February 18, 2005 -- Just ate fondue at my uncle's (somewhere in the countryside near Bern) Icicles and Bicycles Back at my grandparents', still snowing, exploring the country by bike during snowstorms, shopping in Bern, knitting HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISTAIR!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, I had the previous update ready ages ago, but with the lack of a constant Internet connection, it's a little difficult. It's not as easy as in South America where there are five Internet cafes on every street where you can spend an hour online for 50 cents or whatever it was. The other day I paid 2 SFr. for 10 minutes. Anyway, enough excuses. Since I've been back from Grindelwald, it has done nothing but snow. I originally only unpacked my road bike, and it doesn't have fenders, so I opted out of riding outside. I ran a bit, but that got boring -- and painful. I did one indoor trainer ride, which my grandparents thought was a hoot, but I got so hot in their apartment and I couldn't open a window, because it would have gotten really drafty -- okay for me, but not so much for the octogenarians. Yesterday I rode to Thun via the great network of bike paths here. Most of the way was non-motorized traffic only, and the roads where cars were allowed were very calm. It was super interesting. All the little towns with ancient farmhouses, the goats (they looked like a cross between goats, teddy bear hamsters and pot-bellied pigs. I kind of got lost and was riding for 4:45. The water froze in my bottle. Today I went out again and it snowed hard for three hours. I went to Biel, along the Bielersee (Biel Lake) and then almost down to Neuchatel, before I headed back to Bern. It was a little longer than I expected and my riding time was 5:30. I was so tired when I got home. My bike was completely iced up. My front derailleur froze and I had to kick it so it would go down. All the cables were frozen too. Earlier in the week my Mom and I took the train into Bern three times and we did some shopping. I bought some really funky wool and on the train home, my Mom taught me how to knit. Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon. My first project -- a scarf -- is already finished! I head to Spain on Sunday night with a bus. If you want to check out my digs, see: Club Hotel Giverola Sorry, no photos right now. I took the wrong USB cable to my uncle's. D'oh! I'll put them up when I get a chance. Ciao! (Map of Switzerland's main bike routes -- there's a bunch more local ones on top of these.)