The Highlife and the TdF

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Friday was spent in transit to Switzerland, the transit bit not helped by road works on the M3 and poor sign posting, however I managed to find the car park and get myself to Gatwick where the usual two hours of boredom became three as my plane was delayed, according to QueasyJet, by the atrocity in Nice, the night before. Anyway, my broomstick finally landed at Basel and eventually I found the right exit where mine host was patiently waiting. The traffic to Bern was not helpful but we got there in time for lasagne - a favourite of mine.

Just in case you, dear reader, didn't appreciate the cause of my departure to parts exotic, it was nothing I've done that I'm going to admit to anyway and the bloke who pinched my parking space the other night was seen the next day, honest officer. So what might cause l'il ol' me to pack a case and head southish? A bike race perchance? Well that and a chance to confer with another esteemed author with whom I shall watch bits of said bike race probably wearing my TdF - Yorkshire Grand Depart.

For those of you who've never been to Switzerland, the bad news is William Tell died a while ago and he didn't ride a white horse and have a pal called Tonto, so instead I was taken sight-seeing and the sights are heavenly. It took us just over the hour to ride up the Brienzer Rothorn, not as quick as Froome might do it, but he is a bit younger; besides, the funicular railway doesn't do fast (you didn't think I was on a bike did you? Duh!) For those unsophisticates wot hasn't travelled like wot I has, I refer to a mountain from which the views were magical. I mean whodathunkit, wossername, scribbler of pointless dormouse tales was in the Alps and sitting eating lunch while looking across to the Eiger and the Jungfrau; but I was and with two wonderful companions. It's probably just as well I wasn't riding in the TdF because I'd either have fallen off my bike looking at the views or at the delights of watching Alpine choughs cavorting in the rarefied air, not to mention a plethora of new wild flowers.

Down the mountain, and no, the train doesn't go any faster helped by gravity, we stopped at Interlaken, so called because it's between two lakes (obvious really, innit?) the Brienzersee and the Thunersee and yes we did see both of them. From there a short trip to Harder and a stop to see marmots and Ibex at a wild park. Marmots, for them wot doesn't know, are like a cross between small beavers and giant guineapigs. They used to be numerous in the Alps but like everything else have not profited from human proliferation. They're not terribly bright, mind you neither are marmots unlike the ibex who were accosting the chap who looks after the reserve, for treats - poking him with a foot for attention.

Our awww factor sated by the baby ibex, we came home and after a delicious dinner of fish and rice with mushrooms and courgettes followed by an evening stroll to view the old city of Bern in the setting sun, we settled down to view the highlights of le Tour. Our discussion about whether that nice young Mr Cavendish cut up that foreigner Kittle, took all of five seconds and we cheered the sprintermeister's latest win. Now, after offering appropriate sacrifices to the gods of cycling, we hope on Monday to watch him add the expected bunch finish in Bern to his palmares. Seeing Cav sprint, in the flesh, how else would he do it, would be the icing on the Swiss roll, so to speak, for this fan, anyway. C'mon Cav, Allez Cav.

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Comments

Have you spotted

Podracer's picture

any cuckoo clocks though? Maybe cuckoo choughs...

"Reach for the sun."

cuckoo clocks

Maddy Bell's picture

Are not really a Swiss thing although had Ang gone along to Brienz (at the opposite end of Brienzersee to Interlaken) they are well into wood carving for the tourists.

It truly is an amazing area - anyone wanting more insight should read Gaby - It's a Swiss as it has an extensive visit to the Aare valley, Interlaken and indeed Bern! Enjoy the trip Ang!


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Madeline Anafrid Bell

You are crazy!

Like me! I still remember my delight some thirty-plus years ago when I also observed alpine choughs against a backdrop of the Jungfrau and Eiger. (To those wot don't know, they are very like our British "Cornish" choughs (then rare but now improving, and more common on some Western Scottish Islands) but have yellow (instead of red) beaks.

Don't forget the west coast of Ireland

especially around 'The Burren' and south to the tall cliffs at 'Cliffs of Moher' for Choughs.
I've taken some lovely pictures of them in that area. Lovely biking as well.

Isle of Man

Angharad's picture

has choughs because I've seen them there, it also has Mark Cavendish, who tends to chuff us too.

Angharad

Wow, sounds great so far!

Wow, sounds great so far! Enjoy your Cav spotting!

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

Been

Angharad's picture

an otter spotter today -- whoohoo!

Angharad

Has it maybe climbing the Eiger North wall?

Oh dear... I really was imagining you going by bike when you mentioned the TdF. On the other hand, one would need a sponsorship from Bayer to even come close to being as fast as the professional cyclists. So I guess watching motionless mountains and fast critters is healthier than riding up some hills.

Enjoy your holidays :)

Saphira

--
>> There is not one single truth out there. <<

If your Cavendish wins, will

If your Cavendish wins, will he go through as many tests as the Americans? The fellow from Marblehead, I used to see training(almost gave him a Stella boost once).
Enjoy a well earned vacation Ang !

unlike the Texan

Maddy Bell's picture

He will be checked as will his bike, only apologists try to defend LA.


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Madeline Anafrid Bell

Sadly, he didn't win

Angharad's picture

and I hear he's withdrawn from the race to concentrate on the Olympics. While I'd love to see him win in Paris again, I wish him luck in the omnium, an olympic medal would be a nice addition to his palmares.

Angharad