Past Passau

Monday 11.06.2012      Gaishofen  - Feldkirchen  (15 kms short of Linz)

Sometime today, we passed into Austria, but so obscure was the line, we never even noticed it. What we did notice and enjoy, was the change in the countryside. Today, we were riding through a forested gorge with the river immediately to our right for most of the time. However, before we could enjoy these views, we had first to negotiate Passau. We had sharpened our wits overnight and, in finely honed form, we were up for the challenge. It was all a bit of a damp squib really. Having a ruddy great river to follow probably helped a lot! Apart from a nerve racking road/bridge crossing, it went well. Passau is apparently a very beautiful Bavarian town but viewed from the quayside another picture is painted. The quayside was a jostle of people and souvenir shops. The people were either embarking or disembarking from various river cruisers and the shops were attempting to waylay them before they completed the short journey from coach to cruiser. The latter varied in size, but all were ostentatious. Nonetheless, I am sure they provided a thoroughly pleasant experience for those taking the holiday. (It’s sour grapes really. We thought an up-river cruise would be a relaxing way to finish our holiday but they wouldn’t take bikes! How inconvenient!)

Passau is a beautiful town. Although we saw little of its splendour close up, the views of the old town that we did see, confirmed the comments in the travel brochures. It helped, that for the first time in days, the sun shone intermittently and I was beginning to regret wearing long trousers.

The boat theme stayed with us all day. In addition to the cruisers, the river was more usefully providing a thoroughfare for huge barges. At least one was transporting an entire deck load of cars:  of the other cargoes, we could only speculate as they were contained below deck. Not only cruisers and barges, but ferries played a role in our activities today. There were short sections of the gorge that no self- respecting path could cling to. On these occasions the ferryman and of course, his ferry, provided the means to continue. We took to the water twice, the first time in the wake of a barge, and the wash it caused reminded us of our sea legs.

It has been a beautiful experience today, and the rain has still held off! As usual, our search for accommodation was left to opportunity. Opportunity was not on our side, but with the help of a local restaurant owner, we have met a dear old Austrian lady who has made us welcome in a room. Well, three rooms actually!

Tomorrow we cross the path we followed last year (all things being equal) and will find ourselves more than half way to this year’s destination. Keeping our fingers crossed for a bit more sunshine. I want to wear my new shorts!

Any Old Excuse

Sunday 10.06.2012  Straubing  -  Gaishofen  (just short of Passau)  85kms

For the more astute of you, you will have noted from the date that we actually took the day off yesterday. The hotel that we finally decided upon on Friday was such a friendly and accommodating place, the town was big enough to sort shopping and no one seemed to mind a bit if we cleaned the bikes and trailers, did the washing and hung it on a conveniently hot towel rail, so we stayed an extra day. (We cannot recommend highly enough ‘Hotel Gaubodenhof’  in Straubing).  We are doing very well with guest houses but very badly with campsites! This is bad news for the budget, but the weather has been truly appalling. We spent the whole of this morning getting soaked and then very damp this afternoon.  And things are not looking very encouraging this evening. So, here we are in another very nice Gasthaus. We’ll be keeping the German economy going all on our own at this rate.

Despite the rain, the ride today has been pretty and generally close to the river. I’m sure it would have been spectacular had we been able to see further. For the most part it was fairly easy going and pretty quiet. (After all, why on earth would you go for a ride in the rain when you could stay in and watch the tele?) Why we bothered to clean the bikes is also a bit of a mystery. It was a well- intentioned but fruitless exercise as they are filthy again after another section of muddy track! Heigh ho, at least they are only encrusted in one day’s dirt.

We are a few kilometres short of Passau. Traversing that city is a project for lively minds, legs and 20:20 vision. Not sure who is going to do it – doesn’t sound too much like us! Should we succeed, we shall be in Austria where Alan can still use his vast knowledge of the German language – “Zwei bier bitte.”Excellent beer it is too. Cheers!

Cruising Down the River

Friday  08.06.2012    Weltenburg – Straubing   92.4kms + 5kms on the river! (not in it)

This morning arrived accompanied by a lot of the wet stuff but, by breakfast, it began to look a little brighter. I think it helped that we shared our breakfast with three ebullient German cyclists, who seemed genuinely interested in our endeavour and as we shared stories (their English was excellent) the external temperatures rose, and the sun made a watery attempt at shining.

In fact, it was a morning of good humour unlike the previous day when the whole world appeared to have been born with a lemon in their mouth. Along with a good many other souls, we made our way to the river only to find that we had ¾ of an hour to wait! It was well worth it: no puffing up over the gorge and a limestone gorge is always a pleasure to view from the bottom. As the accompanying information was in German, we have little idea of the many religious relics that seem to adorn the rocks. Al’s little book assured the reader that there were images of Peter and Paul in the rock face but, try as we might, they eluded our scrutiny. Five kilometres and twenty minutes downriver and we were off on our way to ………………..?

The river has now reached spectacular proportions and is a thoroughfare for pleasure craft and barges. None of this casual crossing from one side to the other but it is more interesting watching the traffic. In Regensburg where at least one other river joins the Donau, the usual plethora of signs disappeared or else we failed to notice them.  We have found that if you require help, you stand perusing a map and scratching your head. This produces an immediate response from truly well- meaning and helpful people. Thus, a very astute young lady, unhesitatingly pointed us in the right direction and this quite large city was traversed with no more difficulties.

As we are still trying to arrange a day off for general washing (clothes!) and maintenance, we had hoped that Staubing, if we could make the distance, would provide a large, well equipped campsite: it might have done. Our resolve to search for it evaporated as we were finally drenched in a downpour that had been threatening to do just that for about an hour. So Staubing in a guest house it had to be in the hope that tomorrow will improve.   

Still Shut

Thursday 07.06.2012   Laisacker – Weltenburg  72kms.

What a cracking day for all sorts of reasons which, you lucky people, you are going to hear about. We began our morning with a surprisingly substantial breakfast and were joined by five robust and rumbustious workers of, we think, Polish nationality. Having finished eating, we returned to finish our packing and they left to, presumably, go to work. “Posh car,” commented Alan, peering out of the window. Followed several minutes later by, “It won’t start!” Out puffed the proprietor (he puffed all the time), opened a garage to reveal an enviably ancient tractor, which started first time! Five minutes of jump lead intervention and they were on their way. More remarkable was the bill we paid for a room, breakfast, four beers and two meals – 54 Euros!

Having been unable to make a flask of what we now called cofftea ( differentiating between the two flavours after several hours is quite a challenge) and requiring our mid- morning pastry, we set about locating a backerei. We began to notice a certain tranquillity to the towns and Alan was not entirely convinced when I told him it was Thursday and not Sunday! However, what did become abundantly clear, was that all the shops, cafes, banks and factories were shut!  Resorted to calling a friend for the answer, but to no avail.  (Answers on a postcard please)

Cycle tracks on all the new bridges

We resigned ourselves to lunching on yesterday’s leftovers, after all, we had enjoyed a very nourishing breakfast and water would have to substitute for cofftea. Around lunch time, I suggested we look for a nicely placed table and bench. “ We’ll just go on to the next village, we’ll find a café!” saith Alan with a wide grin. And lo, there was a café; the only enterprise open in the whole of Bavaria! We feasted on pasta and pizza – not together- downed a large non- alcoholic beer and left the table, replete and raring to go.

To round off all the ‘remarkables’ of the day, the first reasonably priced gasthaus provided a room, a meal and breakfast. Tomorrow we take to the river! So looking forward to that exciting experience. 

Perfect but Shut

Wednesday  06.06.2012  Dillingen – Laisacker   73.9kms.

Fortunately by 7o’clock, the rain had stopped. We made use of the marquee and the table and chairs to eat our breakfast in comfort, and hoping that we should not be confronted by the female chief of the site; a very pretty but fearsome creature. The tent was drying out nicely and the sun was trying its best to overcome the cloud layer. We hit (not exactly hit, more wandered onto) the track next to the river, congratulating ourselves at having managed to pack everything dry. As food supplies were running low, we had to make a supermarket shop (Netto – excellent value), so we were a little late starting out. The sun lost its battle with the clouds and the temperature remained quite low - what has happened to summer? Mind you, it was great to have a whizzy wind and not too many hills.

As the afternoon progressed, the clouds began to thicken again and the rain started. We had already made the decision not to camp, so we began looking for an alternative. Around 15kms from Stepperg, we spotted an advertising panel for a Gasthaus. Perfect! As we approached the village, the signs continued until we eventually arrived at said Gasthaus at the same time as a sleek black Audi. The owners, for indeed it was they, climbed out of the car. We explained that we would like a room and an evening meal. They were open for a room and breakfast but not for an evening meal as the restaurant was shut on a Wednesday! Next village came up with an hotel at an exorbitant price and so onward. Our destination for tonight is a rather dubious Gasthaus which has, however, provided us with all the essentials, for which we are very grateful;  and it is still pi………ing down.

As ever, it is people we meet and greet, who make the greatest contribution to this experience. Overall though, there is not the camaraderie along this stretch of the river that we have experienced in other parts.  This may be due, in part, to the fact that Germany has so many cycle tracks and thus cyclists are two a penny. The first impression of hotel proprietors has been mixed, but for the most part, a guarded welcome is to be expected. Mind you, our inability to speak the language may have much to do with all this. Smiles and body language can only go so far – probably not much further than my schoolgirl German!

The Elephant

Tuesday  05.06.2012    Ehingen – Dillingen   69.5 kms

I feel obliged to start today by extolling the virtues of our hotel. Should you ever travel this way, the “Zur Linde” Hotel and Restaurant at Erbach, provided us with a warm welcome, excellent accommodation, a drying room and all for a very moderate cost. Our hostess must have come top of her class in client care! Even the wifi was the most effective we have so far encountered, which meant Al could post three blogs before breakfast. On that subject, the blog I mean, I must apologise to you, our readers, for the errors in spelling and punctuation (except the intentional ones) of the last three blogs. I wrote one late at night and the other two very early in the morning.

One or two comments have suggested that my elephant must have been rejuvenated after all the munching that went on last year – You surely didn’t think he was real? Just to reassure our readers that all is well, I am posting a photo of him in his entirety. He is looking mighty fine don’t you think?

Today has been a thoroughly pleasant ride and the river has changed from this titchy stream to a full blown, brown, swirling real river. We have passed through Ulm and glimpsed some of its former medieval glories and found peaceful gardens in which to dine. (See, no elephant required)

Having made the decision that today was a dry day, we spent some time searching out a campsite. As ever in the towns, the cycle signs, if they exist at all, become a bit ambiguous. We resorted, therefore, to asking in our best English. Waved vaguely in the right direction, we chanced upon the entrance and tried to find a person who might tell us if, and where, we could pitch our small tent. Seeing our confusion, a very nice man explained in excellent English, that a pitch might be possible tonight, but for just one night. He warned that there would be much activity this evening, as they would be erecting a marquee for some jubilant celebrations which were to take place the next day. Once agreed on a spot which would not get run over or in the way, we pitched and made the tent look as small as possible. Then the evening entertainment began. An army of folk turned up with a truck load of metal spars, drills and a great deal of good natured banter – I think? The man in charge, and probably, the owner of this massive tent, took to shouting orders and established a routine which ensured the safe erection of the scaffold. Then the flooring arrived along with the table and chairs – another huge truckload. By this time, we were wondering if there would be enough room for us to weave our way through all this construction in the morning. The bar was moved at least three times, but by 10 pm, everyone seemed satisfied, quaffed a final beer and left. Ready to turn in, we were hailed by our English speaking receptionist who arrived with two beers. A gift from himself.   There are some lovely people in this world.                       

Did I say we camp only in fine weather……………………It rained! 

Monday 05.06.2012    Sigmaringen -  Ehingham  91 kms

Fortunately, the rain held off while we breakfasted and packed away our wet gear. Actually, the only item that was really wet was the tent and, of course, the bikes. Our little green tent had rebutted all attempts from ingress of the wet stuff and we were totally dry. (“What did we agree about camping?” queried Alan. “I think it went something like – only in fine weather!” I replied, retrieving a wet sock.) We bade farewell to the Blackwood couple, who were off to Bodensee. It is unlikely that they enjoyed the splendid views that we enjoyed, as the weather showed little sign of clearing. So, a little cleaner and rested, we sallied forth again.

Is this the cart that'sgoing to the Black Sea?

The countryside has changed again, and we rode along less muddy tracks, through what can only be described as plains of crops. We wondered at the farmers who may or may not have been happy to have numerous cyclists riding through their estates – maybe the incentive was some kind of reimbursement; we shall probably never know. We could see for miles, which also meant we could see the oncoming storm. Like our souvenir hut of last year, a shelter materialised just at the right moment. We pushed our bikes through the long grass to an old shed housing even older farm equipment and made ourselves comfortable in an old hay truck, where we ate our lunch watching the rain pelting down. Like many storms, it was all over in a short time and by the time our feast was finished, it had stopped and the swallows were busy feeding on the bity things that seem to swarm at these times.

Throughout the day we had been inundated with signs along the path indicating accommodation of one sort or another but……………………………..you know what is coming……………after 75 kms, the campsite had disappeared and nothing else indicated any kind of alternative! The next village offered a closed Gasthaus, the one after that had no rooms. (although why you would call yourself a guest house without rooms is beyond me). Finally in Ehingen, we found a very bike friendly and reasonably priced hotel – very plush and not what we planned but heigh ho, any port in a storm!

Mud and Cheap Beer

Sunday 03.06.2012   Nendingen – Sigmaringen 53kms

Woke to less than perfect weather but no complaints as we have been very lucky thus far. Our hosts were waiting for us in the dining room and had laid out a breakfast spread of bread, meats, cheese and the most delicious raspberry jam! We scoffed an entire jar and hope that, as it was home made, they would take it as a compliment. On the road, in the rain by 09.30. The rain was to dog us for most of the day and it had turned the tracks into a kind of gloopy mud. Herman was less than impressed as it sucked at the wheels and tried to drown them. For much of the time, the track ran through the gorge created by the river. It is hard to believe that this titchy little river was responsible for these vast cliffs of limestone. Man had added to the charm by building houses and small forts perched precariously on the edges although the reason for this has eluded me.  The track itself, followed the valley, much of it through forest absolutely teeming with birds, with the occasional glimpse of the water.

By lunch time, we were feeling the effects of yesterday’s climb and as the only campsite mentioned in the little book was not far ahead, we decided to weigh up its charms. The bikes and trailers were, by now, so filthy that we were afraid to show our faces at a pension. Besides a camp site would have a tap and the where with all to make an attempt at cleaning them. Just past about a hundred canoes, we found the entrance and a very jovial welcome from two ladies vying to practice their English, which suited me as my German has progressed not at all. Waiting outside, and holding the bikes, Alan had met a couple who were from Blackwood! Small world! They recommended the beer, but before enjoying the pleasures of the restaurant we must needs erect the tent and clean the bikes. The former was essential and the latter less so in view of the rain which cascaded down during the night! Great meal though and he was quite right about the beer!

Google Says Danube is Here!

Saturday  02.06.2012   Wangen – Nendigen  80.3 kms

Best breakfast we have yet had. Eggs, smoked salmon, ham, cheese, bread – I could go on. We did our best to do it justice but we needed with us, those with larger appetites. To collect our food we were required to walk the length of a very large dining room adorned with a proscenium arch and possibly a stage. Feeling quite smug at having packed, posted the blog on a very slow connection, we were on the road by 09.30. Alan had researched this section of the route before we left and produced google maps which we were sure would see us through. All went very well until at Bodensee, the E6 disappeared! Just when we needed him, Mr. Master Navigator took a vacation. We covered the same ground three times to no avail and finally made a call on the oft maligned Tourist Information. We were pointed in the right/different direction and made use of our old friend the sun! So we found a way, not the way and after a few more kilometres we found ourselves at the base of a hill. Not that unusual, and Al says I must not be boring about arduous undertakings, but this hill went on for about 12 kilometres!  When we reached what we thought was the summit, we rediscovered the E6; we took it.  Another miscalculation; where the road continued at a gentle climb, this path tumbled downhill and then turned a right angle and went steeply uphill to join the main road!  What planet are these planners on?! 20% hills for loaded touring bikes – I don’t think so. some 700metres higher, with little energy left in the legs, we did find the Donau. Hoorah and hooray! The views back over towards Bodensee were spectacular – the first time we have reached such dizzy heights this trip.  Now to find somewhere to lay our tired little bodies. We could not find the energy to erect a tent, much less cook a meal so we latched onto the first pension we found - full! The second was not really open yet! The third was open and welcoming! Unusually, for a German gentleman of mature years, this sweetheart spoke really good English and when we commented on the fact, it transpired that he had spent some three years in the States in the fifties. Good memory, I’d say. Delightful couple and a great place to rest our legs and everything else.

My Ding-a Ling

 Friday 01.06.2012    Waldshut – Wangen (on Lake Constance)  74.6 kms

Our modestly priced hostel accommodation provided us with the best breakfast we have enjoyed since leaving home. Excellent value, and primed us for the journey today.

If anyone tells you that this track follows the Rhine, it has to be a very loose description, either that, or this is the first river to have developed major ups and downs. I am amazed that the Swiss, a people so technically talented, have not spotted the fact that equal parts of ups and downs means FLAT. So what is their problem – just an adverse topography! ( You have to feel sorry for old elephant today; very well munched.) But……………… and it is a big but, the wind was almost whizzy and the odd push from behind was very welcome. We also experienced today, our first encounter with steps! Alan had assured me that we would meet the EV6 today and we did – at the top of the steps! After ten minutes of denial, it was inevitable that we must descend these steps in order to follow said route. Having finally accepted this inevitability, another kind gentleman indicated, in passing, the lift which, in our angst, we had failed to notice. So bikes down steps, trailers down lift and we were off on our route again. Hoorah!  More ups and downs and then to the granddaddy of them all!  Now, we have visited Rhinefalle in the past, and spectacular as it was, we were not aware that our cycle route would take us on a second visit. This time down a very steep hill – fabulous waterfalls – then up the other side! Not nearly so fabulous! Don’t know what the incline measured in percentage terms, only in puffing terms – lots and lots! The buses don’t go down there! so why did bikes?

Some of the paths we have had to negotiate have often been quite narrow, especially towing Herman and Sherman, so I finally got around to fitting a bell which had been provided with the bike whenever it was that we purchased them. It has not been very useful for warning people of an overtaking manoeuvre unless they are stationary, but it has provided me with a pleasing tinkle. Instead of wind chimes, I have gravel chimes- very soothing, if somewhat confusing, as I don’t know if it is my bell tinkling or a bike trying to overtake. Nothing like a little ding-a-ling!  

One last hill of indeterminate steepness and we arrived at our overnight stop, and not a moment too soon. Now, fed, watered and very tired, I can finish tonight’s blog just before it is dark! Tomorrow, I am assured, we will reach the Danube/Donau. This is the river which will take us the rest of the way to the Black Sea – or rather following it, will. Not planning on a long swim!