![\"Campsite](\"https:\/\/www.jmcw.blog\/swissblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2012\/11\/DSCF2269.jpg\" "\\"Campsite")
<\/a>Campsite in Burgdorf<\/p><\/div>\n
A light 32 km later we\u2019re setting up camp.\u00a0 The campsite\u2019s website had said they were open until Oct. 30.\u00a0 When we arrived, signs said they were closing Oct. 13.\u00a0 Another weekend and we would have been hotelling it again.\u00a0 But, no problem today.<\/p>\n
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Down in a valley, cliffs to both sides, next to the river\u2026campers will know:\u00a0 the rainfly was soaked by morning and nothing could dry before leaving.\u00a0 No problem: we wouldn\u2019t need the tent again because we were staying at a Schlaf-im-Stroh, \u201cSleep in the Straw\u201d.\u00a0 Some farmers supplement their income and give city folk a chance to semi-rough it, by renting out empty barn space.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>We often saw this former castle from trains, but we couldn't visit because it is now a reformatory.<\/p><\/div>\n
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The day remained cool, the clouds kept at bay, the 64 km went well.\u00a0 Except that final hill to the farm with what would have been a great view of the Alps were the sky clear (and the nuclear power plant not in the center of the landscape!).\u00a0 A little bit of walking the bike and we were welcomed to the Family Kaeser\u2019s Gugenhof.\u00a0 Well, I knew it would be rustic.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t mind the earthy smells.\u00a0 There was a tarp over the hay, so that made it a bit neater.\u00a0 BUT the bathroom facilities were definitely less clean, less well-kept, smellier than I would have guessed permissible (these places are supposed to be checked by an organization).\u00a0 Well, no real problem.\u00a0 Until the mosquitoes showed up.\u00a0 We had spread out our gear to let things dry overnight, but we ended up setting up the tent, on top of the hay, to keep out the bugs.\u00a0 So, no problem.\u00a0 Well, then there was that one cow.\u00a0 The rest all seemed to sleep.\u00a0 Maybe this gal was having bad dreams.\u00a0 Her bell, with an oddly regular beat, rang into the night.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>We had the barn to ourselves, so we could spread out our gear to dry.<\/p><\/div>\n
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We heard the rain pour down in the night and prayed it was passing through early.\u00a0 No such luck.\u00a0 But still no problem.\u00a0 We had wanted to test our new set-up for rain-tightness.\u00a0 The day varied from mist to solid rain, but we felt fine and carried on.\u00a0 Troopers, you know.<\/p>\n
Reached Lenzburg where we had thought\u00a0to visit the local castle museum, but well, it was raining, castles are always up steep hills, where would we stow the gear if we went in\u2026so we skipped it.<\/p>\n
<\/a>That's the Lenzburg castle WAAAY at the top, with MC waiting in the rain while Jon gets the picture.<\/p><\/div>\n
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On to Baden.\u00a0 A few minutes in old town, some nice quiche for lunch, and off to the train station.\u00a0 A little cold, rather damp, but no problem.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Jon in Baden<\/p><\/div>\n
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Until we couldn\u2019t find the ramp to get us to the right platform because when I bought the tickets they had forgotten things were changed due to construction.\u00a0 By the time it was all straightened out, we had to wait an extra hour for the next train.\u00a0 No real problem.\u00a0 They had a nice enclosed set of benches on the platform and we could rest a bit while waiting.<\/p>\n
Home again, home again.\u00a0 Bern looked so good.\u00a0 Sun was peeking through the clouds, the Kirchenfeld Bridge was now open for traffic (it had been closed off for construction until this weekend) so we didn\u2019t have to take the long way home.\u00a0 No problem.<\/p>\n
And then it happened.\u00a0 The front tire caught in a tram track when we turned at a large intersection.\u00a0 One second, all is well.\u00a0 The next, we\u2019re on our sides on the asphalt.\u00a0 We\u2019re okay.\u00a0 Bruised, bloodied and a little twisted.\u00a0 But we, and the bike, are okay.\u00a0 We think the bike did so well because it\u2019s made to come apart, so while the force of the fall might have broken another bike, ours just twisted where it was intended to.\u00a0 We straightened everything out, sat at a bus stop to let the shock wear off a bit.\u00a0 And now we\u2019re at home, camp gear spread everywhere, Jon finishing his work, me telling you our story.<\/p>\n
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This was not one of our more glamorous European excursions.\u00a0 Weather was iffy.\u00a0 As the weekend neared, predictions held for rain Sunday, but maybe not Saturday.\u00a0 On Friday, with Jon working at home, we watched the beautiful blue sky and … Continue reading