I was up early at 6:45 to get ready, eat a leisurely breakfast and head out by 8.
The hostel breakfast was great. Definitely eat the Youth Hostel breakfast in Schaffhausen.
Today was an absolutely wonderful ride. It was hard as hell coming up out of the Black Forest but all I could do was laugh out loud to myself like a crazy person at the notion that I get to live this cycling dream!
I stopped in a little town called Stein am Rhein just before 10:30 am. It’s a picturesque old Swiss village turned tourist stop-off. Bikes are parked everywhere because a few different EuroVelo routes cross through the town. All this is within a plaza packed with people, chairs, fountains, and ornately painted buildings.
I made a pit stop at the River Bike and Cafe to check out their bicycles and left with a delicious ginger beer. The owner of the place was a nice guy.
After Stein am Rhein there was a big climb out of Switzerland and the Black Forest into Germany. The forest gave off a cool breeze. The climb rewarded me with what must be the coolest campsite in the world, the Zeltplatz für Radfahrer, or Campingplace for Cyclists. Whatever you do, stay here.
I ate vegan currywurst, fries, and tabouleh for dinner and my only regret is that I didn’t make it in time for the thermal baths. The campsite only costs 5eur and is located in a serene public park that includes a skatepark, fitness park, two restaurants, and a live music venue with deliciously cheap beer. All this made for a fun night.
I met an Argentinian guy at the campsite named Miguel who lives in France. Miguel bought me a beer and we had a great time talking about the route and the other bike tours Miguel’s been on. It was great to find an English speaker. Let’s hope he’s even half as cool as my friend Maac was!
