Brilliant weather.  4.30pm, on the bike with saddle bags along the Rhine with many people, on the river police boat enjoying its time as well it seems. Across the dam at the hydro power plant and further up the Rhine, then through the garden allotments – many cars, people enjoying bbq – across the border road passing under the regional train line and right into the side street following along the Swiss German border, now ‘closed’ by a white/red plastic ribbon. And up onto the footpath between border and Hoernli cemetery nursery and then hitting the forest road at the border point – yesterday I saw someone paddling around the concrete road bloc where the ribbons extending a bit into the forest had been cut by someone. Thought I could do the same and save the arduous detour along the immediately steep forest track – but what’s that? In the shadow just up the track a dark blue car with military number plate, next to it a guy inspecting his impressive Kalashnikov-like firearm. So, I don’t pass the road block but just keep going up, passing the guy who doesn’t say a word, while I’m greeting him candidly. (In a fraction of time I had thought up a destination inside Switzerland where I would tell I’m going, in case questioned). Ok, pushing up the bike, sweating after some hundred meters, there comes a young blond soldier walking down, sporting the same impressive firearm – I greet, he greets somewhat shily back – I carry on, another 100m and the track splits: ahead along the forest border, to the right down into Germany – I watch back, the guy is gone, and take a right.

At Alnatura, the specialized bio supermarket, there stands a big sign reading: No Food Permitted for Export to Switzerland – Heavy Customs Checks – We do not accept any returned goods! “Aha”, I think, and do my purchase. – On the way back, after having struggled up the narrow mountainous forest track to the border stone where I came ‘in’, I do not turn left down the hill but struggle further up to the right until hitting a cross track which turns left into ‘the heart of Switzerland’. Then rolling down comfortably through the forest, passing after a detour of some 2km the same forest border road where I started to go up in the first place: the blue car is still standing in the shadow…..

So, what the heck is going on? Corona is receding, with or without lockdown, nobody should give a darn about someone crossing the border in the woods which even during the world wars was not fortified. But no, people are meant to be prepared: it’s never over until we have you all under control; brave new world, it’s hateful….