Today has been another really good day. I awoke to sunshine (always good) and was last to leave the campsite at 08.30. Brigitte and Bertrand left while I was taking my tent down and the Aussies were gone while I was breakfasting.
I ignored Cicerone and set off on the North bank of the Danube which I had been told would be quieter and flatter (a good combination) After a fairly short time I caught up with the Quebecois and rode with then for a while until we were overtaken by a train of five riders going at twice our speed. I bade Brigitte and Bertrand, who were only going 40 kms today, adieu, and joined on the end of the train of riders (four Americans and an Englishman from Portsmouth who had ridden from Portsmouth to St Malo and were going all the way to Bucharest.
I got chatting to the Englishman as we rode along at 30kph. He told me that he had a friend who was a folk singer from Fife. I asked him where and he told me it was Glenrothes. I asked for the name and incredibly it was Bruce Davies who lives in Kettle. Small world doesn't cut it. It became clear that they were determined to press on and none of the Americans wanted to chat so I stopped for my morning coffee in a lovely bakery/ cafe in Obernzell. The lady owner was quite chatty and wanted to know where I was going. Did I have an e bike? I said that I thought I would wait until I was old. She laughed and said that ahe had an e bike and she was in her forties.
I tried to explain the concept of "use it or lose it" which she found amusing. When her husband appeared she told him where I was from and where I was going and "use it or lose it" which she repeated several times. I said,"You are not going to forget that are you?"
I caught up with Brigitte and Bertrand again but we agreed to go our separate ways at our separate speeds. I will miss there endless bonhomie and zest for life.
I reached the Austrian border by 10.00. The only way you could tell was that the Donauradweg signs changed colour and the surface of the path improved. The morning route through a steep sided wooded gorge was spectacular but lacked sunshine. Eventually I had to put my waterproof top on because it was cold. I continued on the North side until I reached the Au ferry which arrived on the south bank at Schlogen.
The Danube snaked its way north south and East until it reached Aschach where I stopped for lunch at 13.00. I had intended to look for bread and use my newfound gas to cook some eggs. Could I find a shop to sell me bread?? Eventually, fed up with my lack of success, I came across a Wurst stall by the side of the river. When I went to order Wurst I was told that today was special and they were barbecueing river fish. I was up for that so I ordered forelle bread and potatoes without much clue as to what I would receive.
Forelle is brown trout and it was DELICIOUS. I am not usually a fan of fish on the bone. It never seems to come off the bone but this was exceptionally good. The afternoon was unevenful with the exception of a second recrossing of the Danube on a ferry which had no engine, powered solely by the current of the river ( attached to an overhead wire)
I arrived at the campsite 5kms beyond Lintz at 16.00 20 mins or so after the Aussies who were still setting up their tents. They are fit snowboarders/ surfers twenty years younger than me. The old man did alright.
We are the only people on this campsite so we hung out drinking beer and then went to dinner in the on site restaurant which was surprisingly busy and good. Nigel and Anthony plan to stay for another day Whilst I plan to go on to Melk.
distance cycled so far: 866kms
No comments:
Post a Comment