Altdorf - Sunshine in Switzerland - Poking Around Europe 5.0

August 26, 2018

Altdorf - Sunshine in Switzerland

Zug to Altdorf

What a difference a day makes. We woke up to fog which very rapidly dissipated and suddenly we had blue sky and sunshine. We started our day in the hotel breakfast room. Not a full ten jammer but pretty close. We met a couple from the Czech Republic over breakfast and the time flew. They were in Zug visiting their son who was going to school and playing hockey. There was an instant connection. They were in town to watch their son’s hockey tournament. It was tremendous fun.

Once on the road we zipped into Zug (I couldn’t resist a little alliteration) and it was as lovely as can be. The lake is beautiful and there was a charming old town.

See that fog burning off in the distance?

In Zug they keep the deer inside the fence and the people on the outside. In Victoria we fence our yards and gardens in an attempt to keep the deer on the outside of the fence. We like the Zug method better.

Looking towards the old town of Zug and the pedestrian zone. Still a bit foggy at this point.

Once we left Zug we were just so amazed by the ride. The scenery was stunning and we were on a dedicated bike lane for much of the ride to Arth. We were lakeside and taking it all in. We did a surprising amount of climbing today, 994 m, but it was at very manageable grades. Navigation was straightforward for the CN and at the only place we stopped for him to do a double check there was a knowledgeable cyclist who had us on our way in seconds.

Watching the rowers early morning workout as the fog lifts. Which reminds me, we shared our flights to Zurich with the Canadian National Rowing Team, who were acknowledged on the Zurich flight with applause. They were on their way to Greece for two weeks of training and then the World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. They were all tall and gorgeous.

A little morning eye candy next to the Immensee. The ‘sidewalk’ to the right is actually a dedicated bike lane, although there were so few cars on the road they weren’t a problem.

We carried on through several small and beautiful communities, and at Brunnen got our first glimpse of the large lake Lucerne is on. It was stunning. Brunnen was celebrating Windweek, and we stopped for lunch and wandered through the celebrations.

The water was a gorgeous shade of blue and reasonably warm for swimming, according to a local.

Part of Windweek. There were SUP’s, kayaks, sailboats, kite surfers and more. Pretty much anything you can play with on the water.

The next part of the ride was the highlight of what was already a superlative day. We climbed out of Brunnen and followed the highway, on a raised and separated bike lane to Altdorf. We were grateful that the bike lane was there because the traffic was heavy. Sunday afternoon and people headed for home perhaps, or maybe it is always like that. At any rate, the views were stunning. There were frequent tunnels. In most cases we were routed around them, but there were a few that we went through. It never felt dangerous as we were in a separate bike lane but was very loud, so we stuck in ear plugs. What a difference that made to tunnel riding. The pictures will show the ride better than I can tell it.

Lots of options for getting around on the lake.

At one spot Keith and I were both puzzled about cars pulling off the road. Then we realized it was a viewpoint and their first opportunity to take in what we had been enjoying from the start.

A sailing regatta. The horns are just like home.

We met a couple out for a walk and asked them to take a picture of us together. Then we dropped down into Altdorf and found our hotel. We have been out for dinner...there was a limited selection on a Sunday night, but we did well, having delicious pizza and beer. We spent most of dinner weighing the pros and cons of the Oberwald Pass vs. the Klausen Pass. We still haven’t decided and it is impossible to know. We’ll see what happens.

Our comfortable hotel. Keith has to be very careful. It is an old building and he has to duck to get through the door to our room.

We have done Gotthardpass and Furkapass. So, will it be Oberwaldpass or Klausenpass this year? We need to make a decision very, very soon.

Here is today’s Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/1798639926

Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 104 km (65 miles)

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