Aarau wed 11 june

At last a good go with the grannie of granny gears over a hot 58 ks. According to my elegant swiss book chart up 780 meters in the day 360 odd  in 9ks. Above 10% hills which is worse than I can expect on the Gotthard smaller roads steeper gradient. The new speedo is working beautifully.
Started the day posting home my unnecessaries....lightening up. 1.2kgs takes the slowboat home. Then a well signed drift through Basel burbs. Got free gonflage and a hosing on my way through. There are road sections in this path . It is very different from EV6.  Not nearly as many veloistes.
Getting lost is now less fun with hour long hills to be re- negotiated so the swiss have a phone app (which I downloaded in Aus) that shows me where I'm on the route. Pinpoint  and tremendously reassuring.  No mobile data required either just gps all free Gotta  love it

Then some absolutely beautiful forest...tall, cooling, bird filled green running streams.... and of course the slow grind.  Bike performed well, didn't seem much lighter but. Haha.
A great test today short bursts of really  steep hills accomplished  reassure me about the longer less steep grinds to come.
A great way to experience the well kept natural swiss world.

Then bursting out of the trees to get my first glimpse of the alps. Serenely distant on a hot morning.

Dirt road descent through forest into Aarau big expensive and friendly. No camping. No tourist info. Steep cobbles. Ended up at the banhoff again. Met two aussies riding without gear (transported separately) just retired and riding to Luzern which is lakeside tomorrow. Chance encounters make for momentary conversations. Interesting the different methods used to ride in this continent.
Ive gone the irish pub this time for its pennyfarthings (one titanium no less). I'm getting a marguerita to go with my end of the day beer treat.
Today lots of thoughts of home missing everyone and imagining those cool frosty mornings. A great antidote to a hot 10 days. Finally the alps are within sight.