clairedavieswriter

Day 8: Fribourg to Morges, on Lake Geneva, 73k, 780m climbed

30/7/2025

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride, though I was a little nervous about what lay ahead. Because while yesterday we’d enjoyed the reassurance of a marked cycle route, today we would be entirely subject to the whims of my grumpy Gallic guide

Perhaps unaware of Guillaume’s track record, Harry seemed commendably relaxed as we set off

Happily, my concerns were unwarranted, as Guillaume led us unerringly towards open country, mostly on quiet lanes

With views of the Alps to our left (between the trees and the straw bales)

And the Jura ahead/to our right:

There were still quite a few hills to climb, but the gradients were much kinder than yesterday, and the biggest numbers were in our favour:

Of course it’s never totally straightforward with Guillaume, and when he directed us onto a ‘Route privée’, straight through a farmyard and down this tiny track – which plunged steeply into a wood – we feared the worst

But we needn’t have worried: we emerged onto a residential street that was actually a marked cycle path. What’s the French for ‘oh ye of little faith’?

Highlights today included this patriotic DIY chocolate brioche:

Which Harry rustled up out of his panniers in a field of new-mown clover

And speaking of patriotic, virtually every house is flying the flag this week, ahead of Swiss National Day on Friday. I particularly enjoyed this flag and bike combo:

And this was my sign of the day, for its gently humorous warnings about the aggravations of rural life combined with a serious message about farmers growing the food we eat. “If you can’t bear (all the noise), you’re in the wrong place. But you’ll receive a warm and friendly welcome here”.

We certainly received a friendly welcome from this local resident:

And tonight, ahead of our last push for the border, we are enjoying some convivialité of our own, with Team Midge knocking up a sustaining feast for hungry cyclists