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| 8:00 A.M, I heard a few knocks, Jochena the young lady, who had been the reception when I had checked in the previous day, called me for breakfast. No one was in the restaurant in the hotel. I could be the just one guest that day. While I had breakfast she served me and spoke to me but she spoke in Swiss German. So I could not catch anything. I think Japanese would be a rare guest for her. She asked me all sorts of questions about Japan and me. After that, Jochena, the other young lady called Karin and I had a short conversation but I just answered their questions. Karin spoke Swiss German and English. Jochena spoke Swiss German, French and Italian. Many Swiss people speak some languages. It is very good I think. Most Japanese people are not able to speak any other language. I don't think it is good. 9:30 A.M, I said good bye to two ladies before I checked out. It was cloudy when I went out side. |
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Though I was in the place noted in connection with William Tell all the way, I decided to go to Altdorf the legendary place, where Tell had shot a apple on his son's head. I rode GPX-600R along the Four-forest States Lake to south. I got there about 10:00 a.m. Then, it was less cloud and I could see the sun. There were some small broken clouds around the green mountains in sunshine. It was a impressed scenery. Motorbike touring in the sunshine is good all the same. After I had seen the famous statue of Tell with his son in a square, I went to Burglen the village, where Tell had been born. It was east next to Altdorf. I entered "Tell Museum" in the village. There was a lot of data and material evidence that he really existed. About 20 elementary Japanese school students entered there after me, and some of them looked me and said "He's Japanese". I was like a strange-man for them. It was strange feeling. They were with a few teachers and a guide. So I followed them and listened to the guide's explanation. I could understand about Tell very well. When I was out, I thought Tell had really existed. Anyway, William Tell is still just the best father in Switzerland in my opinion. |
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About 11:00 a.m. I started to ride again. The weather was getting much better so I changed the plan, I decided to go to Berneroberland via Furkapass and Grimselpass. There are connected three famous passes called "Trois-cor". Furkapass and Grimselpass belong to Trois-cor. I stopped riding at Schollenen ravine, which I had seen the previous day. There is a bridge called "Devil's bridge" and it was painted the Devil on the rock wall just above the bridge. However, I could not see it because it had been just repainting and covered then. When this bridge was built, it seemed impossible to build and the Devil suggested giving a hand. And the people were promised to give a soul of the first passer by the Devil. So, they passed the completely built bridge a dog first. I was supposed to see that paint which a dog was barking at the Devil. When I was taking a picture of that covered paint, I was spoken to a man and a lady. They introduced themselves and they said they were newsmen. They wanted to take some pictures of me, who was taking the covered bridge. Was my picture mentioned in a paper somewhere in Europe? |
| I reached to Andermatt at about 12:40 p.m. I entered a Tearoom and I had a lunch. Sometimes I could hear something noise like a roaring of a gun. I had heard the same noise when I had been riding, down to slopes in Oberalppass. There was a Military Base near Andermatt. Might the Military hold maneuvers? |  |
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I rode GPX-600R to west on route 19 to Furkapass. The height was getting higher and I went through the slope of the green bright valley. I could see the railway of FO on the bottom of the valley. After long approach, I reached the top (2436m) and took some pictures. There is a mountain hotel called "Belvedere" on the other side of the top. You can see Rhone glacier very near from there, and you can enter in the glacier, but I did not that time. I went down a lot of hairpin curves and I saw Grimselpass, like a lightning on a green slope on the other side of a valley. |
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