Friday 25th September 1992 Holmes Chapel to Ostend
After work changed and caught the 15.53, in Euston at 17.50. Biked down Tottenham Court Road to Cambridge Circus, Shaftsbury Avenue, Piccadilly, and Hyde Park Corner, down to Victoria Station. Caught a train at 18.35, fast train down to Dover Western Docks (the train for the jetfoil) arrived at 20.40. There was no boat here so biked along to Dover Eastern Docks. It was dark in Dover now. I biked through Customs and obtained a boarding card at the motorists check in. The boat left at 22.00. The usual not so good Belgian ferry called at Western Docks, leaving there at 22.45 after picking up foot passengers and more cars. Arrived in Ostend at 04.00
Saturday 26th September 1992 Ostend to Mainz
I couldn’t board the 05.32 train for Koln; there was no guards van so no space for my bike. I had to wait for the 07.34 for Brussels Zuid / Midi, arriving at 08.34. It seemed like an eternity at Ostend waiting for this train. I passed much of the time checking all the possibilities through the day of imaginary trips from Ostend where bikes were allowed. Had breakfast in the station café, for £3.40. It set me up for the rest of the day with Ruth’s schnitzel too. Had a shave on the train and looked for another train out of Brussels. I went for the train to Luxembourg at 09.22, arriving at 12.11 in glorious sunshine. This was totally unlike England left behind in the wet and greyness. I had almost 3 hours to kill before boarding the ‘Iris’ to Basel so biked around Luxembourg city to take in the sights. There are good views from the terraces of the valley below. Had a quick look around the town but there were too many people – so viele leute. I found the old square where Andy and I had a meal once before boarding the train back to Ostend after cycling through Belgium and Luxembourg country, about ten years ago. I picnicked on the grass by the ‘Eternal Flame’, finishing off Ruth’s schnitzel and some lemonade. Sunbathed for a while then biked down to the valley to find the YHA we stayed at, but couldn’t find it, back then to the station. I enquired about boarding the ‘Iris’ to Basel but was told I couldn’t board with a bike (Ostend station had told me that I could). I tried to negotiate but to no avail unless I paid 180FF (£18.00) to put it at the end of the train – no way. Back to the information board to look at other departures, there was a train at 19.00 arriving in Basel at 22.39 but there was a problem in finding accommodation in the city at that time of night. In the train information office I was given a route that would get me into Basel: From Luxembourg 15.24 to Trier 16.08, from Trier 16.20 to Koblenz 17.40, from Koblenz 17.53 arriving in Basel at 21.45, so I took this. The first two trains were OK. The trip to Trier was uneventful but the Trier to Koblenz trip follows the Mosel all the way and there are very good views of the river. It’s better than the trip along the Rhine by train from Koln to Mainz. On arrival at Koblenz wasn’t too surprised to find that I couldn’t board the Basel train with a bike. Is Basel and Switzerland out of bounds for cyclists coming in from the north by train? I took the 17.58 down to Mainz, arriving at 19.33. I needed to make a quick decision in Mainz on a route south, if there was to be one. I enquired at the information desk and was given: Mainz 20.23 to Mannheim 21.37, from Mannheim 21.50 to Karlsruhe at 22.51, from Karlsruhe at 23.06 to Basel Bad (DB) at 01.02.Would this work? Fortunately it did! The previous train from Koblenz to Mainz had a 17-minute wait at Bingerbruck but this was scheduled. The train trip to Mannheim was uneventful; I buried myself in a magazine. The next train had 10 minutes at an unscheduled stop and I was thinking the worst and breathed again when it set off.
Sunday 27th September 1992 Mainz to Grand St Bernard Pass
A German who was going to Baden Baden on my next train was loud and offensive. I feared for my safety and was relieved when he got off to change in Karlsruhe. The train caught up on 8 lost minutes so had time to load the bike into the only guard’s van on to the next train on the final leg to Basel. It seems that guar’s vans on the trains to Basel are only supplied on the night trains. I put the bike through a passenger door next to the guar’s van as it was locked. This was a bit of a struggle up the steps then through a narrow corridor door and there was only just enough time to do it. I hung it up, having to open the grid base to stop it moving. I shared a compartment with an American Christian group, they were OK but I would have preferred to sleep! They got off at Freiburg and I dozed to Basel, still dead to the world in Basel. I woke up to the train jolting as it was being linked up with other coaches at the platform. I dragged the bike out when it was safe and found a warm, quite waiting room where I slept, with bike locked up behind the seat, until 05.30. Made my way through the dark, deserted streets to Basel SBB. There were very few people here at 06.00. I put my watch back one hour (I had already put it forward in Belgium); Swiss time was the same as England at this time of year. I bought a ticket to Brig for bike and myself. This cost 31.50SF + 9.00SF. The train left Basel at 07.23, arriving in Brig at 10.21.
On the train to Brig I washed and shaved then took a seat in the corridor so I could repack the panniers. At Bern the train reversed so I searched for a similar seat on the opposite side of the train for the view along the Rhone valley when the train emerged from the Lotschberg Tunnel at Goppenstein. The train was in the tunnel for 12 minutes and opened out to glorious scenery along the Valais. Here before me, as far as the eye could see, was my cycling country for the day – the Rhone valley from Martigny then over the Grand St Bernard to the Italian border then back along the Rhone valley to Brig and over the Simplon Pass. In Brig I walked up the street to the café with the goat statue outside where Ruth and I had a long drink one summer’s day. I bought a 2-litre container of orange juice from a shop nearby. I filled up my bottles then cycled along the valley to Visp. I found a good place for a wurst in Eyholz. On to the quieter small roads from Raron to Gampinen. There are restaurants beside the river at Steg, a bit expensive though. At Neidergestelen the village and church nestle under a rock face. From Neidergampel to Gampinen there are apple and grape vineyards lining both sides of the road. I filled my bag with a few gorgeous green apples. Back to the main road and uphill on the main road to Susten through the woods then up and down to Sierre in the valley, a sweep down to the town. For a main road this was very quite all the way to Martigny. There are vineyards on the south facing hills along the valley to Sion with its twin castles perched on the hills that can be seen in front for miles. I stopped for a coffee at St Leonard’s. There was a street party going on along the main street in the town as I cycled through. I loved the smell of the barbecue but wasn’t invited so pushed on! Up a gradual hill to Vetroz. I didn’t take the turning to Champson but very tempting vineyards along that road. A long straight road of vineyards both sides of the road all the way to the horizon and Martigny, its church spire can be seen for miles across the flat plane.
I had a pizza in the town before stating off up the beginning of the Grand St Bernard Pass at 3.00pm. The way was easy going as far as Orsieres, then a bit steeper as the road does a sweep up around the village. Above the village the road becomes considerably steeper and I was going slow enough to be overtaken by a runner! I couldn’t let him get away with it so put in some effort and went past him – big deal! It was dark soon after as I rolled into Liddos, dark shadowy shapes to the right of the road, no lights. It had been great scenery on the way up but now all I could see was the immediate road ahead. Up the next steep section into Liddos village proper. I tried three hotels looking round the village for a room with a bath. I found what I was looking for and enjoyed a steak meal and a beer and to bed at 10.30.
Monday 28th September 1992 Grand St Bernard Pass to Simplon Pass
After a large breakfast with loads of Tiltser cheese, and somebody else’s who left theirs on the next table, (prepared a doggy bag for lunch later) I wheeled the bike out of the store room and left Liddos at 10.00 and began the continuing climb for another eleven miles to the Col du Grande St Bernard at 8114 feet. I started riding in a tracksuit but I soon got too warm for that, so down to vest and shorts. It was a scenic ride up to Bourg St Pierre where I turned off to have a look at the village of old wooden houses perched on concrete mushroom shaped bocks. This seems to be a feature of wooden houses in the Valais as the old houses on the slopes above Zermatt are much the same. After the village I saw the lane continuing toward the reservoir and the main road above that disappearing in an avalanche gallery stretching toward Bourg St Bernard. I hoped that the lane would join the main road further along past the gallery but it didn’t. I saw the road snaking up past the reservoir but up toward Mont Ferrat to the west. I had to cycle through the gallery but the main road wasn’t too busy. I was out in the clearing but couldn’t see far ahead because of low cloud, this eventually cleared. It was a good scenic climb to the summit. The Swiss army were doing manoeuvres at the road tunnel airshaft at Bourg St Bernard. There are many hairpins / lacets on the quiet road to the summit. At the top the weather turned nasty. I was now in a thick pea-souper of wet mist with heavy rain just over the summit on the Italian side. It was dry on the Swiss side. The Swiss army were in action up here too. I had a couple of coffees in the summit café and asked about weather conditions. I was told it would it would stay dry on the Swiss side and I didn’t fancy experiencing the long haul up from the Aosta Valley to Settimo for the cross country route Biella-Romagnano-Lago Maggiore – and most of it would be dull.
So I turned tail and careered off down the pass again, something I’ve never done before and vowed I never would. I was back at the bottom of the pass in an hour! It had taken me 4 hours to struggle up to Liddos from Martigny and a further 3 hours today from Liddos to reach the col. It was a fantastic descent. In Martigny I took a train at 15.24 to Brig, arriving at 16.20. I shopped in the Co-op for drinks then at 17.00 started to climb the Simplon Pass. I had eaten the rest of my breakfast Tiltser with apples on the train. Climbing up the Simplon Pass I reached Reid and passed possible accommodation but decided to head further in the hope of finding somewhere to stay nearer to the road summit. It was getting dark when I reached the Ganter Valley. I took to the old road and avoided the new bridge spanning the upper valley. It was dark now and I had no lights. It was quite a climb to this point. Round a hairpin a bit further up and I entered Berisal where I saw a light ahead, but it was only a church. I couldn’t find any accommodation here. I met a hunter along the road who told me that accommodation in Rottwald was approx 5km away and should take me approx 20 minutes. It really took me 45 minutes; perhaps he thought I was fitter than I felt! I was at an altitude of 1837 metres and booked in at the Hotel Ganderwald.
I finished off the food from my panniers, as it was too late to buy a meal and I had a good soak in the bath down the corridor, the room had a shower but didn’t want to use that. I just took the room and slept well.
Tuesday 29th September 1992 Simplon Pass to Lugano
Rottwald village is a pleasant enough place but the lady hotelier was a bit off, perhaps she didn’t like foreigners. She liked my money though. Breakfast was the usual croissants, rolls and coffee. Out on the road the weather was a bit dismal, a little rain all the way up to the Simplon Pass summit. The last 3km of the climb was through a gallery. The Swiss army were at the top in force with tanks and other heavy vehicles and equipment. I bought a card and stamp from the hospice. I had a hot chocolate drink and asked about weather conditions. I found out that it was dry in Italy today so this time I plunged down the pass for the Italian Lakes. It was dry on the descent, it seems there had been no rain here. The Schlucht Gondo (Gondo gorge) is particularly scenic. There are scores of waterfalls in full flow, long leaps down the mountainside on either side of the gorge after the heavy rain the day before (If the St Bernard Pass was anything to go by). There are great views down to Gondo where I was waived through the customs. After the Italian border the gorge opens out to a wider valley. The Val di Vedro was less interesting but still scenic and typically Italian. The end of the valley before Crevola, however, is all tunnelling – about 5 km of it? I didn’t like it one bit with traffic thundering through in both directions. Eventually spun down to Domodossola and cobbled, grimy streets. There were plenty of hitchhikers thumbing lifts back over the Simplon to Switzerland. I turned off by the station for the quieter road south through Beura, interesting valley scenery. Later back to the main road at Vogogna then a fast ride gently down to Cuzzago and turned off for Lago Maggiore at Verbania. Mergozzo on the way is a surprise. It has an interesting small lake and the village nestles in a corner of the lake. I joined the busy main road to Suna then along the lake to Pallanza. My map indicated that there was a ferry across from here but if there was it wasn’t operating today. Continued along the lake to Intra and rode on to the ferry there. I paid an extra 1000 lire (0.45p) for the privilege of paying on board rather than join a queue and wait for the next crossing. The ferry crossing was 5100 lire and lands on the other side at Laveno. I had done this same trip in reverse many years ago and was stranded in the middle of the lake for three hours because the ferry broke down. I was fed up with the view of Verbania at the time! Laveno is pleasant place and it was a satisfying feeling having reached the lake from the Simplon. I opened a pack of digestive biscuits that I’d brought from home. I sat and had a read for an hour until 16.30 then took the road for Luino. There are good views of the lake but the road climbs away from it about half way then down again at Porto Valtravaglia, a small town nestling under a large cliff. At Germignaga I took the wrong road inland, heading for Varese. It’s a scenic road though and an easy valley ride to Brissago then hairpins up to Ghirla. It was getting a bit late in the day and the climb set me back a bit. It was now gathering dusk; the road descends into Ponte Tresa on Lake Lugano. This last kilometre into the town I was cycling in the dark. I reached the Swiss border and put on my tracksuit. The town was very active. There are plenty of shops selling all Italian paraphernalia. I had my lights on but they were faint. I should have put new batteries in. I followed the Ponte Tresa to Lugano local rail route to Agno along a very busy main road. I could see Lugano over the hill that separated Agno from the Swiss resort. I decided to ride on the pavement as the road was far too busy and my lights were dim. I scared a lady who jumped when I rode up behind her – apologised! Over the hill and down into the town. Two cyclists overtook me on the hill going down but they were more foolish than me. They were dressed in dark clothing and had no lights and careered down the hill at breakneck speed. Playing Russian roulette with the traffic is not my idea of adventure. I arrived at the station but couldn’t find my way to the youth hostel. I was directed to a new one by the station. “Number one in Lugano!” I was told but it was not the IYHF, I went down to the town, totally lost. Wasted time and effort I cycled back up the winding hill away from the lake and back to the station. It was the Bellinzona road to the right in a filter system. I retraced our steps from memory when Ruth and I were here last year where we eventually caught a bus up the hill. I finally remembered the route picturing the route we had taken. I arrived at the hostel at 19.30 and booked in. I had a great meal at the restaurant on the other side of the road from the hostel entrance to the grounds. I watched some Swiss TV there for a while, relaxing after my meal. Walked back to the hostel at 23.00 and slept very well that night.
Wednesday 30th September 1992 Lugano to Maloja Pass
A good night’s sleep at Lugano hostel (Piccino room) up the wooden stairs in the end building. So good that I almost missed breakfast (07.00 – 08.00). Got down at 08.15 but they let me off and had bread, jam, loads of hot chocolate, with a tub of chocolate and 2 jugs of warm milk to myself. This would set me up for the morning. I enjoyed the sun at the swimming pool later. There was a friendly German couple that I met last night at the restaurant. Eventually hit the road at 09.30, down to the town. I sorted out my bags before going up the road to Gandria. I stopped for a while on the road at the top of the hill above Gandria. The benches are well placed at the side of the road for the view down to the lake and the village below. Explored for an hour around Gandria, leaving the bike locked by the side of the church as I wandered the passageways to the jetty. Great views from the lake; back to the bike and along the road, down the hill and to the border. I was waved through and back into Italy. Italians were busy tunnelling through the rock, constructing a new road at the border. A quick ride on to Porlezza at the end of the lake, avoiding most of the tunnels by taking the old road along the lake that clings to the cliff edges. This didn’t work at the last one just before Porlezza; there were piles of rubbish in the way that blocked the narrow road so I had to take to the tunnel. Didn’t stop in Porlezza but turned inland over the hill that separates Lake Lugano from Maggiore, a fairly long climb to Croce with great views back down over the red roofs of Porlezza and a last view of Lake Lugano. After Croce it was down following hairpins into Menaggio. Great views of the lake on the descent, across to Bellagio where Ruth and Iris will be on 25th October this year for a week. I bought a carton of wine for 1880 lire (85p) and a couple of yoghurts. I stopped on the waterfront to eat some food I brought with me then biked past the street sellers back to the main road. The next stop was Aquaseria for lunch where I had the yoghurt and wine and made my bags even lighter. Rode non-stop to Gera Lario at the head of the lake. Gravedona is an interesting town, an old fishing village of orange –brown houses. At the head of the lake the scenery changes abruptly. Over the girder bridge then a dead straight flat road for 2km over marshy ground to both sides, eventually ending at a ‘T’junction where I turned right for Chiavenna. I looked for the lane from Novate through S.Pietro etc but couldn’t find it. Along the main road through wooded countryside and mainly flat until I reached S.Cassiano where the gradual climbs starts heading for the Maloja Pass. The valley becomes narrow with Chiavenna marking the end of the valley before climbing either the Splugen Pass to the north or Maloja Pass to the east, both going over to Switzerland. I was getting very tired at this point and needed food. I decided not to stop in Chiavenna. One notable sight was the open-air gents urinals in the middle of the main street on the dual carriageway! I stopped later at Piuro and bought a large carton of milk and a litre of orange which I was going to fill my bottles with but didn’t get round to it. It got buried in the bottom of a pannier bag and forgotten about and ended up home at the end of the tour. Ruth and I enjoyed one evening the following week. I sat for a while by the water fountain and filled the bottles with water. I found out later the hard way that I shouldn’t have drank that water. The last few miles of Italy along this road was becoming steeper and narrower and the scenery was becoming better. At Castasegna were the usual well stuffed tourist shops selling Italian glitter, just after that I reached the border and was waived through again. The town is mainly on the Swiss side and I was climbing steeply along narrow cobbled streets with houses tightly packed on either side and no traffic. I thought I had taken a wrong road, until I reached the end of the street and cobbles where the traffic was patiently queuing, waiting for me to exit their space so that the lights would change.
I stopped outside the town to see how far I could get today from the map. St Moritz was definitely not on the cards now. I would never get up to the top of the Maloja Pass before dark and I was fast loosing energy.
I must remember to visit Soglio on the border sometime in the future. The guidebook indicates a ‘not to be missed’ village. At Castlemur the pension looked tempting but it is right on the main road, also a large hotel nearby was equally off-putting. I found a good place at Stampa, the Hotel Val d’Arca. I left the bike in the cellar and the proprietor eventually moved it into his garage.
I had a good spaghetti meal and showered. I had a short walk outside, uphill and later then back down to my room to catch up with the diary. I had a beer then retired for the night and slept really well.
Thursday 1st October 1992 Maloja Pass to Lenzerheide Pass
I had a bit of a lie in, down for breakfast at 09.00. A girl outside was brushing leaves at the patio, being very meticulous around the chairs and tables. There was also a heavy wind blowing. After breakfast and trying to converse with a German couple I was away from the hotel, heading up the pass at 10.00, a steady climb out of the valley. It was a very pleasant sunny morning. The only two villages on this side of the pass now were Vicsoprano and Casaccia, but the climbing really started after the first village. It took me until 12.30 to reach the Maloja Pass but it was worth the effort. There are great views on the way up and looking back down the valley. The whole area around is very green and wooded but steep enough for views over the trees. The pass is low as Swiss alpine passes go but it is high up from the low-lying Italian lakes. I stopped a while at the top to take in the view then followed the very different, gradual descent to Silvaplana, St Moritz and Samedan. It is very pleasant lake scenery again but very different from the warm shimmer of the Italian lakes. Here the cooler air and the backdrop of the mountains, especially the snow capped Piz Corvatsch, and crisp air is a real contrast. I stopped between the lakes on the roadside for some food fished from a pannier then on along to Silvaplana where the road comes down from the Julierpass. I carried on down to St Moritz Bad where I had a look at the unusual church. It’s interesting on the outside with it’s slender dark stone tower but there was nothing much to see inside. I had a quick look around the shops but nothing I wanted to buy. I gave St Moritz Dorf a miss seeing as Ruth and I have had a good look round it already. Carried on uphill from here to Samedan then along the quiet road to Bever station, the end of the railway line from Chur-Albula. Further along the lane to La Punt and sharp left for an immediate climb where the road hairpins up through short grassy open country heading for the Albula Pass. I rested at the first hairpin and found a bench to sit and take in the view across the valley towards Bernina. At 14.00 I was away again. The climb is sudden with hairpins in sight all the way up the grassy mountainside. The worst of the ascent was over lower down. The grass changes to gorse as the road leaves the valley and turns north into Val d’Alvra and flattens out a bit, a stream running alongside. A mountain chalet marks the point at the top of the hairpins. A few children gave me some cheek just because I was showing a bit of flab with my shirt off. At the road summit (15.30 – 16.00) I enjoyed a goulash soup and hot chocolate for 11SF. A Swiss cyclist was in there. He told me he was coming up the Albula from Chur and had reached the road summit just ahead of me. I found out later that I was glad I hadn’t come up the Albula that way; it was a long climb up from Tiefencastel. The descent was fantastic, just rocky ground at first, very steeply down to gorse country then grassy fields further down. The Rhaetian railway route does some interesting loops through the woods, disappearing and reappearing through tunnels further down. Bergun has some interesting houses mainly painted in pink, really colourful. A tall slender church stands proudly at the road junction in the centre of the small town, much more impressive than the one that stands by the lake at St Moritz Bad. We must go here by train sometime in the future. The scenery is beautiful all the way down to Surava, off the mountains to the north west. It was about 18.00 and getting towards dusk but still time to take in a few more miles of good scenery before it finally went dark. The one kilometre sharp climb from Surava to Belfort was worth the effort. I turned left over a wooden bridge then through Brienz to Lantsch. This saved a climb up from Tiefencastel as this road carried on at the same height. The scenery is very good on this road too, looking across the mountain chain north of the Rheinwald, the upper Rhine valley. The mountains were silhouetted in the dying embers of the sun. It was getting dark as I rode up through Lantsch, visible for a couple of miles away up along the road from Brienz. From here it was worth tackling the five kilometres to be within a hop skip and jump from the top of the Lenzerheide Pass. Lenzerheide itself, just south of the pass, is definitely a tourist town. There are plenty of expensive hotels. I thought of cycling on past the town into the woods but it was getting dark. I turned back and called at a few places before finding a cheaper hotel on the west side of the town, near to where I came in. This was the Sport Hotel Scalottas. After a wash and change and putting the bike in the hotel at the back entrance and locking it, I went down for a meal. I had Weiner schnitzel for 28.50SF and two beers at 6.60SF. That night I didn’t sleep too well. I put it down to the water the day before as I’ve only eaten good food since. I finally got off to sleep at 02.00 but woke again at 05.00. I was OK the next morning, though – just a little sleepy. It was fortunate that I only needed to cycle to Chur or Zurich tomorrow for the train home.
Friday 2nd October 1992 Lenzerheide Pass to Koln (Cologne)
Breakfast was good, plenty of rolls and coffee served by a girl who spoke really good English. I had a look around the town this morning, hoping to find a tablecloth for Ruth, but nothing found. Left Lenzerheide at 10.00 for the final climb of my tour. It was an easy 2km climb to Valbella and the road summit of the Lenzerheide Pass. I soon changed to shorts and cycle shirt going up here even though the weather was noticeably cooler today. The descent is as equally as fantastic as the climb up yesterday. It’s a gradual descent with great views through Churwalden. At 2km above Chur there is a great view of the city spread out in the valley with the road to Arosa climbing up the mountainside, opposite. The bells were ringing from the cathedral and another distant church as I stood and admired the view. It was almost as pleasant as hearing cowbells! I arrived in Chur at 13.00. I had a look round the town again for a tablecloth for Ruth, but again to no avail. I then took a train on to Zurich. The weather turned nasty, the worst day for weather, so was glad to have reached this point. All I needed to do now was to take the trains. The train passed Glarus where the final big pass, the Pragel Pass, is situated. This is between Altdorf and Glarus and one year I will ride it. For this tour though the weather has put a stop to any further cycling. It was pelting down as the train drew out of Rapperswil.
In Zurich I enjoyed the free samples of meringue and Choky (chocolate marrow) paste in the Jemoli supermarket. It was just like me to find free samples and something for nothing. There was no way they were going to benefit from a future sale with me as I was on my way home. Also thrust into my hand was a huge shiny red apple, “Bie Bodensee!” she said proudly. Ruth and I shared it at home on the day I arrived back. It was very nice, crisp, sweet and juicy – just like the girl who pressed it into my hand! I had a hot dog with a difference from outside the Jemoli store then wandered back to the station where I had left my bike locked up. I sent the bike packing to Ostend. I was assured it would go on a train to Basel then transferred to the 23.59 train to Ostend so that I could collect it there and take it home. It did – I met up with it at Ostend when I arrived on a different train, the system works! Meanwhile I was wandering around Zurich with two heavy pannier bags still looking for a tablecloth. The only one I could find was in a shop at the station but that was too expensive at £70.00. On then to Basel where I finally tracked down my prey. I bought two tablecloths for 31.60SF then waited for what seemed ages for the night train.
I arrived in Basel at 19.30 so had 3 ¼ hours to wait for the train home. I passed a pleasant ½ hour at the station talking with a 10 year old Swiss boy who spoke German slowly and clearly enough for me to understand him. His father (‘Papy’ he called him) was running a taxi round and based at the station. He spent his time waiting for his papy. He asked if he could sit with me and wanted to know where I was from. “Aber sie spricht deutsch gut”, he said. Well, I learn a bit I told him. He started collecting station trolleys and counted them and asked me to count them – in English – then in German. I think he was pleased to talk with (perhaps) his first English person.
Finally boarded the 23.15 train to Koln and shared a compartment with a lad from Ghana who was working in a Zurich hotel. His wife was Swiss. Another person in the compartment came from Indonesia. We all spoke English of course. I arrived in Koln at 07.00.
Saturday 3rd October 1992 Koln to Holmes Chapel
I caught a train out of Koln at 08.00 for Ostend to link with the midday ferry to Dover. I hoped that my bike would be there waiting for me – it was! It had arrived OK. I checked it out at the bike storage, removed the large Swiss SBB plastic bag from it and cycled out to the long wooden jetty with the bags loaded back on the carrier. I was glad I wasn’t carrying these anymore. I sat at the end of the jetty for a while that is along the road, west of the docks. It was quiet there and was a good vantage point to watch the ferries coming and going, other boats and people too. I sat for a couple of hours, read some magazines then ambled my way back to the ferry terminal for the next Dover ship. I bought some pomme frites, frankfurter and mayonnaise from the caravan stand by the swing bridge before the harbour terminal. I bought some liquorice for Ruth then went for the 13.15 boat. The ferry arrived in Dover Western Docks at 18.30. There were no problems at Customs. I had bought a litre of Bells whisky and a litre of Blue Nun wine on the boat (£14.00 total). There was a train connection to London almost immediately. I talked with a couple from Wolverhampton on the train that were returning from Koln. They had experienced a great deal of trouble trying to bring their tandem on this train though they had no trouble bringing it on the train from Koln to Ostend and on the Ostend – Dover ferry.
The train arrived in London Waterloo at 20.00. I cycled across London via Parliament Square, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Tottenham Court Road – followed by the Wolves couple on their tandem! I boarded the 21.15 from Euston and arrived in Crewe at 23.15. Ruth collected me from the station. She even made me stew for supper!
And so to bed!