through Switzerland. The path was still easy and the scenery even more stunning than before – especially after I made it to the lake.
I made my way to the campground where I was had to wait while they checked that there was space for me. Of course there was, but they just went through the process. It’s Friday and people are here for the weekend, so there’s lots of families.
I’m pretty tired and there’s a kiosk here, so I’ll be lazy and get some food there
Hopefully, I’ll have a good night’s sleep so I can ride tomorrow – to some other place in Switzerland.
