Berne to Interlaken

September 21, 2010

 

What does it take to find a decent breakfast in this country?  So now I've confirmed McDonald's is not an option.  It doesn't open until 10am most days and skips breakfast entirely.  I had met backpacking sisters the night before and eaten with them at the Spaghetti Factory, the only restaurant still serving food (other than kebabs) by the time I'd checked into the hostel and showered.  Randomly I had stopped to check my GPS upon nearing the hostel when they asked if I knew just the street I was routing to.  I directed them and of course they were looking for the same hostel as I.  Then, after they had also checked in and gone searching for food they also ended up not finding Swiss/regional food and had to settle for the Spaghetti factory.  During our breakfast/coffee search we somehow ended up crossing paths again.  Ironically enough, my girlfriend and one of the girls' boyfriend happened to be in Manchester, UK that week.

 

After a few days of recording video footage from my helmet cam I was nearly out of SD card space and trying to find a computer with two free USB ports.  I should've been a bit more forward and asked somebody at the hostel with a laptop, because the other available computers seemed to either only have one (thus doubling the 42min to copy from card to computer, and then computer to my HD) or else some security software prevent the USB from working properly with my adapters.  I was running out of time early and wanted to get on the road to avoid such a late arrival again (hoping there weren't too many hills that day but knowing I was headed straight for the base of the Swiss Alps).  I did finally find a great breakfast restaurant with a reasonably priced omelet, and got on the road about 10:30am.

 

I'm a lucky dog!  The route to Interlaken took me down a valley (I decided to nix the bike route detours I'd planned thinking it would be too short of a day going straight) and along a lake just past Thun with the only serious climbing being when the mountains next to the lake rose sheer and the road had some winding and tunnels about 5-10mi before Interlaken.  My arrival time:  6:30pm, perfect.  It was late enough however to end up with the room at the absolute top of the hostel (climbing stairs with my luggage after biking for hours was becoming quite the trend).  I should finally have my choice of dinner...