Monday 20th September
For a bit of a change, here are a few things we've noticed along the route that we so far haven't been able to wedge in our already jam packed diary.....
... seeing an old biddy (octogenarian) zooming away on her moped ahead of some tired looking road cyclists! Funny sight!
... we find the attitude of most campsite receptionists towards travellers like ourselves unaccommodating. They seem reluctant to offer reasonable places on site, usually giving us the worst pitches - extremely muddy, filled with dog muck and no places to lock bikes to! On several occasions we've had to go back and ask to move due to the state of the emplacement and more often than not have had to pay more to move!
... the boulangers in France must be one of the most respected and frequented places as bakeries seem to be pivotal in most villages, towns and cities.
...petrol is not the easiest thing to get in small quantities for stoves. So just try and catch not-so-with-it female (sorry ladies) petrol attendants who are more than happy to bend the rules a little to sort things out (without realising that rules were being bent so much!) if you're lucky she might even delve into the bins to find a suitable container for you! Service with a smile! 3 Euros and a bit of time for about 3 litres.
... the cows in Switzerland and small parts of Germany and Austria are beautiful (at least Kate thinks so) - furry caramel white bellied cows with little tufts on the tops of their heads! Little pick-me-ups when depressed and fed up with biking! Oh and cats as well ..... oh and donkeys too!
... whenever you're feeling depressed there's always something to put things into perspective. On our route round the Bodensee we came across a slightly elderly German couple the male half who had just had a lung transplant (having previously only been given 3 months to live) out on a day ride on the bikes. Oh but what a laugh he had! An inspiration to us all.
... in France shops are generally shut Sunday and Monday, with a few bakers being open for a couple of hours on those days. In Germany almost nothing is open apart from the odd cafe on Sundays - even larger cities such as Ulm.
Tonight we were in a campsite which ended up being a field with a portaloo (at least it was free) where the local youngsters preformed donuts in their cars, great.
Tuesday 21st September
On Tuesday we passed our first 1000 mile milestone! To celebrate this, that night in Kößnach we cycled a 5 mile round trip (having ridden for 72 miles that day) with a Swiss couple, Harold and Monika, to a local Bavarian restaurant pub. It was at this point in this evening that Kate's pride was a little damaged as she forgot to unclip her shoes from her pedals and fell flat on her face in a thorn bush! Not recommended... but no tears! The trip was worth it as the food and beer were great. Also the campsite here at least had a shower so that Kate could refresh her farmyard smelling hair - relief!
Wednesday 22nd September
On Wednesday we spent the evening drinking beer and chatting to two Belgians, Jerome and Dan, who are on their way from Brussels to China by bike. At least we were not the only crazy ones out there! Much to Kate's delight the local cat took quite a liking to her and sat promptly on her lap for the rest of the evening - bliss.
Having met a fair few bikers so far, we seem to think that we're not so heavily laden and disorganised. Quite a relief.
Thursday 23rd September
1087.6 miles, Passau, Germany
It's absolutely bucketing it down today and we've had to go in search of cheapish water proof trousers otherwise the next few days of predicted heavy rain will be pretty miserable. Also beige trousers really aren't that flattering when totally soaked - trust me! It looks like we've left the sun well and truly behind us. At least we've had better weather in the last month.
We've just treated ourselves to a hot Turkish kebab and some sweeet honey tasting tea to warm ourselves up and to get down to more of this diary.
A tent never really appeals to us when trying to write. Since Dilligen, we've been following the Donauradweg (Danube bike route) for 206.6 miles and it's not been as interesting as we'd hoped but we've managed to cover good miles totting 330-odd in the last 5 days... with the legs taking a good battering. Despite the current rainy situation, the weather has been fairly kind allowing us to pitch our tents and get up in the dry.
A little tip for the bikers wanting to do the Danube bike route - the trail up to Regensburg isn't that great but thereafter to Passau it is generally smoother with fewer off road sections which, with rigid forks and heavy load, can be extremely painful on both hands and bottom! From what we hear the next section from here to Vienna is both smooth and beautiful.
Friday 24th September
Despite the torrential rain before we got up we managed to leave Passau in dry, almost good weather with Kate adamant that we'd pootled off in the wrong direction - but of course she is as usual unreliable in these situations! By the way - a big hello to Carolyn and Mark - hope you plucked up the courage to leave your plush bath-lacking hotel and get to Budapest in time to fly home down under.
As noted by Alastair Humphries (Around the World by Bike and Paul's idol) and about everyone else in Germany, the Passau to Vienna section of the Danube is exceptionally beautiful and the smooth tarmaced surface is bliss for us long distance riders.
Saturday 25th September
At last we're having a proper break...not just a rest day but two clear relaxing days with no biking. Not that we're complaining about the biking since it's definitely getting a lot easier and you can eat all the naughty pastries you want and not put on any weight - fantastic! (Well at least that's what we're telling each other!)
Due to the prospect of spending a fair bit of dosh in Vienna (you can't camp in the centre) we decided to spend the couple of days that we were going to spend there here in Krems, a day's ride before it, instead. The last section today from Melk to Krems (a delightful 20 miles) was particularly picturesque with the hillside dotted with idyllic vineyards and orchards. It's almost as if you've been transported to the Tuscan countryside. It was hard not to enjoy it despite the constant drizzle!
Paul and Kate x
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Challoner's, Fasiledes, Amersham, Buckinghamshire