Day 18 - Basel to Jestetten (65 miles)

It's been a fragmented day.

Laufenburg

Firstly it was fragmented in terms of the countries I visited. I started in Basel but within half an hour I was in Germany. Later in the day I stopped for coffee at the beautiful Rhine village of Laufenburg, crossed the stone bridge to get to the cafe and inadvertently found myself in Switzerland once again. Back over the bridge, and again back in Germany, I continued following the Rhine and this time, another twenty five miles on, the route took me back into Switzerland. I am now again back in Germany for the evening although not far from a Swiss border which I will be passing through again tomorrow.

It has also been a fragmented day in terms of progress. From the outset I was grateful that I had downloaded the route to my phone because today it got used a lot; the signage in Basel was either well hidden or non existent and I seemed to be stopping every few hundred yards to check my route or cross a busy commuter-packed road. It took its toll on progress. Once in Germany, signage went from one extreme to the other: a number of signs would appear on a post, pointing in all directions to small towns and in such small writing you were forced to stop to read them. None were EV6 specific so the app continued to earn its keep. Occasionally I would find myself on a stretch where I could pedal with confidence but in general the morning was defined by an inability to get any momentum going for any length of time.

The scenery was also a fragmented mix. The route paralleled the Rhine, dropping down alongside it for some beautiful stretches where I would follow the curve of the tree lined river, its blue-green waters flowing gently past. But these moments were few and far between and linked by long stretches alongside roads- often fast and with heavy traffic - and separated from the river by fields and woodland. Even when alongside the Rhine, as I rounded the curve of an unspoilt stretch of river I would wonder whether I was about to see more of the same, an old Rhine town of sloped roofs and small shuttered windows or a concrete and steel industrial eyesore sitting incongruously upon the wood lined bank. Industry won out more often than not.

The Rhine

I arrived at my hotel in Jestetten late afternoon and at first thought I was going to re-live my first day: the door was locked and nobody answered to my knocking. After a long day on the road it was something I would rather not have to deal with, particular as accommodation in this small town appeared limited and I was keen to eat and to rest. It turned out I was trying a door which was part of the adjacent Chinese restaurant, the hotel and restaurant having the same owner and being part of the same building. Happily I am now settled into my comfortable room and with all likelihood a Chinese meal to look forward to.

I have to say that after my experiences in France, today's introduction to Germany has been disappointing. 'Must try harder' would be my assessment; the isolation of the route, its beauty and the ease with which it can be followed have not compared well with my experiences of the last two weeks. And with its intermittent effectiveness I have also realised just how reliant I am on my phone - navigation, translation, accommodation, communication - working as it does with a German provider but not with a Swiss one, and in this confused region for both countries I can never be sure which it has linked to. 

Let's hope tomorrow is an improvement.