Wheelieharro 2/7/19 Wheelieharro 2/7/19

Day 35- Calafat to Orayahovo -150.6 kms

Today’s ride could be summarised with 2 words....hot and long

Let me deal with the HOT part first....

The day started with clear skies and cool temperatures in the mid teens. But as the day wore on the temperatures were in the mid 30’s and as we were in the saddle.... so to speak for about 11 hours with stops for coffee, lunch and afternoon drinks we wore the brunt of the hot weather

The LONG part relates to the 150 kms we traveled during the day. As I said earlier we were in the saddle for over 11 hours. This is our longest ride on this tour and the second longest on the Chris/Peter bike trips

The day was supposed to start early but the room we had for the night had no natural light so we could not see the sunrise as we have done on most mornings on this ride. So we were up and about at 6.30 am and all packed to leave at 7.00 am.

Finding a bakery at Calafat proved to be a real difficulty so we settled for a stall selling some sort of local bakery delights .... they were edible but not what we had in mind!!

After breakfast we were on our way and the first challenge was to cross the border between Romania and Bulgaria which was not a problem... not so for the many trucks which were lined up to get clearance....

The good news is that my temporary passport seems to work well thank goodness!

After crossing the border it was a short hop to Vidin where we stopped for coffee.

As the day was heating up we decided to head to the halfway town of Lom ( 75 kms) doing our usual 5 km alternative leads. There was one big climb in the morning of about 300 metres over 2 kms which cleared the cobwebs

By the time we reached Lom the temperatures were in the mid 30’s and we were parched and in need of s drink and light lunch. We found a nice cafe that served salads and bitter lemon drinks.... I have become a real fan of bitter lemon and lemonade on this ride!!!

The lunch break was almost an hour and with the heat we needed to get our energy back for the ride ahead

The ride for the next 50 kms was on variable roads some good surfaces but some really bad roads as well

We had one 2 km climb of about 300 metres on a cobblestone stone road!!!

At the 120 km mark we found a town large enough to have a cafe and I had to Coke’s and a Fanta in short order... I am finding that Coke provides a short hit of caffeine on hot days which helps to maintain energy on the longer rides

After drinks it was on to Oryahovo where we arrived at the hotel shortly after 7.00 pm. To say we were glad to arrive would be an understatement.... 2 bitter lemons a shower certainly mad a big difference to how I felt

We ordered dinner which were titled “meat balls “ but were in fact meat patties

It is interesting that today we ran across a couple doing the EuroVelo 6 ride ... they were fro Germany. We had a good chat

At the hotel we ran across 2 young girls doing the ride from Holland ... we first met them out of Belgrade on the EuroVelo 6 route just before I had my bag/ passport mishap

It was great to catch up and have a chat about our respective adventures

The hotel we are Stuart tonight is excellent and it is air conditioned and has good food and we can wash our gear... something that is really needed now

It is now 9.15 and I will be in bed after a long day in the heat

Now for the photos.....

A delightful drink of homemade lemonade....

The border crossing in to Bulgaria

Early morning on the the days we crossed in to Bulgaria

A view from the top of the hill hill on one of our climbs

Home for the night

The 2 girls in the photo are the ones we first met outside Belgrade

Today’s ride

Wheelieharro 30/6/19 Wheelieharro 30/6/19

Day 34 - Orsova to Calafat - 136.2 kms

The day started early again with us up and about at 5.30 am

The aim of the day was to ride to a bike shop in Drobeta to get a few things seen to on our bikes then move on for the red of the ride. The bike shop was at the 30 km mark

The first part of the ride was on a busy main highway with a lot of trucks. Later cycle.travel took us on some very seedy back roads to the bike shop. We arrived at the bike shop at 9.00 am and unfortunately it was not open.... we have been assured that it will open this morning so we found a coffee shop to have a coffee and wait in a more comfortable place.

After coffee we were in contact with the owner of the bike shop and were able to get our bikes serviced.

I must John did a wonderful job of checking brakes, wheels , chains, crank etc.He had a wonderfully clean workshop and was very thorough in what he did.

My big problem was not enough oil on the chain and I will need to get my crank checked when I get home.

The whole serving was about 2 hours and the bikes were a lot better for it...there should be a similar service for the riders!!!

After having a light lunch courtesy of the local supermarket we were on our way for the remaining 90 kms.... bearing in mind we started after lunch at about 1.00 pm ... this was gooto be a long afternoon.

The ride was mostly on a major artery road and the surface was great... there was plenty of shoulder to allow us to be off the main part of the road but the traffic was terrible. For a Sunday the numbers of trucks was amazing.

Chris and I took turns on doing 5 kms each and as it was very hot ( early 30’s) we used the change over as a time to have a drink to keep the fluids up.

This worked really well on a very busy road and although the ride was challenging with a few short climbs, the time went well.

We arrived at the accommodation at about 7.00 pm completely knackered ( Aussie term for being tired) and checked in to our room. I would love to know how many times our room is not on the ground floor on this ride.... well for tonight we have a room the first floor which is accessed via a staircase outside the hotel much like a fire escape. The stairs themselves are probably spaced at normal height plus another half which after a long ride is the last thing you need.

Before we had a shower, the first thing we did was to down a soft drink.... I had 2!!!

Today was a good day of riding with most of the ride being done in the heat of the day

Getting our bikes serviced by John was a real win for us both as the bikes rode well after their service

Tonight it will be a quick dinner and bed!!!

Now for the photos.....

John and I in the work room getting my bike seen to!!!

Chris doing the same with his bike

All happy after the bikes were done

I would thoroughly recommend John!!

A view of the country we rode through in the afternoon

3000 kms up.,.. time to celebrate... with more kms to come

Accommodation for the night and stairs to climb!!!!!

Today’s ride

Wheelieharro 30/6/19 Wheelieharro 30/6/19

Day 33- Moldova to Orsova - 99.1 kms

Today started a little later as we had breakfast at the hotel at 7.00am.The breakfast was scrambled eggs but it was more like an omelette.

The morning was beautiful and the hotel we we’re staying at was perched on the top of a rise with a lovely view of the Danube. The Danube near here widens significantly to be more like a lake.

After saying goodbye to our very kind host Corina we were off on the ride at a little after 8.15 am.... gee a late start for a change.

The ride today took us through gorge country where the Danube winds it’s way through some hilly country with sheer limestone hills.

The gradients were not great apart from 2 hills towards the end of the ride.

Most of the day the weather was in the mid 20’s although on the climbs at the end it seemed that the temperatures were higher.

We made very good time and were at the halfway point at about 50 kms in what seemed to be no time and celebrated with a drink and coffee at lovely restaurant on the side of the road that looked out over the Danube... the hosts were terrific and we enjoyed coffee ( tea as usual for Chris) and a freshly made lemonade... very refreshing.

After the break it was on further up the road where we saw plenty of the locals out enjoying the day. A big activity seems to be fishing where we saw mostly men seated on the banks of the Danube, camping and fishing.

Seems that there are very few women doing this....

The men seemed to be very relaxed often with a beer on the table at the early hours of the morning....

At the 90 km point we stopped for a drink and salad before tackling the big climbs. The cafe we stopped at seemed quite fashionable and in a quite up market area

The climbs were quite short and sharp... about 2 kms for the first and about 1.5 kms for the second. In both cases there was a lovely downhill to cool off and get our breath back

We arrived at Orsova at about 3.00 pm and found a cafe for a drink( bitter lemon) and an ice cream.... I must admit I have never had so much ice cream and bitter lemon in my life but is sure refreshes on hot days.

The apartment we are staying in at Orsova is very large and spuwith 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a family room.... such space we have never had before all for $50 Aussie a night

After having a shower we organised to go on a boat trip up the river to have a look at the gorge and some of the sights. It covered some of the territory that we had covered on our ride , but it was good to see from the river.

The trip took about an hour and the speedboat was filled with local Romanians who were interested in what we were doing.

After the boat ride we found a local cafe beside the river for dinner.... we shared a huge mixed grill with chips which we both could not finish

It was a good way to finish another day on the trip

Now for the photos....

Chris with our host ( Corine) in Moldova after breakfast...

Early morning on the Danube as we left our hotel

A work boat travels downstream with 9 barges attached...

Another view of the Danube

Our hosts at morning tea... a delightful spot in a newly renovated accommodation hotel

I think this is a haystack????

This was carved out of stone and represents early settlers in the region... it took 10 years to complete

Another view of the gorge

Looking down river...

... at dinner contemplating the world!!

... asleep on the boat ride back to Orsova

Home for night.... second top level with a view of the river

Unfortunately we had to climb a lot of stairs

Today’s ride

Wheelieharro 29/6/19 Wheelieharro 29/6/19

Day 32- Travel to Belgrade by bus then Kovin to Moldova - 95.3 kms

After a big night of sleep....I was in bed by 7.30 pm and woke up to have a brief chat to the passport guys back in Oz at 1.00am. The guys in Canberra we reassuring that my temporary passport would be issued today.... but you never know!

I was awak at about 7.00am feeling very apprehensive about the day because if I did not get the passport today I would not get it until after the weekend....if this were the case then my ride would be over for this trip and I would have to leave Chris and find my way to Bucharest

So we had breakfast in the local bakery in Kovin and caught the bus in to Belgrade

After reaching Belgrade I rang Biba at the Embassy and she informed me that the approval from the Australian authorities had come through and the passport could be issued....hoooooraaaay!!!!

We made our way to the Embassy by foot and had an orange juice and saw my dear friend Biba who issued me with my new temporary passport..... yehhh!!

We then took a taxi back to Kovin which is about 50kms from Belgrade with a cost of 72 Euros.... very cheap and quick compared to the bus

We then quickly packed and were on the road by 1.15 pm...

Great to be on the bikes again after 3 days in suspense whilst the passport issue was resolved

The ride that Chris had mapped out whilst I was sorting out my passport was to Moldova in Rumania

The first few kms were interesting in that I had to get used to the new tyres which are bigger than normal road bike tyres and somewhat slower with big treads

Anyway it was great to be back on the bike again ... we agreed that with busy roads we would do 5 km alternate leads as a way of making the ride a little more interesting. We also agreed to have some distance between us as the traffic was heavy and there were big trucks on the road.

About 25 kms in to the ride with me leading it was Chris’s turn to take the lead and I could not see him so I waited... and waited....and waited and he was not there. I then back tracked about 1.5 kms and there was Chris on the side of the road with a flat tyre. After fixing the tyre to the bike.... it went flat again .... so we changed tubes again... and blow me down if it went flat again. Luckily we had another tube so Gaya very good check of the tyre we replaced the tube successfully.... whew we had no spare tubes if it went flat again!

So on we went...

The next big challenge was the border in to Romania which required checkpoints from Serbia and in to Romania. I was told by the Embassy to present both my old and new passport at the Serbian checkpoint which worked thankfully. For the Romanian checkpoint I only needed to present my new passport which worked like a charm .... I must say I was relieved that it all worked as the Embassy advised.... thanks Biba!!!

Shortly after crossing the border there was a relobig climb of about 7 kms.... much like the 1:20 back home. The ride down the other side was excellent with good speed being achieved on good roads

We arrived at Moldova at about 8.00 pm ( note there was a time shift of one hour when we crossed the border) and as the hotel we are staying at is out of town...we went a local supermarket to get some dinner.

Arriving at the “ big fish” hotel was a relief as a 95 km ride in 4 hours 30 minutes was a fairly fast ride after a break of a few days

Today was a good day with much achievement

Now for the photos...

Selfie with a rider from Morocco

Interesting guy who won an ultra marathon and was a representative at the Sydney Olympics

A disused railway bridge in Belgrade we say on the way to the Embassy

My new and old passport

A man who was at the side of the road when Chris had his punctures ... he gave us coffee and water. The coffee cups had Marshal Tito on the side

Above...Chris and I just short of Moldova

Below- home for the night

...with an interesting view of the river/ lake

Today’s ride

Wheelieharro 29/6/19 Wheelieharro 29/6/19

Day 32- Travel to Belgrade by bus then Kovin to Moldova - 95.3 kms

So we had breakfast in the local bakery in Kovin and caught the bus in to Belgrade

After reaching Belgrade I rang Biba at the Embassy and she informed me that the approval from the Australian authorities had come through and the passport could be issued....hoooooraaaay!!!!

We made our way to the Embassy by foot and had an orange juice and saw my dear friend Biba who issued me with my new temporary passport..... yehhh!!

We then took a taxi back to Kovin which is about 50kms from Belgrade with a cost of 72 Euros.... very cheap and quick compared to the bus

We then quickly packed and were on the road by 1.15 pm...

Great to be on the bikes again after 3 days in suspense whilst the passport issue was resolved

The ride that Chris had mapped out whilst I was sorting out my passport was to Moldova in Rumania

The first few kms were interesting in that I had to get used to the new tyres which are bigger than normal road bike tyres and somewhat slower with big treads

So on we went...

Shortly after crossing the border there was a relobig climb of about 7 kms.... much like the 1:20 back home. The ride down the other side was excellent with good speed being achieved on good roads

Arriving at the “ big fish” hotel was a relief as a 95 km ride in 4 hours 30 minutes was a fairly fast ride after a break of a few days

Today was a good day with much achievement

Now for the photos...

Selfie with a rider from Morocco

Interesting guy who won an ultra marathon and was a representative at the Sydney Olympics

A disused railway bridge in Belgrade we say on the way to the Embassy

My new and old passport

A man who was at the side of the road when Chris had his punctures ... he gave us coffee and water. The coffee cups had Marshal Tito on the side

Above...Chris and I just short of Moldova

Below- home for the night

...with an interesting view of the river/ lake

Today’s ride

Wheelieharro 28/6/19 Wheelieharro 28/6/19

Day 31- Rest day again!!

Today was supposed to be the day I collected my temporary passport from the Embassy in Belgrade so we awoke early had breakfast at the local bakery and readied ourselves for the bus trip. But alas .... I received a phone call from the Australian Embassy to say that they had not received the official permission from Australia to issue the passport so our plans went out the window

Instead we spent an hour or so reorganising the rest of the trip recognising that I will have to “peel off” at Bucharest and not go all the way to the Black Sea. That of course assumes that I can get a passport and not be stateless as I am now!

I must admit that when I saw the Embassy staff member cut off the magnetic strip off my passport it gave me a sinking feeling of being out of control of my life.... I am in the hands of the beauracrats to move out of Serbian soil!

To get a feeling of moving ahead I said to Chris that I would return to Belgrade to get a new rear tyre, having only purchased the front tyre yesterday.

So I caught the 11.40 bus and after catching a taxi, I managed to find the ProBike shop in Belgrade. The weather was quite hot at about 35 degrees so having plenty of water was important.

After successfully getting my new rear tyre I managed to find a nice bakery for a sandwich lunch. I must admit the cost of living here in Serbia is very cheap with sandwich rolls only costing about a dollar or so....

After the lunch it was time to find a taxi back to the bus depot for the bus ride back to Kovin where we are staying

I arrived back at the hotel where we are staying at about 5.15pm

I am hoping that the passport situation gets sorted tomorrow as it is Friday and being stuck here over the weekend would be very frustrating....

I must say that both Chris and I are getting to know Kovin quite well

The town is about 50 kms from Belgrade and it seems to have a real family friendly feeling about it. The families are out at night for dinner in the town square and everyone seems happy

Anyway that’s enough for today.... hoping for better news tomorrow

Now for some photos .... not many today

Local bike culture

..... and again

Tram in Belgrade

Another tram in Belgrade

They remind me of the trams you see in Jason Bourne movies

Wheelieharro 27/6/19 Wheelieharro 27/6/19

Day 31- Rest Day to sort out my passport!!!

Today was a compulsory rest day courtesy of my lost bag yesterday

After confirming last evening that the efficient lady at the Australian Embassy had canceled my passport we awoke early to take the bus ride back in to Belgrade to visit the Embassy to get a temporary passport

The Embassy hours on the website said they were opening at 8.00 am so we resolved to catch the 6.00am bus in to town not knowing how long it would take us to get to the Embassy or how we were going to get there.

The bus ride went over much of the territory we covered yesterday including passing by the scene of the second set of tyre punctures I received after riding on the very overgrown track!

The trip in to Belgrade was interesting in that we picked up a lot of the locals who were either on thoway in to the big smoke to shop or to go to work....all very interesting.

We arrived at the bus station in Belgrade which is an old railway station and got our bearings for the walk to the Embassy which was about 2 kms. We arrived only to find the Embassy opened at 9.00am. Fortunately there was a good cafe outside the Embassy building where we had breakfast of a coffee and fruit jogurt.... very good after an early start.

When I went into the Embassy at 9.00 I was informed that Biba the lady in charge of passports was out for the morning and would be back at midday or thereabouts. Having to wait was not a real problem as we had brought my front wheel to see what could be done about changing the tyres to a more robust tread. We walked to 2 bike shops without success....

Facing another challenge we decided to have a coffee in a cafe and consult google for an answer... and we found a possibility on the other side of the river....

As the day was getting hot we took a pink taxi organised by the cafe owner to the shop... fare was very cheap.

The shop owner was just what was needed to advise me on the best options for new tyres and I settled on a Shauble delta cruise plus. It will make the going a bit slower but hopefully better on the unmade roads and bike tracks.

The shop is called ProBike and I would recommend it to anyone in Belgrade. The owner speaks very good English.

In the meantime the lady at the Embassy had called me on my mobile and advised me to get a passport photo and be ready to have an appointment at 1.30pm.

We returned to a shopping mall recommended by the Embassy to get the photos organised and had lunch in the food court.

After lunch it was off to see Biba at the Embassy....

She confirmed that my passport had been canceled and that I needed to get a temporary passport.

I filled in all the forms to do this including a statement on the circumstances surrounding the theft of my bag.

Biba was very helpful and said that the passport would be ready tomorrow afternoon. I must say the Embassy was very friendly and helpful in my predicament and I could not be more happy to have a way forward.

Filled with jubilation Chris and I made our way to the bus station and caught the bus back to Kovin arriving back at about 5.00pm

In preparation for the next stage of the journey, we cleaned our bikes and riding bags and started to think what the next few days would bring.... on bikes!

I think I will struggle to get to the Black Sea so I am thinking I might travel by bike to Bucharest then catch a plane to Paris for the return home. This will have given me well over 3000 kms of riding so I won’t be disappointed

Anyway as I have learned over the past few days planing ahead can be a curse as challenges crop up all the time, particularly in 2 nd world countries like Serbia

The day was a pleasing one for me as we resolved the problems regarding my passport and sorted out a resolution to riding on unmade roads....

Now for the photos.....not many today unfortunately

Me outside the Embassy....with wheel in hand

Tomorrow I take the back wheel to get a new tyre

Getting my photo taken in the shopping mall

Chris at the bus station looking after my wheel with new tyre

The information about the new tyre.... for those technically minded.....

Wheelieharro 26/6/19 Wheelieharro 26/6/19

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:

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
I had another 2 flat tyres as a result of thistle thorns getting in my tyres
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

Wheelieharro 25/6/19 Wheelieharro 25/6/19

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

Wheelieharro 24/6/19 Wheelieharro 24/6/19

(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

Wheelieharro 23/6/19 Wheelieharro 23/6/19

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:

France Germany and Switzerland- great roads and bike track surfaces in general. The best of these 3 is possibly Germany
Austria was ok but there were some poor road surfaces
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

Wheelieharro 22/6/19 Wheelieharro 22/6/19

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

Wheelieharro 21/6/19 Wheelieharro 21/6/19

(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!!!

Wheelieharro 20/6/19 Wheelieharro 20/6/19

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

Wheelieharro 19/6/19 Wheelieharro 19/6/19

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

Wheelieharro 18/6/19 Wheelieharro 18/6/19

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)

Wheelieharro 17/6/19 Wheelieharro 17/6/19

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

Wheelieharro 16/6/19 Wheelieharro 16/6/19

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....

Wheelieharro 15/6/19 Wheelieharro 15/6/19

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!!!!