Cycling – Page 22 – Travelling reflections

OE Day 16 Linz to Melk 110k

A route of 3 parts. The first industrial. The second sobering. The third a waltz along the Beautiful Blue Danube.

We left Linz via the industrial sector and its steelworks. Reminiscent of Port Talbot with its cacophony of towers and pipework. Barbara was in her element.

Mauthausen concentration camp Memorial. How did anyone survive? The effect on the liberating ţroops reminded me of my Dad’s story. The thin veil of civilisation with humanities dark underbelly. How we need to guard against those who trample so casually on democratic institutions, including at home.

The flowing waters we follow change the mood. Most of the day we were by the working river. And gaping at the flood levels it has reached.

Melk has a rather grand Abbey. Described as the world’s best Baroque [Benedictine] Abbey. It shows the wealth and power of religion. However well used or abused. The Allstadt beneath is a fine collection of medieval buildings. The brass band playing has probably done so for millennia. Unless the Monks complained…..

Cycling, Germany, Orient Express

OE Day 14 Straubing to Passau 98k

Mainly on the North side of the ever widening Danube, we meandered to Straubing. Our last full day in Germany on this trip. Some of the route was navigated the old fashioned way using a map (but on a phone) with many river works diverting the path.

Every scrap of land is cultivated. No Ivor Williams trailers though. An opportunity. Saw two new things today. A) First Amazon Prime van since we’ve started. B) An e-tandem.

Passau is dripping with cruise ships and churches. The magnificent Baroque St Stephen’s 17974 organ pipes were in full throttle as we gaped at the over the top decor.

Tomorrow Austria. Germany without humour awaits…

Cycling, Germany, Orient Express

OE Day 13 Regensberg to Straubing 50k

A short hop down the Danube, through wheat and corn fields. Framed by pretty working villages and the usual hill top extravaganzas.

Straubing has its fair share of old churches and towers. A prosperous wee place with a choice of breads 🍞 to make a tenement building quake (“you canny through a piece out a twenty storey flat, 10000 hungry wains will testify to that; if the breed is plain or pan, the odds against it reaching earth and 20000 to wan.” ….the Jeely piece song.

Cycling, Germany, Orient Express

OE Day 12 Kipfenberg to Regensberg 97k.

A river route today. Two rivers, as after 60k we joined back with the Danube. Which is getting big enough for cruise and pleasure boats. Prosperous villages, aspiring church towers. The occasional telecom mast, which makes a change and contrast from masts with somebody hung out to dry. New gods replacing old.

Families out enjoying the Sunday cycle. Traditional dress in places: hope they have ice packs underneath.

We continue mainly downhill on gravel tracks. Buttocks like tenderised meat. There’s an uphill payback coming, never fear. Over 1000km done, 12/39 cycling days.

Entering Regensberg tomorrow’s rest day. We’re near the Dom. Let’s hope Quasimodo sleeps in late and the morning 🔔 is muffled.

Cycling, Germany, Orient Express

OE Day 11 Donauworth to Kipfenberg 96k

A pleasant surprise day. Looking up was the theme. If it wasn’t a church or castle perched imperially on a tall rock, it was May poles decorated with the local guilds.

After about 30k along the route we left the Danube cycle path, North and followed the Amper Altmuhital Trail. Which leads us along the Altmuhital River to our destination.

The landscape changes into limestone gorges cut out by the river. Popular with cycling families and drinking parties rowing uncertainly in the river.

“The Altmühltal Nature Park is world-famous as the “homeland of the Archaeopteryx”, because the fossils of the so-called “primeval birds” have been found only here. This is a particularly rich fossiliferous region, where many other extraordinary fossils have been uncovered, too.”