Sat 21st
Longest day, so why not try for our longest bike ride ? ( OK, our first bike ride of the trip – in fact, the first day without using the local rail / bus pass)
Whizzed down the cycle track along the Lauterbrunnen valley all the way into Interlaken. Easy peasy so far.
Turning east along Lake Brienz shoreline, we cycled along for a few miles, and it became clear that the Swiss concept of a ” lake shore ride ” is rather different from mine. It teases you with short flat bits before expecting you to head inland and climb up a hundred metres or more in order to carry on. But the lake was a glorious light turquoise , the weather was fair, and we trundled on.
When we stopped for our picnic, I was stunned to spot some unusual wild birds …
The storm clouds gathered as we got back into Interlaken, and we could hear bassy booms of thunder cracks reverberating round the mountains ( ie, the direction we had to go). We raced them all the way home up the cycle path to Lauterbrunnen, and arrived as the rain was starting to get serious. We would have been there sooner if not for a very dodgy character who kept circling us on his e-bike. When we saw him dismounting in a secluded area ahead of us, we went for discretion over valour. Doubled back off the bike path and took our chances on the main road up to Lauterbrunnen.
Quite an interesting profile for a bike ride, mind you
A few hours after we’d got back, the downpour finished its performance, packed up and moved off, leaving a more mellow sunset. I took this telephoto shot of the Mönch peak from our campsite , at 9:30 pm , lit up by the last rays from the west.
Nice way to finish the day.