The Falken Inn at Frauenfeld billed itself as a ‘pub’ – which rather helped the readjustment towards home. And the beer was local and excellent. Despite being near the church in the centre of town it was mercifully free of bells in the night. We won’t miss Bavarian church clocks – you never can. On the hour they strike twice, in case you failed to start counting properly, but without the 5 minute gap that is common in Pyrenean villages and the south of France. Instead, the note changes. So, (as they say round here!) at midnight you get 28 consecutive bongs – four for the quarters and 12 twice. A bit much when, as in Rettenberg, your hotel window is meters away.

We packed up for the final time and set off under grey skies. A mixed day’s cycling – rural and urban. To begin with, things felt very autumnal.

But then the sun came out! This trip has really impressed on us the significance of sunshine for bicycle touring. Cold, grey and sometimes wet cycling is ok – but sunny cycling is the business! So here is a final sunny picnic lunch spot.

And here is the final sunny forest track.

The final sunny hill.

And the first (!) sunny afternoon beer.

So here we are, back in the hotel that we set out from 9 weeks and 1577 miles ago.

Tomorrow we plan to hit the sauna in an attempt to undo some of the knots before the train home on Saturday.

Helen’s track of the day:
Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys.
I was going to choose a blues song called Didn’t It Rain as that has been the subject of many conversations with people in the last 3 weeks but the sun came out today and that did not seem quite right. Instead I have gone, once again, for that Sheffield band. This tune has some fine lines in it and I have hummed it on the route today.