July 13, 2023
Basel -> Erlach
Practicing my Schweitzer Deutsch
I woke up early at the campground in Basel. Even though it the sun had barely come up, about half of the bike tourers I had seen the night before had already packed up and left. I had some time to kill before the reception area opened and I could pay. I easily could have up and left without paying, but I felt bad about doing that, so I did laundry (with their FREE dryer), and got some breakfast at a nearby gas station to kill time. I then paid my 14 Francs.
I was on the road by 9:00am, and my first order of Business was to find a bike shop and stock up on some bike consumables and spare parts. Namely, chain lube and CO2 canisters. The shop I found along my route was great. They had what I needed, and an obscure set of disc brake pads that I needed a second spare pair of.
From the bike shop, the bike path climbed along a creek up a valley. This was the first time since Norway I had climbed a real hill, and I was already half way into a continent. Wild. I made my way up a few hairpins to the top of the pass. Rolling green hills stretched below me, with cattle grazing on the hillsides.
I descended down the pass into the quiet town of Balsthal. I spotted a food truck selling rotisserie chicken, so I had to stop. Cheap protein is hard to come by in this country. The man working the truck spoke no English, only Schweitzer Deutsche. Even though I can speak decent German, Swiss German is almost a whole other language. It is very difficult for me to understand. Thankfully, all Swiss people can understand Hoch-Deutsch, so I was able to determine that he did not take credit card, and that I would need to find an ATM. I spent about 20 minutes riding around town looking for an ATM. The first one I went to was out of order, so I had to find another one. I finally ordered my food, and ate it at the standing bar on the side of the food truck. While I was eating, the truck owner struck up a conversation with me, entirely in German. He seemed to understand my Hoch Deutsch, but I really struggled to understand his dialect. The gist of our conversation went something like this:
He asked me where I am from and where I started my bike tour. I told him my story, then he told me that he had done a similar two month long trip to the US and Canada back in 1995. He said even with all that time he spent abroad, he never learned English. He told me he went from farmstay to farmstay, and worked to have a place to stay. He told me that when he went to highschool (1978-1982), nobody learned English in school. He said even today, a lot of Swiss children cannot speak English, only German and French: the country's two national languages. This lines up with my experience so far as well. A lot of people I have interacted with in the service Industry only speak French and German.
I must say that his chicken was better than any store-bought rotisserie chicken Ive ever had. It was flavorful and not dry. The machine had racks of rotating chickens, with a big drip pan underneath. In this drip pan, were cut up potatoes, slow cooking in the chicken drippings. They were also delicious.
After chatting, he sent me on my way with a free soda. Who was I to argue with the generosity of a stranger? I thanked him and went on my way. Interactions like this is why I am partial to the German speaking side of Switzerland. I have no problem with the French, other than the fact that I can't speak their language. There are so many cool interactions you can have, even speaking some basic, passing level of a foreign language.
Continuing on, I pedaled through the flat corn-fields along the Aare river. I passed a pedestrian bridge where people were swimming in a sheltered backwater and jumped in. The water was very clear and surprisingly warm. It felt nice to wash the sweat off.
I eventually made it to the northern tip of the Bielersee, where I found a biergarten to have lunch at. I went swimming here, and filled up my camelbak. I decided it was time to figure out where I was going to stay. This proved to be more of a challenge than in Norway. Most campgrounds here do not post their reception hours online. You have to call. However, many places only speak French. Now you see my problem. To top it all off, many campground receptions close as early as 6:00pm. Arriving late last minute at campgrounds in Switzerland is simply not an option. This contrasts with Norway, where most campground receptions are open until 10:00pm. I found a hotel in Erlach. Upon getting there I pitched a tent, got some brötchen and ham from the camp store, and then went for a swim in the Lake.
Today's ride: 72 miles (116 km)
Total: 954 miles (1,535 km)
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