Sorry, no pics again! The functionality of USB on the surprisingly rare internet access point has been 1 for 5. I´ll edit all this stuff with real pics when we get home. For now, here´s the update! And Addie, the numbers are the daily/cumulative kilometers. I am loving my GoLite puffy, by the way. Sehr Gut!
From Vienna, which is locally Wien, pronounced 'veen'... from which we get 'Wiener', which is akin to 'one from Wien'...
Day 18. 15/1490 km. Vienna and back by train. We spent a nice off day looking at statues and what not in Vienna, which is really a great city to see on foot, like Rome. I ate approximately every 100 meters.
Day 19. 88/1573 km. St. Polten - Grein. A nice day, but we had a stout headwind. It was obvious we were going the wrong way, with windmills everywhere, facing the same way we were, and spinning like crazy, and oodles of cyclists going the other way giggling. Last night it really howled. We joined the VERY popoular cycle route along the Donau river after 30 km, and stayed at a campground in the evening. We stopped for a bite at a pretty stone building that turned out to be a world heritage site, the Stift Melk, with the most unbelieveable reliefs and gilded carvings in the cathedral, and frescoes to match. Quite amazing and unexpected. The pretty building that drew us in was only a gate post! We also ran into a couple from vail who are doing a similar trip, and we met them again the next day also.
Day 20. 116/1689 km. Grein - Schlogen. I bet we passed 200-300 cyclists today. Only one had a tent. The first half of the day was so-so, but after lunch the traffic died off (most cycle tourists we see are 50-65, and go 30-40 km a day, on plastic) and the scenery improved. I bet our total integrated elevation profile gain/loss today was less than 20 feet. Very flat = very fast! We found a great beach to finish the evening by a great stealtch camping site. A little clevery shrubbery and we were so invisible.
Day 21. 97/1788 km. Schlogen - Egglfing, Germany. After a great breakfast and a nice morning tour, we hit the confluence of the Inn and the Donau, which was very pretty both naturally and architecturally. After luch, where we met a 60+ retired couple about 6 months into a cycle tour, we picked the 'ugly' side of the river for a hot 'n sweaty 40 km to a great campground in Egglfing am der Inn. We met three couples today over 50 who were repeated long-distance cycle tourers. How cool!
Day 22. 66/1854 km. Egglfing - Burghausen. When it rains, it pours! We were warned last night of impending rain, and it opened up before we left camp. In the pouring rain, which never let up, we blew a chain, which ate a deraileur, and killed the front rack during the repair. I screwed up the chain repair, so five hours later when we found a bike shop, the new derailer was similarly obliterated in ten minutes. Back to the shop, a new chain and deraileur, and at 6 pm the shop owner gave up and left us with one functional gear, no brakes, an irreplaceble cable he cut two inches too short, and a bill for 140 euros, and went home. All in the rain. Major suckfest. We limped it into Burghausen, to find the hostel closed at 9 pm... BUT! we ended up at a nice pension next to the longest castle in europe! What a relief! They could have charged us any price at that point...
Day 23. 116/1969 km. Burghausen - Hundham. A very nice day after yesterday. I repaired the new deraileur so we get two gears now, and fixed the brakes, rack, etc. The rain only hit us twice. We stealthed in a pretty forest camp by a stream. It was a very pretty day with rolling green hills and the German alps to the side.
Day 24. 110/ 2079 km. Hundham - Bad Kohlgrub. This was a much nicer day than the previous, with 3 or 4 showers and sun in between. Lunch in Murnau was pretty, and the views were again great. Too bad we never did see the high Alps. We caught up with a cycle tour guide and rode together for 30 km or so in about 45 minutes. I guess the stimulating conversation got our blood pumping! Big rain dictated an impromptu stealth camp a bit early, and it rained all night. We found our first bad wine, too! You have to get really cheap wine for that...
Day 25. 53/2133 km. Bad Kohlgrub - Fussen//Lindau. Quite cold and reainy today. The rain turned to snow about 700 m up, and it really took it out of us. Poor Stef passed out on me from the cold and wet. I also made another 15 km detour - yesterday too - and then we laid the bike down crossing a railroad in the rain, trying to dodge another bike. We limped into Fussen and elected to take a train to gain half a day or so, and to dry out a little. That bike repair day had cost us mileage we couldn't afford, and the wreck left us needing to make 140 km a day to make our flight. Stef's castle was invisible in the murk (she has been talking about it for months. Really Cinderalla and all. Long blond hairs hanging out the windows.) so we got a postcard. Almost the same. It was nice to take the train though!
So, we have today and tomorrow to make it into Zurich, which we should be able to do. We are getting stronger, and the longer days are getting 'shorter'. Stef hurt her knee when we wrecked, so we'll see how she does. Looks like a couple more days of rain for us. We look forward to seeing everyone!
8 years ago
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