Up to Col de la Croix

Waking up in a bath of birdsong, I turned around and listened for a while with my eyes shut. All sorts of birds singing the day in.

Once I got going, it was soon clear the kind of day it was going to be. A massive slog uphill. I pushed and cranked and groaned my way up to Col de la Croix at 589 m.

Met a lovely swiss family, parents and a boy of 8 years and a daughter a bit older, up there going the other way. They approved of Schopper not being an electric bike and seemed to regret not having pedaled Ausland. I assured them that they were living well pedaling around Switzerland, and then freewheeled down a luscious green hill till I had to squeal in delight.Read more