Ratvel crash camp

Helene put me on to a variation of the lake route that took me over the Terraces des Lavaux . Today was the opening day for the wine caves, so there were parades of pretty tourists walking around with goblets in hand, laughing and looking in awe at the stunning scenery of the sunlit lake. I felt a little less enthusiastic, having measured the steepness of the climb up here.

At Chardonnes, I stopped off to meet Maude. She treated me to cool syrup in her garden overlooking the lake near Montreux, and regaled me with some stories of her bike trips. I decided not to stay and pedaled on towards Bulles.

Just at the descent near Ratvel, I had an accident. A stream running across the road had made the bed very slippery. I fell with Schopper in a thud and a splash. I was drenched and shaken, but could not detect any real damage. Crazy how a little bit of water, flowing fast, can change your ride.

That was enough for the day, so I decided to spend the night here. Maybe a few things would dry overnight - except it rained during the night. At least the sunrise was memorable!Read more