Published: 13.07.2021
When I planned today's stage, it was intended to be a relaxing stage before tomorrow's queen stage. But it turned out differently. The weather definitely had other plans. I started in Bad Ragaz around 9:30 am. The rain was taking a break, but it was windy, so not for the faint-hearted. In the first hour, I could count the number of cyclists I met on one hand. However, strong winds can also be an advantage because I had a tailwind. When I passed Chur, the 'capital' of Graubünden, and the valley now allowed me to see to the west, I knew that I was in for a tough time, because that's exactly where I had to go. Along the way, I cycled through a military area and heard impacts nearby (1 km to the right of me?). I think it was shooting exercises, but I was definitely allowed to pass through the area. Shortly after leaving the military area, I saw a lightning and then made my first attempts to find shelter. After about 10 minutes, I was successful and found myself in a very small wooden shack at the edge of the forest, which is normally used by a single hunter. There I spent the next 90 minutes. In the meantime, there was thunder in the area and with the rain, you didn't want to go outside anyway. But I wasn't alone: there was a very small bee nest, they seemed to be resting/sleeping, and there were also mice or rats on board. We left each other alone. Since I had my 'wardrobe' with me, I took the opportunity to change clothes. Being wet and cold is not ideal in the long run. My plan was actually to take the S-Bahn, but I gave the weather another chance, continued cycling, and was definitely rewarded when I could look down from the mountain almost vertically into the valley of the Hinterrhein. An incredible view. This resulted in great photos (camera), but since the weather was not at all trustworthy, I limited myself to a few. It was lightly drizzling, and the descent was fun. I arrived at the hotel at 2:00 pm without any further incidents. Today's distance was 47 km, with 410 meters of altitude, and I had an average speed of 18.7 km/h.
About yesterday's quiz questions:
1 A,
2 Chur,
3 The Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein meet to the west of Chur.