Day 30 - Belgrade to Kovin- 76.5 kms

Today was probably the worst day for me on the ride as it presented some interesting challenges in many respects 

My mother always said bad things come in 3 and today was certainly that and the 3 bad things were as follows: 

1. We had another 10 kms of unpaved roads which were badly overgrown and were as slippery as anything given the rain of the past few days
2. I had another 2 flat tyres as a result of thistle thorns getting in my tyres 
3. I left my backpack at the stop we had in a place called Benatski Brestovak ( BB from now on) which had my passport, money ( about 200 Euros) and one of my credit cards 

So.... it was not a good day 

The good news is that we met a fellow at BB at our drink stop who was simply marvellous in sorting out a local policeman who found the bag minus the money but everything else was fine.... sometimes there are good people who can be the good Samaritans when the time comes 

Chris has also been a great help today in my time of difficulty and I thank him for his friendship and support in this trying day 

Chris even wrote part of my blog today and I will copy his comments as follows :

Not one of our better days yet it will probably be the day we most remember...

A good start getting away from and out of Belgrade something I would not have been wanting to do any later once the city workers began pouring in to work. 

We had the Danube to cross at one of the many bridges. Our navigation was not the best at getting on to the bridge and so we were on the narrow footpath facing the oncoming traffic (now quite busy). These bridges are looking too, however we successfully made it across thr river and then head the challenge of getting across the on and off ramps plus a double train line in the middle!!

We  weren't keen to make a run for it so an alternative track down and under the bridges was located and off we went. Like bridges and the areas under them all around the world this was no different except probably worse in that the local demolition and trucking firms treated the area as their own private waste dumping ground and where the track should have been we had truck loads of rubbish to get through. 

We pushed on and eventually did get to the right trail in the other side if the bridge. 

Away we went until the closed flooded road sign called for a committee meeting. The decision was to proceed. With frogs jumping out of my way  I made it to the other side of the flooded road and carried on. 

Shortly after this the track became "unpaved" and after all the rain we were a bit dubious about following it however the alternative wasn't really an option as that was quite a busy road. 

The track followed thre top of the stop bank which ordinarily is a good choice. However today not so.  It was covered in looking grass and vegetation and clearly didn't get much use. We had 10 km of track to ride so push on we did with a drink stop along the way. 

At the next town we stopped for a drink. Cappuccino for Peter and a cup of black tea for me. My Serbian was about as good as the cafe ladies English and so to help I produced a "English Breakfast" tea bag having learnt earlier on that "black tea" over here results in one getting served "Earl Grey" with a slice of Lemon!

No tea like I had but I did manage to order a cup of hot water into which I can put my own tea bag. Great. 

However when it arrived i had a glass of cold water and an empty mug! At that point I accepted that a glass of cold water will be fine...

On our way again. 

 

Then at about the 40 km mark Peter pulls up with a flat tyre! Bugger. But the good news was there were some shade trees just across the road and no mosquitos. 

Thre packs come off Peter's bike and her sets to replacing the tube. In thre meantime I go to check his rear tyre on the bike for thorns (the culprits this time) only to find that had a puncture as well. Gotta hand it to Peter he doesn't do things in half measures....

Both punctures were repaired and we were on our way again. Came across a village and decided a drink wad in order so we pulled in for a cool one. Had a good chat with three of thr locals and fit under way again. 

Then at the 50 km mark I hear Peter getting am upset. "Why you stopping? What's up mate I said"

"I've left my back pack back at the last cafe"!

And that's how I come to be sitting by myself under the shade of a tree on a Serbian roadside waiting while Peter rides back to collect his back pack.....

Oh Dear...

This is me writing again 

After getting back to the cafe not finding my bag it was time to sort out what needed to be cancelled and it was credit cards first then my passport 

As I said we had a Good Samaritan in Zoran who was helpful in contacting the police who later found my bag but unfortunately I had canceled my passport so will need to sort out a temporary passport in Belgrade in the next day or so

After thanking Zoran and the police it was off to our new closer destination for the night at Kovin. In all the mucking around at BB Chris sorted out revised accommodation.

So it was on to Kovin up the road about 20 kms to finish the day 

We are now staying in a comfortable hotel in Kovin which has towels and air conditioning and we were able to wash our clothes..... small things that go positive in a day like today are appreciated 

Now for the photos...

The road ahead.... we had 10 kms of this yuck!

......and 2 punctures courtesy of thistle thorns 

I have decided to get more robust tyres in Belgrade as the normal road tyres really struggle on unmade roads 

The policeman who found my bag.... his name was Johan

Me thanking Zoran (left) and Johan

Our home for the night.... maybe 2

Today’s ride.... very short unfortunately 

Day 29- Novi Sad to Belgrade- 92.3 kms

Well after a good nights rest which was partly interrupted with my mobile going off with cold calls from Australia trying to sell cheaper electricity contacts.... there aught to be a law against these idiots doing these cold calls....

Anyway the day started with the normal 5.30 am wake up. We organised breakfast from the supermarket the previous evening with muesli and jogurt complimented with orange juice.

After a good feed we were off at about 6.30am and although the weather looked threatening it was not raining.... thank god!

The first few kms out of Novi Sad were on good roads through some lovely villages and we were in good spirits after the challenges of yesterday...

Then Cycle Travel took us off the main road on to an unmade road and then it got muddy and there were big puddles across the road and all of this was for 10kms. At one stage we passed through a construction site of a new motorway where they were building overpass bridges and the mess on the road was terrible.... needless to say my bike was a muddy mess again, the wheels were clogged up and my shoes and socks were wet and muddy.... to make matters worse the mozzies were everywhere if you stopped. 

After negotiating this we were lucky to find a local soccer ground with a tap which we used to clean the bikes and our shoes to proceed further.....

From there the weather seemed to brighten up and the roads certainly improved 

Talking of the weather .... although is has been humid for most of the days since Switzerland, the temperatures have been in the high teens for the mornings then getting to the mid to high 20’s in the afternoon... occasionally we get in the the early 30’s. This is why we get started early to miss riding in the heat and humidity.

The ride in to Belgrade was very simple as the hostel we reserved was near the centre of the old part of the city.

Arriving at the hostel was at about 2.30 pm which was good timing for me as I needed to see a dentist as one of my teeth had fallen apart and although it was not painful I was concerned something might go wrong in the back blocks of Serbia or Rumania and I would be in strife.

After waityan hour for the check in we were shown our room which is in an old apartment building and the style could be described as 1950’s Soviet complete with graffiti and old style lifts....

The cost for the night for us both including towels was 17 Euros ( approx 30 Aussie)!!!

The shower facilities are located in a bath with no shower curtain so the only way to shower properly is to sit in the bath and wash. I think a few of the other guests have tried to shower standing up with the result of water being flung all around the room.... all fun!

After a shower I made my way to a local dentist I located on line near the hostel..... well the street where the dentist was located had some very seedy shops and I wondered whether I had made a good choice. To my absolute delight the dental care studio called Proestetik was very professional and the standard of the rooms were at least as good as in Collins street Melbourne.

The dentist Dr Mihailo Radojevic spoke very good English and did a great job with my temporary filling. The cost was about $50. He and his nurse were very interested in our trip and wished us both well for the days ahead 

Having fixed my teeth it was time to have a wander around Belgrade and have some dinner. It would be fair to say the Belgrade we saw was either being cleaned up physically or was in need of a good clean up.

A lot of work is being done on the construction front and in 5-10 years it should be something special.

After dinner and the obligatory ice cream we headed back to the hostel to bed at about 8.30 pm

Today was a better day of riding and I got my teeth fixed up so all is well....

Now for the photos 

Early morning on the Danube at Novi Sad 

Main square at Novi Sad 

Serbian farming land mainly fruit and vegetables 

Me at EuroVelo 6 sign

Morning coffee.... a good cappuccino!

Our home for the night 

Republic Square in Belgrade 

A partly completed/ demolished building in Belgrade near our hostel 

Sun setting over the Danube 

.... and another over the Danube at sunset 

(Temporary Backup) Day 28 - Sombor to Novi Sad- 108.4 kms

It all started last night after dinner......

We had a delightful dinner in the centre of Sombor where there were big festivities to celbythe summer solstice. The towns folk were in a festive mood and there was a fish cooking contest well underway with pots of stewed fish being heated to the boil on open fires under each pot. There were over 200 of these being fired up as we walked around the square. Just imagine this being done in Fed Square in Melbourne!

We had a good meal which included a beer for me... my first drop of alcohol in 9 days!!!

Then it started raining.... and I mean raining and all we could do was make our way back to our accommodation which was about 1.5 kms away and get soaking wet. 

After reaching the accommodation we wrung ourselves out and hopped in to bed hoping the clouds would clear in the morning and our clothes would dry

Awake again at 5.30 am, we packed our things and after a few words with the owner of the house and his daughter we were on our way. The weather seemed ok so we stopped in at a bakery in Sambor to get some breakfast before taking to the road 

At this stage the clouds were starting to build in the direction we were heading.... then about 10 kms from the start it began to pour down with thunder and lightning to boot.

We donned our rain jackets and soldiered on stopping occasionally to see what the weather was doing... alas we were in it for the longer haul.

Associated with this were the state of some of the roads... yes the Serbian roads are really something...

Then just before the 50 km mark we hit a patch of about 3 kms of unmade roads... the surface was basically dirt with the consistency of sand and when I hit this my wheels locked  up clogged with this mud and I fell off the bike.

The only eaywe could get through this was to walk the bikes.... not on the roads but on the side in the grass to make sure the wheels turned .... the road ( or what purported to be a road) was a muddy mess playing havoc with the bikes....every now and then we had to stop and clear the wheels from mud.... all very yuck and somewhat challenging stuff. As I said this continued for 3 kms and when we finally reached the safety of a sealed road we had to find a deep puddy try and clean our bikes. Luckily the rain had stopped but the other big issue was the mozzies... they were everywhere and if you stopped you would be attacked unmercifully 

Having passed this test we felt we nuts get to our destination ASAP and I mean really ASAP!!! We were wet through and muddy beyond belief 

To try to continue the bike cleaning process we adopted a strategy of riding through puddles which seemed to work.

The remain 50 odd kms weya bit of a blurr to us both as we simply wanted to get somewhere we we could shower and clean ourselves and the bikes 

On the way in to Novi Sad we saw a car wash and used the high pressure hose to clean our bikes much to the amusement of some onlookers who were cleaning their cars 

We arrived at our accommodation at about 2.00pm and were able to have a shower and clean some of our bike bags, shoes and the like 

Generally having a good wash after a challenging day makes a big difference.... and it certainly happened today 

Early morning with our hosts at Sambor.... note the sun is shining!!

A nice shot of the road early on in the ride

Note the threatening clouds!!!

Bike cleaning time at the car wash

My bike before being washed.... yuck 

Home for the night... very comfortable hostel with towels and a great shower 

Today’s ride... our biggest challenge so far 

Day 27 - Kalocsa to Sombor - 116.2 kms

Today we were awake again early at about 5.15 am and were packed and ready to go a little before 6.00am. We had located a bakery in the Main Street in Kalocsa last evening on our after dinner walk. Kalocsa is a very pretty town with some very big ornate government type buildings and a lovely baroque cathedral. I should try and do a bit of a history review of the region when I get home....

Anyway we were on our way after some fresh pasteries at the bakery and our first stop was on the Danube in time to see one of the river boats docking near Kalocsa with a bus ready to take the guests from the boat on a local tour 

For us though it was on the bike trail for about 5 kms of very loose gravel surface!!! Needless to say this is not my favourite riding conditions and the going was slow. I was buoyed by the fact that this was the only rough riding for the day...... yeh!

After that the riding surface was a very good bitumen cycleway until we reached Baja at about 60 km mark for morning tea. It was market day in town and the market area was packed so we headed for the town square where we found a local cafe for coffee and a cake... all very nice really given we were refreshed and only had another 30 kms to go!!!

So after morning tea it was off to the Hungary/ Serbia boarder and on to Sombor for an early day.... well so we thought ....

Arriving at the border we presented ourselves to the immigration officers and after looking at our passports were told that we could not cross at this point we needed to go through st another crossing.....well you could not have deflated us more with this news more 

After consulting the official further we located a route that might be fairly direct to get us to Hercegszanto .... so off we went. At first the roads were ok, then gravel, then it was tractor tracks with deep ruts and sand and altogether very yuck traveling. This was for 10 kms and at the end you would not believe it but there was a an outdoor church in the middle of nowhere.... somehow the cycle gods had been looking after us after the disappointment of the earlier failure at the border crossing 

From the church it was a short distance to Hercpfhcocoudoy or whatever!!! Where we had lunch!!! AND a cool drink because the temperatures were in the early 30’s by now and it was quite humid 

We had lunch of pitta bread and souvlakia which were quite good fuel for the 30 km ride across the border and on to Sombor.

The ride to the border post was quite short and we had to present our passports to both the Hungarian and Serbian officials and they let us through 

This takes us to 7 countries being France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and now Serbia so far on this ride.

Immediately after the border crossing you guessed it..... yes the roads deteriorated badly and it was slow going until we got closer to Sombor.

We came in to town and Chris saw a watermelon stall on the side of the road and together we ate a quarter of a melon to quench our thirst after an interesting days ride

We arrived at our accommodation at about 3.15 pm...cleaned  the bikes, did our washing and had a cool shower.... wow it is a great feeling to shower after a ride in the heat. We were lucky to start early to get a few kms up before the heat and humidity kicks in

I just want to make a couple of comments about the road conditions so far on the ride. It goes as follows:

1. France Germany and Switzerland- great roads and bike track surfaces in general. The best of these 3 is possibly Germany 
2. Austria was ok but there were some poor road surfaces
3. Hungary, Serbia ( so far) and Slovakia are the worst roads and bike surfaces. I guess this has a lot to do with the fact that many of these countries were part of the old eastern Soviet block countries where there was no investment in road infrastructure.

We did a bit of an analysis last night on the trip so far and we both think we can make it to Costanta on the Black Sea assuming we continue with our current pace of over 100kms per day and we stay safe...

Now for the photos 

Early morning on the Danube... a big boat docking at Kolosca

We had to get some Hungarian Forins .... this lot is worth about $90 Aust

Morning coffee for Peter..... note the cake!!

The central square at Baja where we had our coffee break 

We saw several church arrangements like this in the towns we went through in Hungary today 

Selfie of Peter and Chris at the border post where we were rejected and told to go elsewhere 

Our faces say it all...

The outdoor church after the 10 km scramble through the shocking road which was the short cut to the second border crossing 

A real godsend to see this....

 Welcome to Serbia says it all!!!!

This is the Eurovelo 6 route through Serbia.... I hope the roads improve!

Today’s ride

Tonight’s home 

A lovely apartment with towels above the family home

The family have been very helpful in making us feel at home

Day 26- Budapest to Kalocsa - 131.1 kms

We had a reasonable night of sleep despite having some close neighbors in our bunk room. I think it was party central last night at the hostel. When we got back after dinner last night there was a lot of noise in the main dining hall and plenty of beer was being consumed by the young folk many of whom seemed to backpackers from many parts of the world.

This morning we were up an packing our stuff at about 5.15 am... we had to be quiet so as not to wake the others in the bunk room 

We were on our way on the bikes by 5.45am in an aim to beat the Budapest traffic and get a lot of the ride done before it got hot.

Getting out of Budapest was my responsibility as I was the navigator for the day.... We managed to get out reasonably well... I think I got off course twice which is not to shabby for me 

The roads out of Budapest and for most of the first 50 kms were simply terrible. There were pot holes everywhere on both the main roads and the lesser roads and bike paths... after the double flat a couple of days ago I was worried it was going to happen again...

We stopped for breakfast at about 30 kms which had us well out of Budapest. The breakfast consisted of strawberry jogurt and a bread roll. It was enough to keep me going as we rolled on over the very rough roads hoping the conditions might turn around by some miracle 

Rather than go on bike paths which were terrible we made a decision to take one of the major roads which is always frought with danger as the traffic and trucks can be real hazardous.... luckily the traffic seemed to be light and we managed okay 

We pushed through until about midday at the 90 km mark at a place called Salt.... yes you read it correctly SALT 

Couldn’t see much salt around and the eateries were hard to find..... we managed to find a bakery who had Hungarian bread and drinks.... so here we are sitting ona park bench under the shade, with temperatures around 34 degrees having our drink and pasteries. 

We made a decision to continue on the main road to Kalocsa which turned out to be a good one for 2 reasons.... first the distance for the ride was shortened by about 8 kms.... second the road and bike path surfaces improved greatly which made riding easier for us both.

Finally we arrived at the hotel at about 3.15 pm which was an excellent outcome for the day. I was happy with my navigating and am starting to understand the features of the Garmin.... finally!!!!!

We are staying in what seems to be a family owned hotel tonight. For both of us on s shared room we are paying 30 Euros for the night ( roughly $ 50 Aust). We have found the the prices of everything in Hungary seem cheap 

Tonight we also did a wash catch-up as we were unable to get our washing done.. so today we were in “ used” riding gear and the smell!!!

Looks like we will eat dinner at the hotel where we are staying tonight 

Tomorrow I think we have a shorter ride planned 

Now for the photos 

Early morning on the Danube 

I think I will do a spot of fishing!!!

Chris having a well earned drink outside our hotel


Today’s ride 

(Temporary Backup) Day 25- Ecztergom to Budapest- 73.3 kms

Today we had another early start with us up and about at 5.30 am and packed and ready to leave at 6.00 am

We located a bakery in Esztergom to have a pastry and some apple juice for breakfast 

In sharp contrast to yesterday the weather was cooler, the Bike seemed ok and the roads and bike paths seemed better....

We made quite good time before our first stop at Szentendre which wAs about 60 kms in to the ride. We found a delightful cafe beside the Danube and had a very cheap bowl of fruit muesli and toasted roll. I had a cappuccino and Chris a cup of tea ( English breakfast of course...)

After refueling, it was on to Budapest along mostly bike paths to our lodgings at the Avenue Hostel in the centre of Budapest. We arrived at about 1.00 pm and the rooms were not ready so we had lunch at TGI Friday which consisted of sharing beef ribs and having a couple of cool drinks.

We were allowed to book in to our hostel at 2.00 pm and after booking in we had a quick shower and hopped on a big bus tour of Budapest.... the going was very slow with traffic jams everywhere.... the bus trip was shortened as a result of the traffic so our ambition of going to view Budapest from the Buda side was thwarted 

We managed to get back near our hostel to organise ourselves for dinner ....

Before dinner we both decided we needed a haircut and there was a barber shop near our hostel...so off we went in to the great unknown??? Yes the haircut was ok and cheap about $10 Aussie but no waxing of ears and nose available 

After this we went on the hunt for somewhere to eat..... plenty of drinking establishments but hard to find food 

Anyway we caught a place where we were able to have pasta and were seated in a table that was the main thoroughfare to the loos and we saw a guy with an eagle on his hand going to the loo.... made me think whether he used one hand for the eagle and the other for....well you know what!!!!

Funny how some people are

Anyway has been a good day and a shorter trip helps 

Good sight seeing in Budapest but still some big days ahead to get to the Black Sea!

Now for the photos....

Me changing tubes yesterday after getting 2 flats....

An interesting gate to the entry to a town as we traveled to Budapest 

Water Skiing on a lake outside Budapest 

There was no boat involved in towing the skier it was all by rope pulled 

Home for the night 

Today’s ride 


Budapest castle above 

An interesting statue outside a museum 

Hungarian parliament building.... very impressive 



 The guy with the eagle above.... not sure what is in the other hand!!!

Day 24- Gabcikovo to Esztercom - 120 kms

Today was one of the more challenging days of the ride as you will read later.....

It all started out well with an early wake up at 5.30 am and a pack so we were ready to leave at 6.00am.Unfortunately the front gate to the hotel was locked so Chris has to wake up the owner and have him unlock the gate.

All great for the start of the ride with about 2 kms to bring up 2000 kms traveled on the tour.... yeh big celebration 

We were making great time on the ride for the first 60 kms despite some bad surfaces including a major road where I hit a crevice and managed to have punctures on both wheels... what a real pain!!

This set off a series of mishaps which included me breaking the valve on my spare tube, Chris’s spare tube had a leak so we resorted to my puncture repair kit. We were successful with one tube but the others failed miserably so Chris volunteered to go in to the town ( Kormano) to pick up some new tubes. He arrived back about half an hour later with new tubes..... but they were for mountain bikes so he had to go back again....All in all this added nearly 25 kms on tithe ride for the day !!!

After the respairs were made we returned to the bike shop to get my front tyre checked as the hit on the road surface made an awful mark on the tyre. The guy at the bike shop said I needed a new tyre and I happily obliged . 

After the replacement of the tyre and getting our tyres checked for tyre pressure, we had a salad lunch and we were on our way again. By this time however the clouds were rolling in and it was starting to rain. With about 55 kms to go the rain made for slower going 

 We were due to catch a barge across the river with about 15 kms to go..... so we thought!!!

Barges still operate most days to cross cars, bikes etc .... great way for crossing the river

But Oh No the ferry was not operating so we had to take a longer option. 

The trip in to Ertzergom was achievable through some innovative play by Chris and we made good time 

We arrived at the hostel at about 6.00 pm Gaya long and frustrating days and it was great to have a shower and clean up. After a drink in the bar.... non alcoholic for both of us.... we went to a lovely restaurant within a short distance from the  hostel.

It had very good food 

The day was a long one for us both and as we sit here in our hotel room doing our blogs we are both feeling super tired. 

Tomorrow is s shorter day in to Budapest with about 70 kms to ride.... all good after a big night of sleep 

Now for the photos 

A selfie at 2000 kms!!!

The church at Estergom

In to Hungary....our 6th country 

Home for the night at a very” bohemian “ guest house

Day 23- Vienna to Gabcikobo - 131 kms

Today we had a very early start to the day.... we were awake at about 5.00 am and after packing and having a croissant and orange juice that we bought at the supermarket on the way home last evening, we on our way at 5.50 am ....

It was looking like beig a warm day and it is best to get a serious amount of the ride done before lunch if possible 

The early part of the ride was through some interesting country as we traveled through Austria but we crossed in to Slovakia just before Bratislava and things changed dramatically.... the roads and bike paths were not as well maintained and in general terms Bratislava that we saw was of concrete block apartments and where there were newer buildings thayhad not been maintained 

We had a quick morning coffee was at Orf ..... Chris wanted his normal English Breakfast tea and as seems to be the case in most cafes, they don’t have English Breakfast tea.... a real pain in the neck for Chris

After morning tea it was on to Bratislava for lunch at the 72 km mark. Finding a cafe in Bratislava was difficult so we settled on a shopping mall not far off our route. Chris had Indian and I had a Subway 6 inch and 7up.... so much for enjoying the Slovakian food delights!!!!

After lunch we had a 45 km run alongside the Danube which was fairly boring as the bike path was flat, we had no shade from trees as the bike path was on a levee bank perched up from the surrounding country. To make the ride more interesting we took turns to lead every km. 

We arrived at our destination, Gabcikova at about 4.45 pm. It was a longish day and we were both glad to have a shower to refresh ourselves. 

We are staying at a nice hotel and the owner seems to want to make our stay a good one 

Tonight we will have dinner in the hotel restaurant

Interesting today we traveled in to our 5 th country being Slovakia.... the other countries being France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria and we are closing in on 2000 kms.

Now for the photos...

Early morning leaving Vienna and the Danube 

We saw this stately home

All the houses seem to have been painted yellow 

A view over wheat fields to a castle in the distance

This still in Austria 

An interesting lookout on the top of the bridge at Bratislava 

This gives you some idea of the ride we had along the river and the lack of shelter from the sun 

Home for the night... nice hotel 



Today’s ride..... morning and afternoon 

Day 22- Vienna- Rest Day

First let me say it looks like I have downloaded the Europe maps to my Garmin...... yeh dancing in the street was the order of the day!!!!

The day started a little later as we decided to have a sleep in to 7.00 am then make our way in to Stephanplatz in the centre of town to have some breakfast....we managed to negotiate the underground to the required destination and found a cafe to have coffee and eggs on toast.... Chris had pancakes and OJ.... got to say the helpings were very small

We then thought we would continue the big bus tour to Schonbrunn Palace but alas.... silly me had left the bus tickets back at our apartment... so we have to take a short trip back to get the tickets.

On the way back Chris had a good idea to find a computer repair shop to see whether they could get the download to work from Garmin so we made our way back in to town and the bus route took us to the “markets” which was full of eateries and stalls selling fruit, vegetables , spices, fish and the like. After walking around the market we located a computer store called Jix which looked promising .... and asked them whether they could help us with my Garmin and the young assistant called Emry was very good in looking on the Garmin website for the downloading information. After a few false starts and a couple of cable changes it seemed promising. Emry said he would look after the downloading and we went back to the market for lunch and later caught the bus to Schonbrunn...

Schonbrunn is a very large palace used by the Hauptsburg family. The palace and grounds are bigger than the principality of Monaco...

We saw the coach museum.... not as good as the Royal Mews in London.... and took a “little train” ride around the grounds which was interesting. Along the way Chris and I struck up a conversation with a couple of Aussies one of whom is living in Austria and another friend who was on a holiday on one of the Danube cruise boats. 

Very interesting to hear their stories.... particularly one of them who was an ex federal police officer who was assigned to security for 2 of our Prime Ministers and a Governor General....

After Schonbrunn it was back via train to Jix to see whether the downloading had worked..... and yes it had been done!!!!

This hopefully brings an end to this unfortunate saga 

Chris then needed a new water bottle and we went to buy a new one and then made our way back by train and tram to our apartment.

As I was standing under the shower at the end of the day I reflected on the joy of getting the Garmin sorted out and more particularly the help and time given by Chris over the past few weeks as this saga continued.... friends are special and I thank Chris for his friendship 

The other thing I want to mention is that today is my granddaughter Sienna’s birthday and she is turning 6 and I managed to ring her when she was at home having the family dinner and birthday cake.... happy birthday Sienna...love from Pa

Tomorrow we are on the road again along the Danube through to Hungary and we say goodbye to Austria 

Now for the photos....

Schonbrunn palace from the front entrance 

Schonbrunn from the hill in the rear garden 

Scenes of jubilation following the successful download...

With Jochan ( owner of the business on the left) and Emry( the computer wizard on the right)

Day 21- Melk to Vienna- 111.6 kms

After a hot night ( weather wise!) last night at the youth hostel we were awake at about 5.00 am and ready to have breakfast by 6.30 am...luckily the breakfast room was open at the hostel by 6.45am so we hopped in for a feed of muesli jogurt and bread rolls to load up for the ride.

Looking out the window we were concerned that there was a reasonably strong wind and were hoping this was going in the right direction for us.... yes it was!!!!!

It was my turn to be the navigator taking Chris’s Garmin for the day??

After a few false directives on the way out of Melk, we were on our way through the country rather than alongside the river for a change. The route was almost directly east and with a westerly we made great time traveling at average speeds well above 30 kph.

Our initial plans were to stop for morning tea at about 30 kms but the going was so great we proceeded onto the 70 km mark at Tulln arriving at 10.30 am. 

It was a great time to ring Robyn at home as she was at Nick and Catherine’s home having an early family party for my granddaughter Sienna’s birthday... great to chat to her and wish her a happy birthday for tomorrow... hope she has a great day!!

After morning tea of 2 cappuccino’ s and an omelette it was on to Vienna with the wind again at our backs.... the final 50 kms was also very fast and we arrived at our accommodation at 1.30 pm which was well before the check in time of 3.00pm. 

I am writing this section of the blog at a cafe where we are having tea and coffee and planning the days ahead in the hope that we can have enough time to finish the ride to the Black Sea..... it is looking good so far 

Tomorrow is a rest day in Vienna to do a little sightseeing and perhaps to sort out my Garmin maps 

Later today after we check in we will try to get on a big bus to get our bearings on Vienna 

Yes we finally got in to our Airbnb apartment after a long wait at about 4 pm then had a quick shower to catch a big bus tour of the city... it was good to see Vienna again after about 40 years and much of the old buildings have not changed. The is a lot of buildings being cleaned up or renovated and for the wealthy there is opulence 

After the bus tour we had dinner in town in an outdoor cafe which was nice and the food was good. We then walked back to the apartment 

Today was another good day on the road and I think we are both looking forward to the rest day to have another look around this great city 

Now for the photos......

Me yesterday caught in the corn fields after doing a re-route at Mauthausen....

Today’s ride.... We saw this magnificent house 

A view of the Danube valley going towards Tulln 

Photo below is me doing my blog at the cafe....


Todays ride.... a fast one 2 days in a row!



At dinner above 

The walk home below 

Doing my blog 

An interesting plaque outside our apartment 

Home for the next 2 nights 

Day 20- Linz to Melk - 116.7 kms

We had a great dinner last night at a traditional Viennese restaurant,which was more of a family restaurant set in the grounds of a former home. It was very popular and although it was a decent walk away from our hotel it was well worth the effort. After dinner rather than walk we caught a cab. 

After a great night of sleep we were awake at about 5.30 am and on the road by 5.50 am with an aim of having breakfast “on the road” after about 25 kms.... well the best laid plans were blown asunder with the fact that a ferry to cross the Danube at Mauthausen does not operate until 9.00 am and we were there at about 7.30 am..... 

On this basis we decided to ride to a bridge which we could see and was only half a km away.... only problem there seemed to be no road to get there. Being the intrepid explorers we are, we decided to find a way.... well the way ahead was through densely over grown roads, several corn fields and several episodes of getting lost. Finally we found a young lady and daughter who were out on their bikes who directed us to the bridge .... this diversion was about 15 kms!!!!

As it was starting to get very hot and humid we stopped at Mauthausen for breakfast... this time it was in. McDonalds !!!! Yes a McDonald’s.... our first for us on all our rides. 

Got to tell you all the scrambled eggs were shocking but the coffee was okay 

After breakfast it was on further alongside the river to Grien for lunch at a cafe. It was opposite moorings for the big river boats and as a result the cafes were very busy. Lunch consisted of a toasted baguette ( not very good!) a soft drink and an ice cream.... it was hot!!!

After lunch we crossed the river by ferry.... yes they were going this time!!!

The road/ bike path was partly shaded and every now and then we got a cooler breeze as a relief thank god

Part way along the course we were overtaken by a pelaton of riders on the  “ tour de herz” ( herz being heart in Austrian)

We decided to join the pelaton which made the last 30 kms go very quickly 

We spoke to a few of the people and they were doing a charity type ride for heart facilities and the ride was from Passau to Vienna in a day... about 310 kms

It was delightful to end the day riding 30 kms at about 30km/ hr. To end on a high like this was terrific although we had to learn the pelaton rules as we rode along 

We arrived at Melk at about 2.00pm which enabled us to clean our bikes and do a wash before deciding what to do 

Apart from the humidity and the mucking around at Mauthausen the day was a great one for riding 

We saw some great country ( including corn fields at close quarters!!!)

We have now completed 1755 kms on the trip so far from Paris and we are averaging over 100 kms per day 

We reckon the half way point is at Vienna but will check this  later 

Now for the photos....

Oops no ferry... what a bugger!!!

Chris in the corn fields as we look for the short cut!!

Breakfast at McDonald’s..... coffee was ok!

Lunch at Grien... opposite the river boat moorings 

A riverboat on its way down the river 

An interesting castle at Melk

Home for the night 

Our ride for today....

Day 19- Passau to Lintz 102.5 kms

Today we started a bit later as we decided to have breakfast at the youth hostel rather than have breakfast on the road- so to speak when you are riding bikes.

Last evening we shared a room with a delightful young guy from central Russia who spoke very good English. He is currently doing some work experience in Germany as part of getting his law degree. He explained a bit about Passau and the fact that the church has the largest organ in the world.... well how about that!

We had dinner in the youth hostel last night as we decided not to travel down from the hill to the town. The food at the hostel was quite good with schnitzel, salad and chips....

Good tucker for the ride today 

The weather today started with cooler temperatures and warmed up to be quite hot when we finished at about 4.30 pm

The route today was fairly flat along the Danube on roads and bike paths. Today we really noticed an increase in bike traffic going both ways

The first stop for morning tea was about 25 kms from the start at a cafe near a hydro power station. The coffee was good but not as good as Melbourne... as has been the case so far.... I crave for a good coffee particularly as I have been off  the grog now for 3 day... a challenge for me is to be off it for a week!!!!!

After morning tea we traveled a short distance to cross in to Austria.... there was no real evidence that this was the case... no fanfare police or security guards.... just a river valley with a couple of signs 

After that we rode along the river making 2 crossings by punt which was different.

The river traffic was fairly light as I think the big Scenic Holiday type boats travel at night and berth at towns during the day 

At our lunch stop we were joined at a nearby table with a group of “ older guys” from Sydney doing a ride from the source of the Danube to Vienna. They were on heavy mountain type bikes with big panniers packed to the hilt.. far cry from our lightweight travel arrangements 

After the second punt crossing, which was about 15 kms from Lintz, we stopped for the mandatory ice cream and some ice tea which was interesting...

The ride in to Lintz was interesting and as I was the navigator for the day using Chris’s Garmin it was a bit of a learning experience.

Should be good to use the same navigation experience on my Garmin when I can get some maps!!!!

The hotel we are staying in tonight is outside of Lintz in what seems to be the industrial sector of the town. We are opposite to a steel mill which is interesting and the hotel seems to be the residential facilities for the local police. Most of the doors seem to have the names of the local police on them.... I think we might be safe!!

The other interesting thing about the hotel room we have is that is more like an apartment with cooking facilities and the like.... but there is no cutlery or crockery... funny that.

I am not sure where we will have dinner as we are well out of town 

In summary today was a great day of riding. We kept up our average of doing over 100 kms a day and we tried to do some bunch type riding with us taking alternate leads every kilometre... it seemed to work well 

Now for the photos...

Passau from the observation deck near our accommodation- up the HILL!!!!

Another view of Passau... it is the point where 2 other rivers join the Danube 

Early morning traffic on the Danube 

Some nice scenes across the Danube... note the river is brown as a result of flooding in the Inn river upstream from Passau 

At the border of Germany and Austria 

Crossing on the first punt... note the brown water 

The first punt...

The second punt.... much bigger 

Main square in Lintz 



Home for the night above....

And today’s ride below 

Day 18- Deggendorf to Passau- 60.7 kms

Today was meant to be a short ride day in to Passau so we were a little later in starting at 7.30 approx...

The first stop was to find a bakery in the main square at Deggendorf which we did very easily and it was breakfast with sugary croissants and an apple tart both of which tasted yum for the ride ahead

The ride for the day was beside the Danube essentially following the bike path beside the river 

The morning tea stop was at Hofkirchen at the halfway point of the ride... here I had a coffee. 

The rest of the ride in to Passau was relatively easy and we made it by about midday. 

Passau is a town where 2 tributaries of the Danube join the main river and the city has the boat anchorage’s for the big river cruise boats that travel downstream the Vienna etc

The amount of tourism in the town is incredible and the streets are quite crowded. Heaven only knows what it is like in the peak of the tourist season in mid summer!!!!

As the hostel ( our accommodation for the night) was not open we found a cafe in the old part of the town for lunch. I had a strawberry cake and Chris had a sandwich and cake plus drinks. Although the sun was hot (high 20’s) we managed to find shade under an umbrella for our lunch 

As we had a bit of a wait for the hostel to open we had a visit to a couple of bike shops to check on their Garmin situation.... no luck again!!!!

We then decided ,after a traditional ice cream , that we would try to booking in to our accommodation....

The good news was that we could get in.... the bad news is that the trip to get there involved climbing to the Schloss at the top of the hill where the gradients were up to 20pc!!!

Most of the road was on cobblestones so there was a fair bit of walking!!

Anyway the youth hostel is situated in the Schloss precinct and is quite comfortable.

We are hoping the we can do

A “major wash” here so after a shower Chris took the washing to the laundry which is again more of an uphill climb.....

During today’s ride we passed through the 1500 km mark so we have another 2000 kms ( give or take) to go

I am feeling okay so far and am happy that the bike has had no mechanical issues.... I say that and maybe it might be a curse

Looking forward to dinner at the hostel tonight 

Now for the photos.....

Dinner last night at a Greek restaurant at Deggendorf... great food 

Centrale market in Deggendorf near where we had breakfast 

The Danube....

These are the types of signs we see everywhere showing the way to go... you can just see the Eurovelo 6 sign on the bottom sign post at the bottom of it 3 signs fro the left 

Here is a war memorial we saw at a town being looked after by this guy 

Strange you don’t see many war memorials in the towns on Germany showing the names of those who died in the 2 world wars... this in the only one we have seen 

Passau shopping mall near where we had lunch 

Photo taken by Chris of me with “ angel wings” 

A view of the dock where the river boats anchor

See the Schloss in the background.... that’s near where the youth hostel is located 

Her is the cobblestone drive up to the youth hostel 

Here the gradient was 20 pc!!!!!

At the hostel... completely stuffed after the ride walk up the hill!!!!

Today’s ride ... excludes 3 km for the travel up the hill

Day 17- Obersaal to Deggendorf- 126.7 kms

Today was probably one of the best days we had to ride... the weather was perfect in the mid 20’s , the wind was at our backs for most of the day and the stops for breakfast, morning tea and lunch worked well together with our now traditional ice cream before riding in to our final destination.

The day started on the bikes at 7.00am after a great night of sleep in the Airbnb home we stayed at last night.

The first 15 kms were uneventful until the route took us on a major road at which time we said it might be safer to take a longer route. On this basis we headed north through some rolling hills until we reached Bad Abbach where we had our breakfast. This was at a bakery which seemed to be the early morning hub for most of the town... very interesting for a couple of old blokes just watching the comings and goings of the town at the bakery 

After brekky it was on the bike path following the Danube which by this time is a very wide river after several major tributaries joined it along the way so far.

The farming along the river has now reverted back to more traditional wheat and cropping together with plots of vegetables. The Danube valley has some very narrow gorge type travels together with a very wide valley which enables great farming on good fertile soil 

Lunch was at Straubing at a bakery on the side of the the road. The food offering was great but we were served by a very grumpy lady who I think struggled to tolerate foreigners. Anyway the food for me was a bread roll with sausage meat lettuce and tomato and then a magnificent raspberry tart.... all good for the wasteline I am sure 

With only about 34 kms to go it was an easy ride to our final destination at Deggendorf but not before having an ice cream at Zeitldorf. It was so refreshing ....

Ariiving at our apartment at 4.25 we had time to clean our bikes before having a shower and doing a clothes wash 

It is interesting to look at the names of the towns that we passed through over several days now. It seems there is a pattern in the names.... currently we are in the “dorfs” ( eg Deggendorf) and we have been in the “Heims” ....all very interesting to contemplate as the riding goes on

Not sure what we will do for dinner but I have decided I will have a week off the grog ... might be interesting to see how I feel during and after the week ☹️☹️

Now for the photos....

Thought this sign was interesting!!!

The Danube with a town and Schloss...

Couple of river boats anchored on the side of the river 

They look like a good comfortable way of traveling 

Another Schloss 

Our home for the night above an office 

My bedroom has the balcony 

Today’s ride

Day 16- Donauwörth to Obersaal- 126.3 kms

Today was another bad Garmin day...

I thought that I might get som joy talking to the Garmin folk back in Australia but after spending time with them for about nearly 2 hours there was no result. The good news was the delayed start meant we could have the hotel breakfast which was good and cheap ( 3 Euros)

Waking at 5.30 and the muck around with the Garmin meant we started our journey at 7.50 am which was later than our recent starts. The other piece of good news with the later start was we missed the early morning rain and had a start with some sun but cool.... about 10 degrees 

The early riding was flat and we decided to have an easier riding day after putting in some bigger days earlier.

The first real stop was just short of Neuberg where we had a drink and a cake and purchased some supplies for the day.

Then it was on to Ingolstadt which is a large town north of Munich where we thought we might find a bike shop to get a replacement rear vision mirror and make some enquires regarding Garmin maps 

Well the mirror was replaced quite easily but as per usual the Garmin was a problem so in the end I will give up the Garmin as a map and course tool.

The whole situation regarding downloading of maps remotely in foreign countries is a mess and the customer help is a real mess with no person on the help desk able to help. My mistake was not downloading the maps in Melbourne before I left on the trip

After spending another 2 hours mucking around we had lunch at Ingolstadt then resume to ride

The weather had picked up but we were finding the mosquitoes really bad when not riding...

The trip to Weltenberg was fairly uneventful but arriving at the road and bike trail stopped at a ferry terminal....

This is the start of a beautiful part of the Danube which passes through a very pretty gorge but the only way to get along the river is by ferry...

With all of the delays during the day we were fortunate to catch the last ferry at 6.30 pm

The journey to Kelheim was great on the boat and we managed to get some dinner on the boat. A bratwurst susauge and chips..... great food !!!

Arriving at Kelheim we located a fruit shop and purchased some fruit to have at our next accommodation.

We quickly made the 15 km ride to our accommodation which is a self contained flat in the rear of a house at Obersaal. The owner of the house is Barbara who has set the rental apartment up so well. The day ended on the bike at about 7.30 pm

I will be having a quick dinner of fruit then hopping in to bed

Now for the photos....

Me at the Danube 

An interesting cyclist joining Chris???

The Schloss at Neuburg.... quite impressive 

Bavaria is big on beer so they need plenty of hops!!!!

The town square at Weltenberg near where we got the ferry 

The ferry coming in to pick us up

We caught the last ferry for the day.... whew!!!

Me on the ferry 

Some of the gorge we traveled through 

Home for the night... thank god

Today’s ride

Day 15- Ehingan to Donauworth- 126 kms

The day started early again with us up at about 5.30 am and on the road by 6.15am

The weather today started out cold (7 degrees) and fog and a bit of rain which became a bit heavier as the morning wore on. After lunch it brightened up a bit and the sun was reasonably strong and the Garmin was recording temps of 30 which seemed to high as the wind was quite cool at times

After about 2 kms, we remembered that we had not returned the hotel key to the right spot so I made a quick return trip to fix the problem 

The riding today was through fairly flat farming country with the odd small change in gradient.... apart from the end which I will come to later 

The wind was also behind us for most of the way which made for fast riding 

Our first stop was after 30 kms at Ulm which is a very impressive town with a lovely old part of the town. The big cathedral apparently had one of the highest spires in the world and is very impressive. We noticed that there was very little traffic and wondered why... the girl at the cafe where would bought breakfast, advised that today was a public holiday in Germany being Pentecost day.... there you go we have the Queens Birthday holiday on the same day as Germany has a break.

After breakfast it was on to the 90 km mark at Wertingan which was a lovely town but better still we found a cafe open so we could have lunch. I had a kiwi fruit sundae and an apple strudel and Chris had a raspberry sundae and an apple strudel. It was yummy and the sugar hit was needed.

After lunch we left at about 1.30 and made our was to the hotel at Donauworth

On the way to Donauworth we saw some guys flying their remote control aeroplanes on a field and we stopped to have a look. These machines move like “stink”( Aussie term for fast) and they are really quite manoeuvrable. The planes being flown including prop planes and jet planes and gliders. It was very interesting talking to the guys whilst they flew their planes.

Riding always throws up some real challenges and getting to the hotel involved climbing some of the steepest roads for the day and after 120 kms the legs are pretty tired. Anyway we made it to the hotel only to find that we had been allocated one room with a double bed.... now Chris and I are great friends but sleeping together is not on our list 

Luckily they had another room available with 2 beds so all was well 

Whilst all the mucking around was going on regarding the room, we were able to sort out bike cleaning. The bikes were filthy and the chain needed oil after a few big days of riding

I must admit today I am feeling pretty tired after some big days of riding.

Hopefully we can have an early dinner and get to bed

Now for the photos....

An interesting conundrum trying to get a big loader through an intersection near Ulm.... they had to do some minor renovations to the traffic lights to fit through the intersection 

Here they are removing the traffic light covers...

A shot on the Danube after a larger tributary joined the river near Ulm

The cathedral at Ulm

Some of the flat country we passed through 

Us with the guy who flew the jet... it was fast!!!!!

Home for the night.....

Day 14- Bolderhof to Ehingan - 147 kms

After an “interesting” night at the accommodation at the farm where we shared the big room with a family on a farm holiday we awoke at about 5.30 am and were on the road by about 6.15 am. Don’t know what the kids thought about sharing a room with a couple of 67 year olds with one who snores (that’s me!!!). Anyway we managed to change and pack without waking the family....

It was a cool start at about 8 degrees with clear skies and as the day wore on it became warm rust about 15 then we had a few drops of rain as the ride ended 

Our first stop was alongside Lake Constance which is a leek on the Rhine. It was in a town called Radolfzell which is quite large... and do you think we could find a cafe that was open???? No we had to settle for the cafe at the station which was ok but I had visions of having coffee and pastry looking out over Lake Constance.... no such luck as we huddled in the cafe at the station!!!

After breakfast it was time to leave the Rhine and head for the country as we traversed to the Danube or Donau. The firt part of the traverse was ok though some rolling hills which was ok to lunch which we had at Stockach. There we shared a pizza at the Lebanese cafe which was the only eatery open!

It was prior to lunch that I discovered my rear vision mirror and rear tail light had fallen off the bike... bugger really as I now have to find a bike shop to get replacements

After lunch we had a 5 km flatis ride until we had an 800 metre climb with the gradient being at 18pc in some stretches. I must admit I walked my bigot about 50 metres whiowas disapointing but I was keen to save my legs for the longer day ahead

After the climb it was back to rolling hills again with a general to be down hill towards the Danube 

We reached the Danube at Krauchenweis.... the river here is probably no wider than the Yarra in Melbourne up near Dight’s Falls and the locals advised that it becomes “bigger” later when several tributaries join

At this point the weather looked a bit more threatening so we donned jackets as there were a few drops

The wind was favourable and at our backs which made for easy and faster travel

The counter passed through was open fields on crops .... wheat and corn etc 

As our water was getting low we stopped at Rottenacker ( funny name that!!) and asked a local resident for water and they kindly obliged 

The last 30 kms or so was alongside the Danube in to Ehingan where we are staying 

We arrived at about 5.15 pm after 7 and a half hours on the road. We both said we were not completely tired after what was one of our longest rides. Having said that... we were looking forward to a shower and a rest for the night at the Sternplatz hotel which is very comfortable 

We even managed to talk to the staff about doing our washing and drying for a small fee!

As I write this note the church bells are going off with a lound noise ... we have noticed that the bells chime at funny times and not on the hour etc 

Anyway today was a good ride and we clocked up the 1000 km mark which is a significant milestone 

Now for the photos....

A pretty village called Stein am Rhine ... very old buildings beautifully maintained 

Another shot at Stein am Rhine....

Lake Constance 

Looking towards the Danube valley below 

Note the great riding surface 

A 1000 kms at time to celebrate!!!

We had a feed of beautiful strawberries from this lady who had a stall on the side of the road

What are these towers used for I wonder????

We saw lots of them 

Here is the first sight of the Danube 

Wood piles in interesting art forms....

Home for the night... very comfortable hotel and our washing is getting done!!!

Today’s ride

Day 13 - Basel to Bolderhof- 126.9 kms

From a weather and scenic perspective today was probably one of the best days we have had...

The weather was perfect with sun and a cool breeze that was on our backs and we saw some real magic courtesy of the Rhine river 

We started at about 6.15 am from Basel after a good nights sleep at probably the best youth hostel we have been to over the yeats

The trip out of Besel was relatively easy for me as I just followed Chris as my Garmin maps were useless 

We traveled about 25 kms before we stopped for breakfast at a small town where Chris located a bakery with lovely cakes and pastries 

It was time for me to catch my son Nick and his wife Catherine who are at our holiday house at Rye over the long weekend ... seems from what Nick said the weather in Melbourne has improved a bit and the rain has stopped for the time being 

After breakfast we continued alongside the Rhine for periods and the water flow is simply incredible and over the day we saw 2 hydro power stations that used the stream flow very effectively 

As the day proceeded we traveled through bike tracks alongside the river and country roads together with busier roads as we traveled through towns . Looking at the map after the ride it seems we moved between Germany and Switzerland several times along our journey 

Locating a town and bakery for lunch was a real problem as it seems most places are closed over lunch... funny really as I would have thought there was a market for lunches. After travelling 95 kms I was really ready for something to eat.Lunch consisted of the lovely lime lemonade and a bbq sausage in a bread roll courtesy of a marketing effort by a plant and flower shop.

After lunch we traveled back to the Rhine for what was for me the highlight so far on the trip.... the Rhine falls

The photos do not do justice to this majestic place and the power of nature 

Getting back to the bike trail required a real climb up from the falls but from there we traveled along the Rhine upstryfrom the falls. The scenery provided by several villages was terrific as I hope is demoywith the photos 

We left the Rhine for the final ride in to our accommodation at 

Day 12- Mulhouse to Basel - 44.5 kms

After a great night of conversation with Stefan last night we enjoyed a good nights restful sleep and awke at about 7.00am... Stefan had left at 6.00 am for work in Germany by train so Chris and I thought we might have breakfast at a local cafe before heading to a nearby Internet cafe to try to download the Europe maps on my Garmin 

We had a good breakfast of coffee and croissants and headed off to the Internet cafe when it opened at 9

We made some good headway by ourselves but we had the good fortune of gaining useful advice from Julian a German who was in the Internet cafe preparing job applications 

The whole process was more complicated by much of the instructions being in French so Julian who spoke French was a godsend

We finally thought we had the matter solved when the downloading started and finished over a one and a half hour process only to find it had downloaded USA maps and not European maps. To say we were annoyed would be an understatement.....

Where to next when the Garmin process fails miserably 

I have sent an email to Garmin Australia to get them to advise me what I do next!!!!

After dusting ourselves off with the latest Garmin episode we then had a baguette lunch and made our way back to Stefan’s apartment to dress and pack for the ride to Basel 

Well if things didn’t get worse from there...

As we retrieved our bikes Chris locked his helmet in the bike storage room only realising this when the apartment keys were locked in the apartment mailbox 

He agreed that the only way to resolve the problem was to buy a new helmet which we did enroute to Basel 

At the bike/sports store I noticed that Chris did not have his water bottle.... this had been left st Stefan’s apartment 

Chris then purchased a new water bottle and it was on to Basel 

The bike track we followed was alongside a canal which is part of the Rhone- Rhine canal system 

The travel was easy and relatively flat and we enjoyed trying to engage in hello and bonjour with the cyclists along the path .... all good fun 

We reached the end of the canal at the Rhine river.... what a sight it was .... so wide and the water flowing so fast!

Shortly after we located a cafe on German soil where we had an ice cream.... then we made our way across the Rhine again in to Switzerland thereby completing travel into 3 countries inside about half an hour 

Basel at first looked very industrial but along the way through the city it became more pretty with cafes alongside the river and people enjoying the good weather of the afternoon 

We located our youth hostel which is an excellent place to stay the night and very comfortable 

We get free transportation in to the city by tram as part of the accommodation costs 

In summary today was a frusuone in many respects but we reconciled this with the pure enjoyment of our travel in a wonderful part of the world 

No for the photos....

Julian and Chris at the Internet cafe .... Garmin solving??

Riding alongside the canal 

With some swans....

The canal meets the Rhine 

Today’s ride. ... a short recovery ride!!!
Home for the night at a very comfortable youth hostel