Thursday July 11th - Cool to Warm and sunny all day, 18°C to 25ºC
Countryside Switzerland
River Aare
Damn car in the way
Timed photo two of us - too late Ian
Beautiful Swiss countryside
Coffee by the Aare River
How pretty is that
Lunch spot - too cool to stay long
Typical Swiss houses and flowers
Old bridge over the Aare at Buren
I asked Ian for a photo of a cow
Looking back at Buren Bridge
More cow photos - is that me too?
Da Brim - topic of conversation
The two of us on the Aare into Biel
Down Aare River to Lake Biel
Aldi at Biel Train Station
Cup of tea at Biel train station
One of our easiest, nicest days following the Aare River with a tailwind and in hazy sunshine. We've travelled through the old towns of Aarwangen,Solothurn, Buren, Biel-Bienne and Twann. 72k of typical Swiss countryside with cows and farming smells along the track, then 10k around Lake Biel to our Hotel in Twann, one of the prettiest Swiss villages by the lake, but cut off from the lake by the train and Freeway.
Despite being on a busy crossroads, the traffic quietened through the night and we slept well. We've learned to tip the doona out of the cover as it's so warm at night. We shower, pack and go downstairs to breakfast of eggs meat and cheese, with bread and jam on the side - suits me perfectly.
It's a coolish morning of 10ºC when we ride down to the local Maxi supermarket to buy lunch for the day. All we need is some meat and a bread roll for Ian. Then it's off up the hill and on our way. It's such a nice day, and the ride is mixed with flat river paths, hilly roads, country smells and typical Swiss houses adorned with flower boxes. And the Swiss cycling signs are just superb. We rarely have to drag out the map except to konw out of interest which village we are in.
About 21k out, we stop at a lovely spot by the River Aare for a cup of coffee, just absorbing the scenery on the other side - farmland, mountains and forests. The hills aren't too high and the paths along the river are mostly shaded so cycling is not too hard and not too hot. In fact it's perfect with the wind behind us. Ian tries to time delay a photo of the two of us cycling together. It doesn't quite work. We'll wait to ask someone.
We roll into Solothurn. It's a beautiful old town on the River Aare. We're looking for a nice place for lunch and spy a bench seat overlooking the Aare. We have a left over lunch but don't stay long. It's quite cool sitting in the strong breeze off the water, and my thermometer shows 23ºC in the sun. A bit further along is Buren and another old timber bridge over the Aare. I ask Ian for some photos of cows. He obliges with a few cow signs.
The cycle path along the River Aare into Biel is magnificent - set high above the river with a mountain backdrop. We find someone to take a photo of the two of us cycling - after almost 2,000k of cycling in Europe, most of the photos Ian takes of me or I take of Ian, so it was nice to get the two of us together in the one photo.
We had already checked out the supermarkets in Biel on the internet last night and found there was an Aldi near the train station, so with the help of Ian's GPS, we head there to buy a picnic dinner. But not before we have a cup of tea sitting on the kerb near a bike rack at the train station.
30 minutes later I emerge from Aldi with an armload of food for a picnic dinner. It takes a while to repack, the we're off on the bike track around the lake to the little village of Twann. The cycle track is interesting. Jammed between a train line, freeway, mountain side, vineyard and the lake, in some places it actually runs under and around the freeway pylons. About 10k later and having to walk through the tunnel under the trainline and freeway, we find our selves in the quaint village of Twann, and walk straight into our hotel - Zum Alten Schweizer, Twann. It's really nice, and tucked back a street from the busy freeway and trainline. We have a beer and wine immediately. Our room is quiet - yes - time to rest and blog before our picnic dinner.
At 7pm, out comes the Aldi dinner - salmon and salad, with a pitcher of wine from the hotel bar downstairs. Then an Aldi dark chocolate to finish off. It's still very light outside - time to walk off dinner. The lake is picture perfect, the highway traffic has almost stopped and there's only a few people wandering around or dining Al Fresco in the few restaurants in the village.
Tonight will be our last night on the track - tomorrow night we'll be at Luca's place in Bern and then off to the Tour de France on Alp d'Huez.
Picnic dinner from Aldi Biel-Bienne
Bike path beside Lake Biel
Bikeway under freeway to Twan
We arrive in Twann
Vineyards behind Twann at sunset
Time to smell the roses in Twann
Twann street - Al fresco dining