Crossing borders

If it weren’t for a friendly stranger from the past sticking a stamp on a lamppost, we never would have figured out the exact location where we crossed the border into France. There was no sign, no indication that the country had changed and, as we would come to realise, this would be the case for most our border-crossings from now on. Over the past week we have been hopping between Germany, France and Switzerland. The Rhine is the border between these countries in places so, quite surreally, we have often been cycling in one country while we can see another across the river. A couple of times we have even changed country without even realising it right away. There are obvious changes like the street names and the colour of certain road symbols but there are also more surprising changes that we noticed. In France, for example, it is customary to wave and say bonjour to other passing cyclists, whereas Germany has more of a ‘head down and power on’ kind of approach.

We’ve not spent a lot of time in France so far but I truly loved our night in Strasbourg. The apartment we stayed in, organised through WarmShowers, was on the fifth floor and had a gorgeous balcony. I felt like I was transported into a romantic novel where a twenty something girl escapes urban life and discovers a love of patisserie. Wandering around the market in the morning felt like floating through a maze of ever-changing smells with a background soundtrack of lightning fast, passionate and completely nonsensical (to me anyway) conversation. I wasn’t expecting it, but I really loved Strasbourg. The combination of the beautiful apartment, the canal-centric energetic city and a very delicious almond croissant was enough to bewitch me under the city’s spell. 

We then followed the German border towards Switzerland and I was worried that it would be hard to find more places I liked as much as Strasbourg. Of course, this feeling was soon calmed as we entered Basel and we were greeted by the entertaining sight of hundreds of people swimming down the Rhine carrying their belongings in a bag which doubles as a float. I hadn’t been to Switzerland before this trip and as we cycle in the hills surrounded by stunning landscapes I know I’m glad we’ve visited. It is expensive and it’s annoying that they use different plugs and currency to the previous countries, but swimming in and cycling alongside the crystal clear river more than makes up for any minor inconveniences. It’s as though somewhere between the Netherlands and Switzerland there is a massive water filter cleaning the river as we follow it upstream. 

Today we cycled to the Rhine falls which is the largest waterfall in Europe by volume (I like to call it the loudest, much to Jack’s annoyance). The cycling is definitely getting hillier as the map contours bunch together and we are passing other cyclists more frequently who, usually, are on much faster and lighter bikes than us. We stopped for lunch by an ‘honesty shop’ which sold scrumptious ice cream. Jack had basil and I had rhubarb yogurt, they were both the most expensive and most delicious ice creams of the trip so far. While we were sat eating the frozen treats, a friendly Swiss lady offered us nectarines we had just seen her pick fresh from the tree. They smelled divine and tasty even better. Maybe it was just the refreshing sensation of the fruit’s fresh juice after a long climb but I think it’s probably the tastiest piece of fruit I’ve ever eaten. 

Arriving at the Rhine falls I had mixed emotions. I was very excited to see them but I was a surprised by the touristy takeover of the sight. They had shops and perfectly placed walls which made it difficult to see the falls without paying to access certain areas. It’s interesting to me that the waterfalls occur naturally and cost nothing to maintain yet society has found a way to monetise them. We took a boat to go right up to the waterfall and we both sat staring in amazement at the sheer noise and speed of the water over the perfectly random and natural rock formations. It was worth every penny.

So far, Switzerland has been a place of beautiful landscapes, clear water and never ending trees. The towns are full of jaunty half timbered houses, impressive covered bridges and ornate fountains offering free and natural drinking water. It’s a beautiful country (from the small slither we’ve seen) and I can’t wait to explore more of it. Soon we’ll see a corner of Austria and a snippet of Lichtenstein too and I’m eager to find what they have to offer. 

Speak soon,

Jack and Baz