Three years

This is a special day for me, three whole years of blips, but of course I‘ve been around for nearly 7 years. The last two years have been constant, and it’s given me a great purpose to get out and think more about my surroundings. The last year has been a special challenge for everyone, and blip kept me sane, especially in the first lockdown, where Miranda’s wild flower challenge got me though those uncertain and difficult times. Unbelievably, we’re back in the same situation again in Switzerland, but now even stricter home office requirements. Thank you all so much for being there, it’s a great comfort to have so many virtual friends, and to share little slices of life all over the globe.
So back to today’s blip. As usual for me, a totally spontaneous trip on the train, again quite local, really looking at the best place to go for sunshine and clear Mountain View’s. I hit the jackpot with my choice of Baldeggersee. Opened the rucksack to get out the camera as soon as I stepped off the train, and I couldn’t believe it, empty camera case! So it was iPhone photos all the way, shame, because my first stop was the storks nests at the top end of the lake, and there were plenty to photograph. The first part of the walk was about 3km along the pavement of a relatively quiet road, I was really surprised that the many e-bikes, and there were many of the fast 45kmh types chose to ride on the path too. It is in fact illegal to use the motor on a shared path with pedestrians. Well anyway, slight irritation was soon over, as I headed down to the lake edge, on a nice walkers path. The whole circumference of the lake is a nature reserve, so reeds and trees prevent constant views over the water to the Alps, but every now and again you get views like this blip. It was so unbelievably calm, and 18 degrees, it felt like the middle of summer.
The path left the lake for a while, heading up the hill behind, a lovely way to go to see perfect mountain vistas and an incredible view of the lake from above. Down again, then a rather awkward kilometre, where you had to walk on the road, but thankfully it was quiet. From Baldegg town, the path stayed very close to the lake, and this was really busy, such fabulous weather had brought out most of the local population for a stroll on the lakeside.
Soon I arrived at Geralfingen, after pretty much a round trip of whole lake, 2 mins before my train home arrived, perfect timing.
13 km, 3 hr 20, 150m ascent.