It’s my first motorway ‘oopsie’ of the world tour by bicycle and I manage a whopping 20 km which ends in blue lights and sirens. The police inform me there has been call after call about a girl cycling along the motorway. In the UK, a blue sign indicates a motorway whilst a green sign indicates a lesser road; suitable for cyclists. In Switzerland the signs work the opposite way around, hence my epic mistake.
I’m in luck. One of the policemen is off to Edinburgh the following month for a holiday and after acting as the Scottish Tourist Board I am let off without a fine. The policemen put me on the cycle lane; which much to my shame, runs alongside the motorway.
Following on from my criminal activity, I sneak into a camp site and use their showers. A bit naughty.
That night looking for a wild camping spot I come across an Irish Festival with FREE CAMPING!
Being a social butterfly I end up inside the festival and am thankful of the criminal shower I took earlier that day. I didn’t think I’d be making so many friends if I hadn’t have had one! Much of the music is actually Scottish and I keep explaining this to people, but no one cares. I’m told that Irish and Scottish is all the same to them. There are lots of half naked men in kilts and bagpipes and I can’t quite believe I’m in Switzerland!
At the end of the two day festival, everyone is returning to their families and partners and I am off cycling on my own.
Having spent such wonderful time with so many people, laughing and dancing and having fun, I felt lonely all the way into Italy.