Huttwil

Our host is a strong and experienced cyclist, but sometimes ... a bit scattered. And so it was that our day got off to an awkward start because, somehow, he cross-threaded his pedals when re-attaching them to his bike. With as many cyclists as we have, there were enough “mechanics” in the group attempting to sort this out, so I kept my distance. It's not an uncommon mistake, but it can be a costly one.

The rain cleared up to give us fresh blue skies, and what's not to love about the Swiss countryside?

Sunshine and sunflowers brought smiles to our faces. Blue skies, blue jersey, yellow flowers. I chose the right outfit this morning!

We made a loop today, passing through Langenthal where this specimen was on display outside (what I think was) a training center. I was charmed by a family with two kids on tiny bikes; the little (and I mean, little) girl was a complete daredevil: repeatedly racing up an incline and speeding back down, shrieking with delight. [A kindred spirit!]

Our destination was Huttwil, where we descended on a café on the old town's central plaza for lunch and admired the bell tower of the local church.

The weather is heating up, so we were grateful to enjoy a scenic, social sort of ride: 47 miles, with only 1,440 feet of climbing.