Day thirty seven: English weather in Switzerland

Constance to Full-Reuenthal

If I was back on track yesterday, I either fell off today or don’t like the track I’m on. And so the pattern of ups and downs continues…

Today would have been good if it hadn’t rained all day. It would have been good if it hadn’t been raining for the last week, meaning the dreaded gravel tracks were both gravel and mud. It would have been good if England weren’t playing the early game, meaning I was racing against the clock all day. It would have been great even, if just one of these things weren’t true. But the combination of all three meant I was pretty miserable all day.

The rain forces you to keep your head down, so you can’t appreciate where you’re actually cycling. I could have been anywhere. The rain also means everything just looks a bit shit. It does smell nice (apart from when you go past fields of cows), but that doesn’t make up for it. I was cold, wet and muddy all day.

It turned out to be 110km with over 1,000 metres elevation as the banks of the Rhine go up and down. It actually would have been a fantastic day had I had the luxury of time and if the rain had stopped for just a bit. There were dramatic views of the river, including the Rhinefalls and some beautiful downhill stretches on quiet country roads.

You’re also crossing the river a lot, from Germany, to Switzerland and back – it’s interesting to see the differences.

I made it to the Airbnb room I had booked for the end of the first half, just as Gareth Bale scored. Gah. Showered and muddy clothes in the wash, I got to enjoy the second half which did heaps for my mood. Come on England!

When I asked my host where would be best for me to get some dinner, he said ‘Germany’. So I’ve had to cycle back across the river, 30 minutes each way, in the rain again, to get some food (and I was starving – a road side pretzel for lunch is not enough!). Still, it’s not all bad. I’ve got most of the clothes I’m carrying on now, including three pairs of socks, and am under two duvets with English TV (little things like this make me happy) so I can finally thaw out.

The forecast for tomorrow is 90% chance of rain from 9am, followed by 60% chance of thunder from 1pm until 6pm. For fuck’s sake weather. Please give me a break!