Stage 7: Lausanne to Cudrefin

Days like this don't come along very often - a crazy, emotional but hugely memorable day that left Dad regularly shaking his head and echoing that immortal Ciro catchphrase of "WTF" 

Everything starred out in regulation manner, the team settling to another day of searing heat, dismantling the tent and seeking out something cheap but nutritional from the supermarket for breakfast. The ride was a joy, passing again along mainly car free roads and tracks through fields of corn, maize and fruit. 

We chose to stop at the beautiful lakeside town of Yverdon-les-Bains, everything you could wish for. The team tucked into a delicious picnic sat next to the medieval castle walls in the town square. Although it was indeed a splendid meal, Gregs video filming did seem a bit over the top, but all was to explode into surreal unreality  in a matter of seconds. 

As Dad sat blissfully unaware, a voice from behind the bench asked for directions to somewhere for a good lunch. With incredulity bordering on stupidication (journey to the centre of the earth, Rick Wakeman, 1975) Dad saw that this random traveller was none other than the legend that is Nick Lindsay! (Dads friend from 1974 OS days and longtime blog supporter)

Starved of Probert challenge involvement since last years Lejog (and something else that was also addressed on the same flying visit) Nick had driven to Edinburgh, flown by Easyjet to Basel, hired a car, and with great cunning and text co-ordination with Tom, had managed to turn up at just the right time and place to make a "surprise" - to Dad at least, meeting with the boys. What can you say, a suitably shocked and bewildered Dad was caught on film, but somehow had the presence of mind not to come out with the string of expletives that initially came to mind. After a few minutes of explanation the band of four were sat down in this small Swiss town square chatting away as if everything was quite normal - aaaaaaah! 

The trio rode on, Dad still in a state of shock, riding along re-living the previous hour with a shaking head and marvelling at the amazing act of friendship by Nick, and the amazing cunning on behalf of Jan, Greg and Tom in helping to mastermind the re-union. Nick appeared from time to time along the lakeside ride now, appearing at the verge all of a sudden to take a photo or driving alongside, out of the blue, window down to yell abuse - but somehow this all seemed quite normal now!

The team arrived at Cudrefin, after a days ride of 57 miles to find Nick waiting at the campsite with cans of beer at the ready - of course. After getting the tent up in a record 7.5 seconds the band of four squeezed into it to drink beer and shelter from the developing lightening storm. 

It was such an amazing occasion that the team felt compelled to spend money in Switzerland - well it was very special, so a very pleasant evening was spent over a meal and bottle of red (small, special Swiss size) before the Proberts said farewell to Nick - a ttear in his eye at the thought of missing the Saints game in Biel the next day. But he had to be at Basel airport again by 5.00 the next morning (2 hours drive away).

Just another day on the Probert 2011 challenge.