Monday to regensburg

It becomes very difficult to recall previous days activity the longer i leave it, and breakfast the next day to blog the day before is ........hmm

Anyway, monday. Set off from inglostadt and the path along the river was wet and puddled making us and our fine steeds wet and very dirty. Cycling along raised levy banks gives great view. Heading down a narrowing valley, intending catching the ferry 5kms downstream to kelheim. Paid for our tickets and waiting for the next ferry when i chanced to read in the book that there was a brewery nearby.  Of course we hot footed it immediately.

Kloster weltenburg abbey has been brewing since 1050 and specialise in dark beers, specifically kloster barock dunkel. Fantastic.  Had one from the bottle and one from the tap. Sitting in the sun. Heavenly

Had to race to catch the ferry. Made it by a bees dick. Ferry ride to kelheim through narrowish valley.

Heading now for regensburg.  Happiness quickly fades as rain sets in. Coat on knuckle down to it. Mark has to stop and strip to the skin to change into warmer gear and a rain coat that actually works!

90 minutes later it starts to clear so we are forced to stop and reward ourselves with coffee and cake. Man that tastes good. Bad abbach town of hot springs. Missed these and headed on closely following the river as we dry out.

A long final 15kms into town then an internet search for accommodation.  It turns out that regensberg is quite a long way from regensburg. Switzerland versus germany!

Finally locate and check in and, of course head out fora beer. Watch the local soccer team arrive to much fanfare from the safety of our beersatthe local hoffbrau house

More beers then dinner of sausage followed  by pork loin with rosti and salad

Too damn much beer today. Try to do better tomorrow!

Oh... and tummy upset this evening. Wonder what caused that?

Sunday.... the rest

So, after breakfast, loaded up for a late sunday start. Sadly had to miss church as we needed to get on our way

Riding peaceful through forest and then up on levy banks. Some very steep sharp hills to keep us on our toes.

My arsehole feels like it will fall out!

Morning coffee and a tour of the castle and the new sistine chapel. ... at neuburg

Remaining ride uneventful but took a wrong turn and approached ingolstadt from north not south. 67kms ish. Glad for shorter day.

Hotel then same routine.  Shower,  rest... briefly,  then walk of town and beers followed by chinese for dinner.

Great duck, sweet and sour pork and rice. Bargain. Only 27 euros

Heavy rain as falling asleep.  Woke at 5 then asleep again until 7. Wow.

Sunday first post.... breakfast

Good sleep, until 6am which is a triumph.

Cumulative riding leaves me a bit flat this morning, but determined to catch up on typing blog and other stats. Yesterday was 97.9 kms, 221m up, 268 down.

Small breakfat of bacon and egg today as only 60kms on the agenda.

Hope that i wake up soon!

Heading to ingolstadt today, home of audi and 4 breweries.

Chat later

Saturday to donauworth

Found our way from out of town via river and the help of a lovely german lady to the main danube and exited ulm alongside the city wall and one of the arched gates, photo to follow.

Todays riding mostly a blear as saddle sore and listened to ipod to dull the pain
Through beautiful forest,  video to follow and coffee at gunzberg in the square.
Strudel gedye continuing to enjoy his morning tea!

Ran put of water 20kms before donauworth,  no shops anywhere.  Luckily found a cyclists tap at a church. All good from there. Garmin very handy as shows nearby hotels so went straight to the first  and lucky. Rooms available. 69euro

Sunburnt today as got to 25. Need to be more careful tomorrow.

Walked to the old town reid island for a well earned beer. Weissen again of course.

Great to geat that bicycle seat out of my arse.

Up the hill for more refreshments and sadly sat at outdoor pub where hoons rushed by noisily with thumping music. Beat a hasty retreat back to hotel to rest before dinner.

Dinner ar italian restaurant.  Lots of those here. So, for a man trying to limit carbs, beer, pizza and spaghetti carbonara didint reall do it!

Back to hotel and watched episode 1 of band of brothers

Good night .

FRIDAY.... but from memory as it is now sunday morning

Breakfast highlight today was fried eggs as well as the usual european breakfast. A great host at this place. His son had delivered our food last night on a motorises segue sort of thing.

Set off back down the valley to rejoin the danube and head for ulm. Using booking.com bokked rooms at the economy hotel which whilst out of town a bit was brand new and yes... economy. Automated everything including checkin.

Cant really remember the 76.6 kms but arrived in ulm, had some difficulty negotiating rail and one way streets to our hotel. Walked into the historic centre in a thunderstorm for a beer and then found a little asian fusion place for duck, crispy, eggplant stuffed with pork and some rice. Nicer than schnitzel!

Mark had a puncture this morning and took 2 tubes to get him going again. Hard to get 80psi in with a hand pump.
We were near mengen

Thursday

Stage 1 to sigmaringen through the donautal gorge must be the most picturesque cycling that I have done.  What a beatiful morning. Lunch in sigmaringen. 60 kms so far.
On to riedlingen. 35kms. Getting sick of it now and no accommodation booked so had to keep ridin. Ended up off course in Zweifalten at the post hotel.  Thanks to booking. Com beers of course and local dishes in the hotel restaurant.  Goulas soup followd by the local version of ravioli.
Yum .
But tired now big day of approximately 113kms
In bed by 9
The problem with long days is that by the evening you can't remember the start.

More wednesday

So after coffee we downhilled heading for our lunch spot at donnauschingen, then on to tuttlingen for over night. 95kms. Dinner at indian restaurant

Its all downhill from here

Wednesday. .. moment of truth. A real ride

So today we set off in search of the head waters of the danube
Uphill mostly past the triberg waterfall and up through farmlands and forrest to Martinskapelle and the source. Was 8 degrees on the way up and a 600 meter climb over 12 kms. Certainly tested the lungs and the legs.
Coffee at the top in the sun

Tuesdays riding

So only 4.6kms in 2 small pieces. Shock was the 63 meter climb to our hotel on cold legs

Tuesday. Munich to triberg

Awoke at 4am. Double dang. Read for a while 5bx, blog then breakfast. Packed checked out then set off in the rain for th munich hauptbahnhof.

Sadly our journey required 3 changes, ausbach just to move to the front of the train to avoid  going somewhere elsewhen it split, ulm, immerdingen.
Finally arrived triberg 1715 followed by a ride up a sharp hill to park hotel wehrle. Complimentay beer in the bar. Oh well then 2 more and off to dinner around the corner for a regional meal of pork washed down with a local weis beer.
Bed by 9. Exhausted!!

Our munich abode

Augustiner am platzl... spicy spork sausages

And oh yes , a local beer

Sunday night restaurant

Monday 23rd day 2 . In munich

5am wake up.  Dang.
Breakfast in dining room of hotel.  Great European fare of bread meat cheese etc.
Chores planned for this morning.  Get mark's disc brake fixed, new tube for his puncture and shop for final stuff. Bought new sunglasses at amazing outdoor shop.

Weather freezing 7 degreees and light showers. Have had to rug up. Hop on hop off bus tour, 30 minute walk in the cold to hoffbrau house intending beer and sausage.  Lotsa people and non existent service.  Left for the nearby tavern augustina with the same intent. Beers... 3 types and spicy pork sausage. Yum.

Read some book, mark changed his tube and off to bike shop to use the pump.

Mark fancied sichuan food (sichuan kuche) which we located a 30 min walk away. Spicy prawns crispy duck seaweed and curry shrimp fried rice. This traditional bavarian food is great.
 In bed by 830

Images to follow

Hotel schlicker

My shoebox home for 2 nights

Addendum day 1

Dinner was at
http://www.zumduernbraeu.de/
Recommended by our new friend manuel from our faulty towers hotel. ..... no oops, that's Hotel Schlicker

Dinner including beer for 2 was 60euros

Day 1 airport to munich centre

Bikes had arrived intact with the exception of a small buckle in marks front disk brake. Happened to me on tibet trip but thankfully on the way home. I would not travel with a disc brake bike

Now to assemble the damn things!

All done and we are off. 3pm. Dang. Cant find the way out of the fucking airport and when we finally do, its terrifying because we end up on the motorway for 3kms totally missing the bike trail. Cycle past police who dont bat an eye and we have soon found the cycle path and heas for the isla river.

Did i say what a beautiful day it is? Clear blue skies and sunny and hot. Mid 20s. We were expecting cold and miserable which is how munich has been for the past week.

Now that we have joined the river and the adrenalin starts to fade, i finally remember how different riding with the weight of panniers is.

40kms into munich and as we get closer the busier it gets until we get to the inner parkland and it is walking pace only. The people are out in drove droves to enjoy to welcome us.

The new gps with garmin europe maps supplied by Steve draper from hendry cylces is great but my old mans eye sight doesnt help.

We find our hotel on the edge od marianplatz to ringing church bells and hundreds enjoying a beer in the sun.

Checkin, shower and out for a beer.

Dinner of pork medallions and traditional sauce of bacon onion mushroom and of course more german beer.

In bed by 9

My best flight to europe, thanks Qatar, and a fantastic ride into munic. 40kms for day 1. And enough.

Day 1 assemble and we are off

The trip over

So a few notes so far from 34000 feet. Flight took off on time,  great smoorh service, chose the beef dinner,  with of course, scotch. Even ate my chocolate. After dinner coffee experience enhanced by cognac. Managed half of fifth wave followed by joy.

Morning coffee, passed on the sandwich and now watching spotlight.

A few hours sleep aided by stilnox. Now 4 and a half hours to doha..

Bum saved by bruce's back vitaliser cushion added to my seat halfway through sleep. Thank you bruce.

Star wars then breakfast, chicken sausage and omelette.  Arrive into doha for coffeeand a short transit. Mark also had good flight

Now heading for munich,  flight only 5hrs 40 and should arrive 1230. Just had breakfast,  again, skipped the chicken sausage and went for indian vegetarian. More coffee.

This whole travel thing necessary but hard to be enthusiastic. Book reading now

Arrived in munich roughly on time to a clear blue sky day, and 23 + degrees.

Immigration was easier than i thought, and now off to get the baggage and see if bikes made it here ok