As has become customary, I wake up early, think I can't be bothered to rush, so take my time packing up and somehow manage to set a new personal best for getting on the road! 20 past 6 this morning!

It was pretty nippy at that time, but I could tell it was going to be a hot one.

I knew I had to head east to get on the road that goes over the hills and down to Basel. I had to be strategic with my eating as I only had 7 Swiss Francs left. Of course, I could pay for breakfast by card, but to be honest I didn't want to spend any more money in Switzerland!

I spied a Coop and my CHF7 got me a manky sandwich, a small bottle of water and a stingy sized Snickers bar. That would have to do until I got myself out of there and into a country with more reasonable pricing!

The climb over the hill (I'm not sure it could be classed as a mountain) was really nice. Not very steep and a lovely smooth road. At the top is the obligatory sign and also a fresh water spring. So I filled my bottles with it. It was nice and cold and tasted good. Or as good as water can taste. I saved myself a few Francs there as they no doubt bottle it and sell it!

The descent was awesome. Smooth, wide road with no nasty surprises. The road carried on all the way down to Basel, although it was built up for miles before I was actually in the city.

Getting through Basel was a bit of a pain, but I eventually got out and crossed into Germany at a bizarre border under a motorway bridge! I didn't stay in Germany long, as the Rhine cycle route (Eurovelo 15) starts in France, so I nipped over the bridge at the point where all three countries meet and headed into France - my third country of the day!

The first thing I needed to do was get some food. So I stopped at a shop for some bread, a bit of quiche and an éclair chocolat.

It was only when I stopped that I realised how hot it was. Obviously the wind from my movement was helping me keep cool, but now stopped I needed shade. So I found a tree and ate my lunch.

After that I pushed on North with the river to my right - but I hardly saw it as it was over a big man-made bank.

I needed to establish where I was going to stay so had a look on Google maps. I saw a campsite on the German side that I remembered from last time. I didn't want to stay there again so took a punt at one with excellent reviews on the French side. Trouble was, it was 30 miles away and I'd already done 50! I decided there was only one thing for it - get my head down and hit it!

It was flat and fast, so I ate up the miles pretty quickly. I was getting low on water again in the heat, when I spotted a vending machine in a village I went through. Brilliant! Vending machines are always open and you don't have to try and talk to them in French! I got an ice cold bottle of water and a coke. That sorted me out for the final 10 miles.

I found the campsite no problem and I have to say it's one of the best yet! A separate section for cycle tourists with a little marquee thing with seating, a fridge and a microwave should you want them. Of course - all that means electricity, so you can charge your stuff up too! Very friendly and helpful owners. Oh - also the cheapest campsite so far!

I've headed into the ancient town of Neuf-Brisach for dinner. It's got a moat around it and everything! Check it out on Google maps if you're not familiar with it. It has a very interesting layout.

I've found a nice quiet restaurant for a pizza. It was pretty mental here earlier with a cacophony of car horns after France beat Argentina in the footy. So I shall have my meal before heading back to the campsite to plan tomorrow's journey. I'll most likely follow the cycle route so I'll probably be swapping between France and Germany a fair bit.