I have been unsuccessfully trying to get away by 9 each day. “Today I willl manage it”, but I had forgotten – today is the 13th. I am not normally supersticious and in factI didn’t even realise it was the 13th until much later. I had been awake for some time and waited until 6 to get up. I wanted to put my washing in the tumble dryer, as it got rained on yesterday, but the wind at night had dried it sufficiently for the tumbler. I also wanted to make myself a cup of tea and sit in the warm common room to write my blog. When I got to the laudry, one of the cleaning ladies had just put her (I think private) washing in the one and only working dryer. I went to the common room , put the kettle on and hung my washing over several chairs near the drinks fridge which as giving off a lot of heat. I had hardly sat down for my cup of tea when same cleaning woman came and asked me to leave for 10 minutes, while she cleaned. as she need to get it done – not an unreasonable request if she’d been a bit more friendly. So I gathered all my stuff and went to the ladies’ washroom. After drying my towel under the hairdryer enough for it to dry me later, I looked out and saw the 2 cleaners sitting on a bench eating their sandwiches. As I asked if she had finished the common room ,she answered in a very snappy voice “No, but now is the time for our break and we are entitled to our break!” I think the other cleaner must have told her off, because she came and told me when she had finished. By this time however it was 7 a.m., so I quickly put my laundry into the now free tumble-drier, had my wash and went to pack.

I don’t know when I first missed my cycle computer. I looked for it as I packed, but decided I must have left it in the restaurant the day before. I was going there for breakfast anyway as soon as they opened at 8:30, so I even managed to take the tent down and saddle up my bike all ready for the off. However there was no sign of my computer there either, so I took my time over my very expensive breakfast (*), knowing that the campsite reception didn’t open until 10. I looked everywhere I could think of , emptied and repacke all my bags,and waited and waited and waited for the girl to come and open the office. I tried to dial 100 on the housephone, as did 2 other people – again to no avail. I knew from the day before that she was also very unfriendly., when she wouldn’t believe me that  I had dialled 100 3 times before setting up my tent (an elderly gentleman who had been camping there for 5 years assured me this would be OK, as the office remains closed form 12-5). Before she came at least 2 people, who had arrived after office hours the night before, left without paying! Anyway when she finally arried at 10:45 the girl did a very peruuntory look before telling me in her very unfriendly manner – no, it hadn’t been handed in or found. Obviously no one could have handed it in at night or in the morning, as the office was closed, but I had wondered if I had lost it in the afternoon when making an unsuccessful mad dash to rescue my washing from the rain.

The name of this campsite is Camping Sutz.

So, by the time I got away it was 10:50. Then after a kilometer or so, it occurred to me it could be in the electrical box, where I had charged up my modile phone, so I turned back. Alas, again no luck.

By this time it was after 11, when I finally set off. with the intention of trying to buy a new bicycle computer in the next town. You can’t do a trip like this without one. After about 10 minutes I had a flash, stopped and unrolled the trouses I had worn the night before. Lo and behold – one cycle computer.

* the breakfast cost 16 Franken (€ 13) I thought he said 6,10 and there was some confusion, when I gave him 6,50 and said that was OK! Usuallz I paid between € 6 and € 8,50-. OK there was a bit of cheese with it……