August 27, 2022
Day 5: EuroVelo 15 - the Rhine river (source to sea)
Friedrichshafen to Schaffhausen
This would be my longest distance in one day ever by non-motorised means - 72 km. Yay me! I should mention that I'm not really a "cyclist." Sure, I rode as a child and every now and then as an adult, but never seriously. I don’t own a stitch of Lycra (although I’m a pushover for padded shorts!).
Fitness-wise, I’m feeling stronger every day, though I plan to take a day off in Basel to avoid overworking my ageing body! My training regime for this trip was what I call "Wait Training" (not to be confused with Weight Training) - basically, "wait" until you start riding to get fit. Not entirely true, but close enough.
I got away at 7:15 am, partly because I had a long day ahead but mostly because I love the solitude of the early morning. Riding when it’s cooler also has its obvious benefits.
The first part of the ride wasn’t near the lake - I didn’t actually see Lake Constance until about an hour into the ride. That hour was spent cycling through quiet streets of small towns and villages, where traditional houses were giving way to more modern designs. The area is a holidaymakers’ paradise, but it’s ironic that the people drawn to its beauty may be destroying it by buying up property and “modernising” it. Despite that, the ride was the perfect start to the day.
Between the villages, the landscape became quite rural, with apple orchards and cornfields as the main crops. Most farm plots seemed small and family-owned - the machinery looked quite "compact" compared to the large, modern harvesters you see in Australia.
I’ve seen a few small vineyards on the trip so far, but today I rode through a proper wine-growing region. Some of the chateaus in the area were huge and ornate, most of them built over a century ago. I resisted the urge to pick an apple - I didn’t fancy having a shotgun pulled on me. But I couldn’t resist sampling a couple of grapes -one black, one white. They tasted amazing, which surprised me because I’d always thought wine grapes wouldn’t taste good in their raw form.
At one point, I stopped to take a photo of a vineyard in the early morning light. A man, who had been inspecting the grapes, got into a van with the estate's logo on the side. I waved my phone to ask if I could take a photo. He smiled and nodded. Then I called out, asking if I could try a sample from a bottle! He smiled, nodded again, and drove off. I waited for 10 minutes ... he never came back.
The bike paths were excellent throughout the morning, with many dedicated solely to cyclists and walkers. This made riding easy. I entered Meersburg to catch my first ferry of the trip. After parking my bike on the deck, I went upstairs to pay for my fare and get a coffee and muffin. I asked the attendant how long the trip would take: “Fifty minutes,” he said. I sat down, and moments later, I saw we were already docking in Konstanz - it had actually been 15 minutes! My bad.
Off the ferry, I cycled up a big hill alongside Marius, a Dutchman who had been cycling through France, Germany, and Switzerland. He was now heading to the train station to go home. He kindly gave me his contact details and offered to meet up when I reach the Netherlands.
Next, I searched for a hardware store to buy some gaffer tape for a running repair on my ‘other’ Ortlieb pannier, which had split (despite my previous glowing review of them!). Rain is coming, and I need to keep my gear dry, even if I don’t stay dry myself. I found "Toom," the German equivalent of our Australia’s Bunnings. Marvellous! Tape acquired; I headed toward Stein am Rhein.
Just outside Konstanz, I passed a fruit shop and circled back for a proper morning tea. The ferry muffin hadn’t hit the spot. I bought some grapes, two bananas, and a big juicy peach for just 3 Swiss francs - bargain! A couple of kilometres later, I found a park to take a break and enjoy my fruit.
Shortly after, I rode through newly sown fields of turnips, carrots, cabbages, and kale (though I still don’t consider kale a food!).
The bike paths in Ermatingen were the best of the day, weaving through the town and close to the water. In the background, the church bells tolled every hour. While riding, I met a young woman from Stuttgart on her summer break, doing her annual bike tour. She looked about 11 years of age until she mentioned she’d been doing an annual ride over the past 11 years! I then guessed mid-20s. I rode alongside her for 20 minutes until I realised, she couldn’t understand a word I was saying - not due to a language barrier, but because I was too breathless to speak properly. To avoid further embarrassment (or a heart attack), I meekly said I needed water and slowed down. She’d won. Later, I thought she might have been the older sister of the 6-year-old I raced and "beat" yesterday!
After passing through the picturesque lakeside towns of Berlingen and Steckborn, I came across a drink stand with an honesty box. The top shelf had water and apple juice. Not sure of the wording (since I couldn’t read German), but I saw CF4 (4 Swiss Francs), which seemed steep for a roadside drink, but it was refreshing.
As I approached Stein am Rhein for lunch, I encountered an exceptionally large man on a bike, struggling up a hill. His determination impressed me. (More on Tobias later - stay tuned!)
I eventually reached Stein am Rhein, another historic town, but crowded with tourists. I rode through a few backstreets, and found a place for lunch, before heading towards Schaffhausen. Not long after, I tackled a steep hill on a full stomach - earning the name "Heart Attack Hill," then followed by "Coronary Crest" a few kilometres later. Thankfully, the descents were glorious, alternating between forests and sunflower and corn fields. The gravel paths were well-graded and packed.
Nearing my final destination for the day, I found myself on a fantastic bike path alongside the Rhine. Across the river was Diessenhofen, a town that looked like it had been frozen in time with its pastel-coloured buildings and an impressive historic wooden bridge.
Suddenly I heard a "hello". It was the young girl I'd met while riding a few hours earlier, and I had just passed her. I thought about asking if she'd heard of the parable about a tortoise and a hare, however, that would be childish and I'm an adult. Soooo tempted. I stopped and asked about her destination. It was another forty kms further on. I decided to double down and ask how far she'd eventually ride today ... "100 km" she replied. "A short day then, I'm on track for about 130 kms", I wished I'd replied. Instead, I said "well done you", knowing that I could only dream of doing over one hundred kilometres in a day (then be in agony for the next three days!). I was hoping she didn't ask if I wanted to join her for that 40 km. She didn't. I left her there eating her apple, still without a hair out of place, makeup perfect, and as fresh as a daisy ... while I wondered if I could get to Schaffhausen in time to see a physio.
I arrived at the campsite, set up, and saw my camping neighbour was none other than Tobias, the big-hearted guy who had powered up that hill earlier. He’d beaten me here, but it wasn’t a race ... right?
Tobias has just graduated from Stuttgart University with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Yes, the same Stuttgart that cycling girl came from. No wonder he beat me here. As Tobias was a student, I bought him a beer and we talked about everything but mechanical engineering. Now, it’s 9:30 pm, rain is on the way, and everyone’s in bed. My new neighbour just arrived ... with a noisy electric pump for his mattress.
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