Weather was iffy: Saturday looked probably good, but Sunday was given a high chance of rain. That and high hotel rates led us to make our ride yesterday round-trip. We knew that if at any point it was too difficult, we could head to a train station and get home easily and cheaply. So, off to Burgdorf, an 86 km. route on Swiss Regional bike trails. With a new rear bike rack and case holding our emergency gear (those rains might come early), even riding on gravel paths was easy. Heading toward Langnau and the Emme River (Emmental means valley of the Emme and yes, that’s where the cheese comes from), was a bit of a climb. Then we had a gradual downhill from Langnau through and beyond Burgdorf, ending with a smaller uphill climb to home. In Burgdorf itself we were entertained by a typically high-priced Swiss café and a lovely little castle, where we learned a little about antique ceramics, the Swiss gold rush and making linen.
