17th May In the Alsace....

Will have to type fast as I have fading light and battery. What bloody long day and it's all my own fault... In future I will have to stop riding solo as I never listen to the good advice I can give and I always ride on instead on stopping... and today was no exception.... I left the site at 9am over three steep passes in order to get to the long on the Stelvio.... and bugger it was closed what a sod...

What to do will ride over a few more even more difficult.... most of the little3 passes are more difficult because they are steeper and twistier... The Stelvio is just more open and picturesque.... Then I found myself crossing into Switzerland and, by way of a Welcome they asked for 12 euro to go through the first tunnel - as if you had a choice............. up and up and colder and colder and it started to rain very cold rain... stopped to put on thermals and a fleece to ride over the top on Mount Toblorone.... Then stopped for lunch of pizza and coffee..... Swiss style...

Then back over the mountains for more twisties... and shit this one was a bugger... very tight turns and very steep..... I was still cold so I hoped onto the Motorway to avoid Zurich and Basal ( and for Chris in the office I saw Federa coming out of a mucky book-shop at a motorway service area)

Having decided not to listen to my advice and slow down and stop I continued on through the home-time traffic and finally gave up at 7am near Colmar in France.... Tried to find the local Municipal Campsite bugger all so I gave up and called in at a B&B Motel with free WiFi... got to the front of the queue and S*** all full up....  probably the Dutch again..

Back on the bike and asked Gertie to another campsite and she found this one in Kayselsberg very nice a quiet and yes you guest it full of the Dutch I can't help but wonder who is looking after the Netherlands at this time.............     Well it's nearly 9pm and the light is fading fast time to hit the sack.... can't even be bothered to cook tonight......

I am only a few miles short of what was to be the stop at St Die so I am two days ahead of myself....
Miles today 293 Total trip 2679...... nite nite

Note the socket and cable inside the top-box from the socket on the bike -   used to charge up the laptop etc works a treat so will run it again tomorrow....