Still a Long Way To Go

Thursday 14.06.2012   Rozzatz – Tulln an der Donau      54.2 kms

The sun is shining! Well, it is playing peek a boo with the clouds but we don’t care – the rain has stopped; ceased to fall; no wet stuff! Jolly good show. We were a cheery pair who got underway, with a plan to ride only for half a day, pitch the wet tent, dry everything out and do a spot of general maintenance. For once, a plan has come together. We did smart a bit at the required tariff for a patch of grass, but it is a very green and flat piece of grass. Admittedly, the facilities are of an excellent standard and the sun is still shining.

As soon as Mr. Master Technician had completed the bike servicing, Mr. Master Navigator got out his books and poured over the information available for the next three weeks or so. We had thought we were doing pretty well as we are only a few kilometres from the end of book three. Following that, we have only one more book. This time though, a book which covers not 350 kms but 1,300 kms! So we won’t be back any time soon. I suspect also that the simplicity of following a well- marked route will take on a whole different, and less reliable, aspect onc we leave neat and tidy Austria.

The river was marginally less swollen today and where the tracks had been flooded yesterday, was today just a muddy reminder. Our assumption of the beauty of this valley was correct, although it has now given way to a more open, agricultural and less charming geography. This is a very popular route, it seems, even in June with lots of fast, fat blokes on mountain bikes, lots of the silver brigade on organised rides(with their luggage transported separately), and a few nutcases like us doing more than a few days/weeks. We even overtook a few very old people today!

It is always more difficult to write a blog when all goes well as has happened today. The only very slight mishap was my falling from my bike – no, with my bike as it fell - a couple of scrapes and relief that I was the only witness to this act of stupidity. I was virtually stationary at the time. What a dork.

I even had an hour or so to read my book. Great.