Started badly fell away.
Day 5 of my Danube has NOT been a good day.
I started very slowly this morning. Normally I like to be up and on the road by 08.00 08.30 at the latest. This morning because of the aches and pains and cut and bruises associated with yesterday's fall, and the fact that EVERYTHING was damp or plain wet. However I hit the road ( not a good phrase after yesterday) by 10.30 and it was dry, just. I have a new, fourth problem for cycling - COLD. It was freezing. I had four layers under my waterproof(ish) jacket and my Recreational Running hat under my helmet. I had tights over my padded shorts and gloves and I was still cold. The aches and pains gradually wore off but the cold North wind in my face did not.
Yesterday afternoon would qualify as pancake flat in anybody's language. This morning started rolling and ended hilly. At one point I had to engage my 28th gear (walking) up a 20% hill. The countryside was less interesting and the waymarking not quite so frequent. I must have crossed the Danube and its railway companion 20 times but that was all I saw of the river.
The highlight of the morning was just after the 20% hill I met Anne and Fred fellow Donauradweg travellers from Saxony going in the opposite direction. We exchanged pleasantries and e mail addresses to send on the photos taken.
I had intended to make for Ulm today but in the spirit of my newly acquired flexibility I decided that there was only so much wind and cold that could vaguely pass for fun, so I stopped 20kms short at Baubueren. Baubeuren is the most northernly point of the Danube (correction it is where I stop going North and start heading north east Regensburg is the most northernly point of the Danube)
The town grew around its Benedictine Abbey founded in 1085 and there are lots of fantastic old buidings incredibly well preserved which I would love to show you but for the latest disaster. My phone has died. Not just battery needs charging. Died. and to add insult to injury I have either lost or forgotten to bring my Garmin watch charging lead. My Garmin has also died.
NOT my best day. Ulm is a city of 120k people - about the same as Dundee so hopefully I will be able to pick up a Garmin charging cable. A new phone is not so easy. I will sleep on it. Maybe my phone is just sleeping. Perhaps it is tired after all of the photos I have taken!
distance cycled so far: 335kms
Brian - an awful day but you did what you had to do and made real progress on a tough gig for anyone. Well done for that. Giro in Italy also having horrendous weather and now cutting short or diverting next 2 days stages. If they can do it feel free to do the same.
ReplyDeletePositive you can achieve your overall goal as you always do. Head down. Keep them wheels rolling. Give it some Welly.