With ears popping like a shaken Corona bottle stopper, we go up, up and UP. The rain however, decides to meet us half way, how thoughtful, and comes down, down, down.
With twenty four hours or more of rain forecast we aim to travel as far east as we can today. Easier said than done. The climbs and steep downhills hinder.
We’re going nowhere fast. That’s because Beastie has another useful on-board gizmo. A bit like a 747s reverse thrust. Press the DOWN button and hey presto the engine adopts a new approach as it assists and resists Newton’s basic law and prevents Beastie’s brakes burning up as it re-enters the lower atmosphere. Parachute employment not necessary.
Suisse hier kommen wir
Then we’re up and over and skirting the northern shoreline of Lake Lausanne. It’s really beautiful. We can’t see much of it.
Aiming to stop at Brig. Our A.C.S.I. book indicates German spoken. We usually phone ahead. i.e. “I” usually phone ahead. No fear of making a fool of myself. Second nature. Done it many times before. Prep brain for fifth form vocab. Hmm, asking them where the Bahnhof is won’t help us. Nor letting them know that das Buch is on the table. In any event, don’t want to impress too much.
Clears throat as phone the other end is picked up.
“Hello?” Ah, guten Morgen “Ja?” Wir haben ein campingwagon “Ja?” Wir . . . . (frantically searches brain cells for the German word “Need” – perhaps an off the cuff call wasn’t such a good idea) Wir . . . . er, er . . . “Ja?” – “Parlez-vous francais?” Oh – yes, I mean Oui. Nous voudrions une . . . . Or would you prefer to speak in English? . . . Can I get back to you on that?