Catching up…..

July 5th 2022
Our visit with my friend for 57 years in Cap d’Agde, France, was a celebration surrounded by constant beauty of our planet. A few days at the Mediterranean with a side dip in much colder waters than it was further south, but none-the-less always an eye opener for every drop that counts. I just LOVE this super salty element. My father seems closer with every swim stroke as we have both enjoyed the Mediterranean almost every summer vacation in my childhood and even further into my adult life.

We (our host with her partner, my friend Carolin and her husband, James and I) spent some time in the mountains as well. In Navas to be exact. 

Riding our bicycle from the coast would have been 62km, but with a big canyon - Cirque de Navacelles- in between it would have been a long day in the summer heat, so we opted to take a ride and be social in a car with our friends and our generous host stopping for lunch and driving through little mountain villages. The mountains give out an aura of tranquility - nature here is most consciously prevalent. We enjoyed those days celebrating friendship, memories and life itself.

Happy wedding anniversary, Carolin and Uwe!

Friends since 1966…and going strong!

Not long after we were driven back to the coast to reunite with our bicycles we continued riding along the Mediterranean for a while as we had planned to turn north to Nimes…but only two days on the road, James and I got in a bit of a “huff” and while I sped off, we managed to seriously lose each other out of site (but not out of mind) for an entire 3 days! The compromised (tired battery, no working sim) iPhone that James carried didn’t help us to connect sooner. While we each discovered a new way of being (alone on the road)….

I purchased a tent (James was carrying ours and I wanted to be able to sleep in a campground) and a new, very orange shirt.
at my favorite store: Decathlon

In between panic attacks like: He is gone forever and I will never see him again, there was a feeling of “letting go”. Like letting go of how I think things ought to be, the way I think it is going to be….and - of course - stay in the moment ….this is how it is now. Life always has these surprises for us and though we know it, we are still surprised every freaking single time! Are we ever going to learn?

The reunion was a blast when James was finally able to charge his phone and find a connection (as it turned out I was north of Nimes in Bagnols-sur-Cèze and he had wound up about 34km away south/west in Avignon at a campground) After I sent him directions he got on his bike early in the morning the next day and surprised me at my WarmShower place at 11am.

The very hospitable and lovely WarmShower family witness this special moment.

Though we were offered to stay a while, our antsy selves made us jump back on the bikes after only a days rest and processing the past few days.

Cycling through Europe in the summer has a lot in common of “walking through a park” (in comparison to South America and Africa) especially when following a EuroCycle path. We followed #17 which leads the Rhône River down…but we - of course-cycled it up through France and Switzerland into Germany.

One doesn’t need a map or better: the phone for navigation. The well signed cycle paths (no cars!) through fields, woods, over bridges and along rivers leaves very little room for errors: All we had to do is follow the arrows….                            

Total fun…more like a super treasure hunt. The good weather contributed a big part to the comfort and ease. 

….until we hit Switzerland. There was no border, just a little path in the woods along a small creek. The only reason I realized we had left France in the morning and are now in the Swiss of Land, was, that we had two croissants and  two little tiny cups of coffee for breakfast and payed 15 francs (=15€). It may not seem that much for some of you, but Portugal, Spain and France lulled us into a false sense of a more  “affordable Europe” 

The first night we spent camping in the pouring rain on a little park playground in the midst of a residential area and right next to a road with a bus stop. Fortunately there was a “metal  toilette  house”. 

The inside was “as clean as a whistle” with toilette paper, a sink with running water and a heater. When one closes the door after done with business, the whole thing disinfects itself. I was ready to spend the night right inside it -such a clean/comfy/dry/warm place!

The night in the tent was surprisingly calm and uneventful but damp (our tent held up fine though!)- those neat Swiss neighbors luckily didn’t seem to mind us. 

The further north we cycled deeper into the country the more expensive it got. One campground was 35 francs, then 40 (we decided to hit the woods or in one case a cool ruin instead and didn’t regret a single minute).

We thought we scored in this sweet little singing birds invested spot…

..….but

…this one (in the midst of the Burgruine Göskon) turned out to be “the cat’s meow” 

We then inquired again at a real campground when the friendly receptionist gave us a price of 52 francs which brought me close to tears. (I know…it sounds a bit dramatic…but at some point one does need a shower and electricity to charge all the devises) In a situation like that we say in German: “My ears were flapping” 

The manager waltzed through the door right before we were done with this situation - watching our reaction he inquired: What is the problem? 

And without waiting for an answer: There is a solution to every problem!

Me: We have cycled almost the whole world, but we have never come across a campground that expensive. It’s not in our budget!

He: Ok, how about 1/2 price? But if you have to think about it, the deal is over…..

Us: We take it, we take it!!!

26 francs for a luxurious place to pitch our tent left nothing to discuss or think about. Not only the bathroom was one that would be in a 5 star hotel.

The private access to the Aare River was not wasted on us either. 

Prior to the camping madness though, we spent a whole lovely week with friends of James from another life time (Brazil) who now live a little north of Geneva and who quickly became my friends too. Brasiliens are so easy to feel close to!

Living again in a family setting - great meals together a few times a day -conversations about every imaginable theme. Laughter, discussions..pure joy to be around these easy going warm hearted, generous and welcoming people.

Milo the family doggie swam in Lake Geneva for the first time:

We had a really good rest and a really good time! Thank you!!!!

And then we reached Germany…right across the Rhein River.

I admit, my heart jumped, my legs tingled, my whole being felt light and happy. Me (65kg) and my 60kg Gurly floated delighted into my home country feeling a combination of accomplishment and ecstatic. 

So begins a new chapter of our tour.