6/9/09 Switzerland doesn't seem to be part of the new Europe and whilst it has at times adopted similar rules some things are different like needing to purchase a calendar year token to use the tollroads, even if our visit is only for one day, or for the full year, it is 30 Euros. They also still have their own currency, the Swiss Franc, so it was a little more organising to cross the border than we have recently had in the Euro zone. Dietmar was riding his Honda Tenere in Tanzania when we
first met in 2006. A year later our paths crossed again, this time in
India, both still on the same motorcycles we rode together for a while
in the Indian Himalayan mountains. Dietmar now lives back home in
Germany but has a partner in Grindelwald, Switzerland, Midori, a
Japanese woman who works in the Japanese tourism industry in the town.
We arrived at her flat in early evening. It was in an old, traditional
house, with magnificent
views overlooking Eiger Mountain. She had prepared a
semi traditional Japanese meal of grilled fish, salad and vegetables
which we ate with chopsticks, bringing back memories of Asia. Dietmar
had finished his trip almost two years previously and had now settled
into a more normal life, working, doing slide shows and has recently
had published a variety of photo calendars and is in the process of
having a pictorial book published, photos taken from his time on the
road. Future trips are perhaps planned but are not an immediate
priority. In fact Dietmar and Midori had only just arrived home from a
short motorcycle holiday, their first on the motorcycle since Dietmar's
return.
of us
strolled around town in the
morning and while Kay rested Dietmar and I went for a short hike across
the valley towards the glacier, which like many other glaciers in the
region is shrinking with global warming. We then strolled along the
river and back
to town. Another quiet evening talking of travels over dinner, a beer,
and a wine, in Midori's unit, with us later sleeping on the roll out
bed in the living room. We are often asked if we could live in another
country other than Australia. New Zealand often comes to mind, and now
this area of Switzerland could also be a possibility, at least in
summer, but we really think that Australia will hold us if we ever
settle down. Switzerland is quite
magnificent in its scenery and peaceful way of life. People were out
all day today, walking the hills or mountain biking. Farmers, on their
small
farms, were cutting, raking, tossing and baling the last of the
summer's hay on the steep slopes with specially adapted machinery, low
to the ground and with wide tyres. As Dietmar said you can't live in
such an area and not be part of nature and want to keep fit walking and
hiking. He is currently thinking of moving here permanently from his
home and job
near Freiburg, Germany.
the Susten and
Gotthard Passes, sharing the road with road hugging motorcycles
outnumbering cars, but continued our comfortable pace content that we
were unlikely to again be along this road and what scenery we now
missed we would have missed forever. After a couple of roadside stops,
the top of the passes, overlooking a turquoise mountain lake, we
arrived at Campione d'Italia. The enclave oozed money. Stunning hotels,
lakeside restaurants and bars, and cars we have never seen before
dotted the narrow streets giving the feel of a mini Monaco. The local
police asked for a photo, and our motorcycle was recognised (from a
recent Italian magazine article) by an Italian who worked at the
casino, who invited us for a coffee with his friends, and a promise to
meet again at the rally in Austria, where he would be riding on his H-D
V-Rod. With our celebrity status over it was back to the highway before
finding a campground alongside a river in a small ski town near Lenz.
The perfect day only marred by the shaft of a rivet having entered the
edge
of the rear tyre which had then rubbed a second hole through the
sidewall. Our initial efforts to repair both holes with a single rope
style
plug was unsuccessful, with both the plugs
being spat out just a
few
kilometres down the road. The second attempt with two rope plugs in
each hole was more successful, and using less tyre pressure we got to a
campground.