Outside Feldkirch
18 July 2011
We traversed zero mountain passes today.
We rode from Bludenz down to the Rhine, and crossed into Switzerland, at a border that was unceremoniously marked by a single flag.
We continued to follow the river, though the path was flat and boring. We had previously seen rollerblade-labeled trails, but here I saw a map that explained how Switzerland actually had a huge network of rollerblading trails. I must learn more— in particular, whether I can do a rollerblade tour of Switzerland next year.
We had lunch (doner kebab) in St. Margrethen at a food stand outside a mall. The mall was huge, and, somewhat oddly, had two supermarkets right next to each other. I suppose capitalism is alive and well here, compared to France, where finding anyone who would sell us a SIM card was an ordeal.
In the afternoon we continued along the bike path to the Bodensee. Here the bike path winds between people's backyards, and we saw many cycle-touring families on the trail. Frequently we would see parents with two or three kids in tow, and any kid over the age of 5 or so would typically be riding his own bike! The Bodensee is nice, but I thought it was a bit too built-up along the shore for my taste.
We checked into a hotel and wandered around town.
In Rorschach, for our first dinner in Switzerland in some time, we experienced food price sticker shock. We passed by a Mexican restaurant that had a burrito meal for 29 CHF (about $35!), and other places were little better. Disappointed by the lack of affordable sit-down restaurants in this town, we decided to eat at a fast-food place. So we had doner kebab, again, for dinner.
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