Tuesday, August 07, 2012

#456 Up the Danube



On the Donauradweg (Danube Bike Path) with a group of 9 Spanish cyclists. I've volunteered to be a guide for my friend Chus who's company, Rutas Pangea has organised this trip from Regensburg in Germany to Vienna, capital of Austria.  I'm the lantern rouge, riding at the back and dealing with punctures, chain derailments, broken bits and keeping the tail enders on the right route.

Tuesday: Regensburg to Straubing 60km.
Wednesday: Straubing to Passau 109km.
Ice cream day.
Thursday 45km.
Paseo in Passau and a swim in the hotel's pool in Schlogen.
We are now in Austria.
Friday Schlogen to Linz 45km.
It's not the chocolate town.
Saturday Linz to Grein 60km
More swimming -  a chilly river Danube.
Sunday Meandering from Grein to Melk 45km
Monday First we walked round a bleeding great monastery. Then we rode down the bike path and then quite soon stopped for wine. Some ham & cheese then off again but had to stop straight away for more wine. Final ride to hotel in Krems and another round of . . . (I'm not sure what happened next). . . .
Tuesday to Vienna 90km

About 500km in 8 days. 95% Asphalt. Mostly bike path, some roads shared with cars. No hills.
Very nice bunch of riders - I'm now super fast at changing inner tubes and extracting bits of backpack from rear wheels :-)
Regensburg


Non stop wine tasting in Krems

In the Danube at Grein