The plan was conceived some time ago, but planning began over Christmas drinks in December. Three of us: Hilary (British), Silvana (Australian), and I (New Zealander), each celebrating a big birthday in 2010, a total of 160 years between us, would cycle around Switzerland, this beautiful country we now called home. In recent years we've hiked many a mountain together, but this was a different challenge, nine days on a bicycle, over 600 kilometres, carrying panniers with all necessities - and a little dress or two, just in case.
On a hot and sunny Friday in early July we piled bikes and panniers onto the early morning train to Geneva, and so began our BCT. Spouses were allowed to accompany us for the first couple of days, and a couple of superfit cycling friends came along too. So we were six as we cycled through the streets of Geneva, past the flag-bedecked UN building, past the American Embassy preparing for its July 4th garden party - marquees, white tablecloths, armed marines - past lakeside mansions and finally lakeside ourselves. Lunch at a busy lakeside cafe exercised long-dormant French vocabularies (though we all knew what "trente minutes" meant). Finally back on our bikes, we cycled through the pretty towns and villages lining the Swiss side of Lac Léman. Sleepy Saint-Prex's fountain filled our water bottles, and then the trail took us a little above the lake, through vineyards and past hillside chateaus.
In Morges we stopped to buy a helmet for Gary (his misplaced during the winter), and then we jumped on a train to Vevey, as advised by our route guide, (supposedly to avoid a busy road, though Mary and Scott, who cycled on, reported easy lakeside roads the entire way). From Vevey an easy last 7 km took us to Montreux, our hotel, a refreshing dip in the lake, and a bottle or two of prosecco to celebrate the beginning of our BCT!
Day One: 68km, 1382 calories (as measured on my Suunto watch) and around 4 hours in the saddle.
In Morges we stopped to buy a helmet for Gary (his misplaced during the winter), and then we jumped on a train to Vevey, as advised by our route guide, (supposedly to avoid a busy road, though Mary and Scott, who cycled on, reported easy lakeside roads the entire way). From Vevey an easy last 7 km took us to Montreux, our hotel, a refreshing dip in the lake, and a bottle or two of prosecco to celebrate the beginning of our BCT!
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