Onward to Switzerland (via Austria)

Reason for delayed posts: no WiFi… and as we are in Switzerland - it is too expensive to use data roaming!  So what have we been doing these last few days?

Monday: 29-Apr-2019 (Ludwigshafen)

We decided to stay another day at Campingplatz Schachenhorn – as it was still raining (from time to time…) and we had yet to “try out the bikes” – so we rode around to the next town, Bodman. – 12 km all told…. after which the bike's  computer told me I still had 82 km range left (the advantages of ECO mode)… the truth was probably closer to 40km (the range suggested while in TOUR mode… i.e. 100% assistance).  Anyhow a useful experiment – it is still taking a little time to figure out the quickest way to fold/unfold the bikes – but that is more about it taking 1 minute, as opposed to 2 minutes.

Above Bodman... after a "nice" climb in Sport mode = ride in the park.

After that it was back to looking at the 100mm (or so) deep set of manuals for the motorhome and its various components… and the bikes (“looking at” = skim reading at best!). In the process – I was able to break the heating system (configuration)… a little information can be dangerous!  However – I managed to unbreak it… eventually. Karilyn did some house-making too – to make the interior seem more homely.

On prominant display in the "kitchen"... thank you Life Group.

There was no reason to go outside in the afternoon… more convection… with hail.  Tomorrow.. we will dump grey water, fill up with fresh water, fill with diesel and head for Switzerland via Austria (an expensive  decision, filled with some challenge… as you will see).

Beuatiful public space in Ludwigshafen... there was another piece of art on display there too, and Karilyn has a lovely photo of it... but am not allowed to display it in this blog!

Tuesday: 30-Apr-2019 (Ludwigshafen to Altnau)

Pumped all the remaining freshwater into the grey water tank (we had used less than 50%), dumped the grey water, filled up the freshwater… and set sail from Campingplatz Schachenhorn after parting with €75 cash (for three days)… which is one of the surprises to date… credit cards are accepted much less frequently than we expected… we will need to stock up on cash, e.g. even the large bike shop where we bought helmets etc. would not accept a CC for payment.

We had two route choices to get to Switzerland – directly by going around the top of Lake Constance (Bodensee) or via Bregenz (which included a short passage through Austria). We chose the latter – because of the World Heritage Site in Unteruhldingen, called Pfahlbauten – a reconstruction of a “lake-house” bronze age village – one of the birthplaces of Europe. Essentially a village built on piles – dating back ~3000 years.

Overview of the village re-construction - where the archaeological work here started in the 19th  Centrury  and the reconstruction in the early 20th Century

A closer view - almost Asterixian…?

Getting there – presented a problem that I expect we will encounter many times… finding a place to park… a large vehicle.  In the end we found a “motorhome” parking area that seemed to be quite far outside the town – but resolved to use it, and the bikes to get to the Pfahlbauten - as this had always been our plan having anticipated such issues. But there was a moment of shallwe , or shall we not.  The answer was obvious - we shall - or we would have started down a bad path...  So, paid for 2h of parking, unfolded the bikes and set off, expecting this to take some time… but instead, we were there in less than 10 minutes – as we could use a well sign posted route through the backstreets of Unteruhldingen - directly to the Pfahlbauten

Next stop, Bregenz… or so we thought.  We were aware that we needed a “Go Box” when in Austria (a Vignette not being sufficient if the vehicle is over 3.5 tonnes), and that we needed to get it on either side of the border… and that they were available from “petrol stations”. Well – that was not quite sufficient information.  

We were on the E54 route… but didn’t recognise the border crossing – so ended up on a motorway in Austria, without a Go Box… a €220 fine… so got off as soon as we found an exit – and sought help… but the language barrier was too much of a challenge… found a Petrol Station – but they didn’t have Go boxes. But helpfully – after a number of phone calls – we had the name of a petrol station that did have GO boxes (close to the Swiss border as it turns out)… only problem, we needed  to go on the motorway to get there… and we passed under a camera gantry.  Eventually – we made it to the Eni AGIP Tankstelle near the Swiss border, paid €80 (cash) for the Go Box, plus €4.05 for the travel that we had already done between Germany and the Eni AGIP, and got what we hope is a “get out of jail free” card to say that we had spent 4 hours trying to get a Go Box – and had had to go on the motorways to do so.  We will see if that works…  All a bit trying!

And so we crossed into Switzerland – and paid a heavy vehicle Tax of €32 for 10 days use of Swiss Roads.  Next stop, the campsite at Altenau (Hof Seealp) – eight parking spots on a farm.  It had been a long and trying day… 

Hof Seealp was very peaceful, and although the facilities were rudimentary (the showers were just curtained off from each other, and the outside world… and breezes passed by (we are experiencing night time temperatures of the order of 6 – 8 C) – they were very clean. Here is the view out the “bedroom” window – with Lake Constance in the background.

A view from the bedroom window - Lake Constance beyond the trees (temperature wise it felt a little like Lake Taupo at Easter... perhaps a "late" Easter... we did not attempt a swim.

Hof Seealp, and fields of dandelions... and the barn for the 28 cows, and 8 calves - and a land area 20 hectares. 

Interestingly – the adjacent area on the German side of the Lake is the home of the Zeppelin – so we saw several Zeppelins over the lake.  

Wednesday: 01-May-2019 (Altnau to Ottenbach)

The 1^st of May is a holiday in this region… and it seemed like every kind of vehicle was on the road for a drive…. We saw everything from a Model A Ford, to many and various types of  supercars (Ferrari, Lamborghini etc).

Enroute... a nameless (to us) village along the way.

We enjoyed the drive along the western shore of Lake Constance - a swan, anyone?

Water toy?... and Lake Constance.

Enroute to the campsite at Ottenbach, we then transitioned onto the motorway to bypass Zurich.  A bit trying… there were quite long sections where the lanes had been narrowed (just wide enough for the motorhome) to allow for work on the road  – requiring lots of concentration(!)… and a few missteps at complicated junctions… but the navigation system got us back on to the right route in due course – even if U-Turns were required.

But the highlight of the day was the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen… it was also an introduction to “Camper Van” parking…  we waited for ages in the queue to get into the parking lot… and although it said there was parking for camper vans… they all seemed to be filled up with cars.  We were about to give up, and drive out again… when just near the exit – a space became available.  We drove in – but we are quite long… so protruded somewhat into the traffic, but not enough to stop the flow.  

At least we only protruded to the edge of the roadway … notice all the other "camper vans" parked in the so labelled spaces beside us.

So left and walked to the falls – hoping that we would be able to get out when we got back.

The Rhine Falls - the largest (by volume?)  waterfall in Switzerland... and in Europe. They are 150m wide and 23m high.. Interesting fact: only eels are able to "climb" them.

And another view - of course there is a train in the scene.

And yes – as almost always – there is a train in view.

Thursday: 02-May-2019 (Ottenbach to Stechelberg)

Yesterday – one thing that appeared as rare as the proverbial “hens tooth”… was a parking (or stopping) place for a vehicle of 7.6m length. Slightly discouraging (though I know we had been warned…).  But today – it became a little easier as we travelled along more of the “A” type roads (rather than “narrow” motorways). But first a couple of images from Ottenbach and the Reuss River.

The River Reuss at Ottenbach

The sense that Switzerland is an agricultural county is ever present - with tractors and other farm machinery on the roads. This is a scene of fields near OTtenbach. 

And in passing – other things that immediately stand out (from our time in Germany, very briefly in Austria, and in Switzerland): ever present  birdsong, fields filled with flowering (or seeding) dandelions, cigarette smoking everywhere, and, in Austria we even saw a bar in a petrol station (and we are not talking about coffee)! The role of the cell phone to fill in time seems much less here though – you see people sitting around talking… and smoking… and eating.

Anyhow – today our first stop was to be in Schwyz, where, according to our guide book, we will “discover Switzerland’s origin, the village square’s Baroque character and picturesque landscape”. See what you think:

Schwyz, capital of the Canton of Schwyz - with some hills in the background.

The village square - cropped to exclude the parking meters and other obscuring "objects"

The Catholic Church in the centre of Schwyz...

Along the way to Schwyz.. we travelled along the north shore of Lake Luzern – which was very lovely – but largely unrecorded, except in our minds… as there was nowhere to stop and take photos – except by cell phone through the window of the moving vehicle.

On the way to Schwyz - Lake Lucerne - properly Vierwaldstatterse (in German) - literally "Lake of the four Forested Settlements

However… after Schwyz options for stopping became much more numerous – giving hope for the future.

Enroute to Stechelberg, which is just “below” the Eiger and Jungfrau, south of Intrlaken – we managed  to drive through the centre of Lucerne (yes right past the covered bridge too), then on over the Brunig Pass – which even included a Rarimu-like spiral at one point.  We have now done nearly 1000 km – so hopefully the engine was ready for that workout – it seemed to cope just fine. 

Descending the Brunig Pass... notice... its raining again...

Nothing complicated about this road layout... the purple section is a tunnel...

And so we arrived at Camp Rutti, in Stechelberg – underneath the towering mountain peaks of Jumgfrau region (e,g., Eiger 3970m, Jungfrau 4158m, Breithorn 3782m) on one side and Schilthorn at only 2970m on on the other.  It is a stunning campsite, and the manager is very friendly and helpful.

Arriving in Lauterbrunnen… rain... and a few waterfalls... falling off the 1000m high cliffs...

Does this look like a spectacular camping spot??  It sure is... Camp Rutti, in Stechelberg.

It is raining again… so we may stay here a few days…  photos of the region next update… but this is where we are …

And if you are wondering where Stechelberg is in relationship to the Eiger and Jungfrau... here is the "map" that will make everything clear.

We will stay here a few days... and hope for a break in the weather so that we can visit the "roof of Europe".. via train.