The BCT Day 6 - Reichenau to Altstätten

An early start for our longest day to date. It began with a sharp little incline from Reichenau (and we delightedly surged past a group of young men on mountain bikes - fitness improving!) Another unpaved trail took us along the river banks to Chur, more meandering across river flats and finally a gentle incline up into the hidden dellights of the Graubündner vineyard villages. Far above the motorists passing by on the motorway below, oblivious to the beauty above them, we cycled along farm trails lined by vineyards and through quiet, charming villages. We stopped to fill our water bottles and marvel at pretty Malans, and for coffee and refreshing Holundersirup drinks in Senins.
A glorious freeewheel ride took us down towards Bad Ragaz, and then began the long ride along the stop bank towards Buchs and lunch. It could have been a pleasant enough ride, if somewhat tedious (17km of flat asphalt riverside) but the fierce, hot headwind made it very tough. At last we arrived in Buchs, hot, hungry and thirsty. A fortuitous bank stop took us to one of the best meals of our trip, in the historic and beautifully renovated Restaurant Traube.

Thirst quenchers

Refreshed, revived, and with a bit of retail therapy to boot (a shop selling swimwear - new bikinis for Hils and me, and ceramics - a set of teacups for Silvana) we set off again. Past Werden (the smallest town in Switzerland - a row of pretty houses overlooking a tiny lake), alongside a canal with children swinging from ropes and jumping off banks, and through farmland at last to Altstätten. A pretty old town, it's afflicted with a lot of passing traffic - particularly past our hotel above one of the old town gates. An excellent Indian meal in the hotel restaurant and an early night - with earplugs!
86km, 1655 calories, 7 hours