Schaffhausen to Konztance: We have done over 3000 km!

September 22, 2012

This is a warning for any of you travelling through Switzerland who have a fair amount of electronic gadgetry you are wanting to charge. The electrical outlets in Switzerland take a different plug than those in the rest of Europe. We discovered this out about 6.50pm yesterday evening when Ken went to charge my phone. He shot out of the room into the street and found a shop about to close, was directed to the 2nd floor found a plug and rushed home. It was just a pity that he thought a plate glass window in the hotel was an open space. The good news is that he just bounced off it, didn’t break either it or his glasses and now all our gear is charged again.

Despite the fact farmers had mown grass the weather forcast was not good and even BBC World told us that heavy rain was approaching. When we left our hotel it had rained overnight but was just heavily overcast. It stayed like this until we got to the lovely little town of Stein am Rhine. We sat in the square, enjoyed all the gorgeous buildings and drank our coffee, we even saw some blue sky. The place was heaving with tourists. I had expected to see brides as last time I was there the place was full of them, but not a one.

We crossed the bridge onto the route and the rain started and didn’t let up all the way to Konstanze. The ride however was lovely and we were both impressed by the attention to detail that the Swiss put into everything they do. For a long time we were riding beside orchards and the capital expense that has been put into these amazingly immaculate orchards is astonishingly. There were little towns all along the way but apart from stopping for lunch in a café we gave them a miss. It probably wasn’t a particularly good idea to decide to stop in Konstanze as it is seems enormous. We are in an exceptionally tiny and expensive room (we are back in Germany but the prices seem Swiss). We certainly are very lucky as this is only the second time on the trip that we have arrived with everything completely soaked. Matthew, the Pukeko, had to ride all day in my handlebar bag so he has arrived nice and dry.

We have now done over 3000km since we started in Copenhagen, it seems like a life time ago. I dare not say it in case I put a hoodoo on it but we haven’t had a single puncture despite the fact that the tires that Ken is riding on are doing their second trip and are just Decathalon ones.

There was a big line up of these little boats on the Rhine at Schaffhausen

The cows were lining up to have a brush down by this rotating brush. Ladies at Maramarua do you supply such luxury for your animals?

The whole display in this Backerie was made of crochet

Today's ride: 53 km (33 miles)
Total: 3,062 km (1,902 miles)

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