Orient Express – Page 9 – Travelling reflections

OE Ulm

Another renovation project. Dec 1944 and 80% flattened leaving 700 dead, 25000 homeless and the Minster standing. It is stunning but is it more important than people?

This time the new blends with the new old in differing ways to Freiburg. The main part of the city centre is a thriving 1960s style thoroughfare. With that whopping big church standing in the middle.

A quiet place to explore. And not to prejudge. One old man spoke to us (there were more beggars than usual): so we tensed. He spoke very broken English and proudly told us of the good sights to see, including the state divide on the bridge. The other side of the Danube is New-Ulm a separate city since 1810. Where Mercedes Benz are built.

And a day looking at my Rohloff hub, or rather the puddle of oil under it. Nothing to worry about Mr Thorn has said, it’ll be OK on this [soft] trip. So tomorrow back to the Danube trail.

Cycling, Germany, Orient Express

OE Day 9 Scheer am Donau to Ulm 90k

Moira: Adieu, Farewell, Vaya con Dios. 😢

Another day weaving in and out of villages and fields. Grateful for the shade when we got it. Arriving in a city is always a contrast with the countryside. Thankfully Ulm, Bavaria, is easier to spell.

Made good use of the honey honesty box icecream shop. The surveillance cameras were probably set to stun of you left without paying. The inner tube vending machines a nice touch.

The first major use of the Danube for power. Why don’t we have schemes like this? Solar panels aren’t as visible here.

Only two obstacles today to test problem solving. The first a triathlon closing a tunnel *it’d pass 90 minutes later. The young official new his job. So up n over we went and spoke nicely to his colleagues on the other side who lifted the tape. The other a building site. Lifted the fence.

Tomorrow a test day in Ulm. Luckily our room has no air conditioning, overlooks an active building site. So we might be out. And the minster has steps up it so they will beckon. Tonight a beer cellar. All in the name of sampling local cultures.

Highest church spire (not cathedral) in world at 161m

Cycling, Germany, Orient Express

OE Day 8 Donaueschingen to Scheer am Donau 104k

So why cycle? We’re lucky to have the time and money to keep exploring, born of the opportunities our parents gave us. I was musing about this yesterday when it would have been my Dad’s 104 birthday. Today we learned our friend Moira, who I met in 1975 at University, has days to live. Not unexpected; terribly sad. Carpe Diem.

Today we started near the [alleged] source of the Danube, Europe’s second longest river 2850km passing through 9 countries. Free of border checks. Then onto the start of the Danube cycle path which will be our guide on- off for a few days. It extends for about 1,200 kilometers from Donaueschingen in Germany to the Hungarian capital of Budapest.

There were a lot of places ending in ingen today. Perhaps where Michael Finigen came from. I’ll begin again.

A very Catholic area. Lots of wooden Christs withering on hot crosses in the heat. You’d think they world take them inside the cooler Churches which dominate the village skylines.

A very beautiful area with deep gorges giving occasional shade. We follow the river, then the trail, then wander through villages. Which provide a source of Backerie, so we boogied in to sample the wears.

Tomorrow Bavaria and Ulm.

Cycling, Germany, Orient Express

OE Day 7 Freiburg to Donaueschingen 62k

Short Day in km, good ascent though, 3200ft in 10 miles. The route went through the Black Forest, gasping views galore.

We’d started by navigating through rush hour Freiburg. Made for cycling and used to its full by “normal people” commuting and school runs by bike. More polite than Amsterdam to us amateurs. Soon we were into open country.

The villages are quiet but prosperous looking. Ablaze with solar panels. All to soon eye finished. Off to follow the Danube tomorrow. Hopefully the oompah band in the local pub will run out of puff soon….

Germany, Orient Express

OE Freiburg

The City on the edge of the Black Forest. A mix of [rebuild] old and modern. Trams, wide streets, diverse range of flats (all with bike storage), friendly parks. And graveyards which feel happy places with flowers and lots of trees.

The lady (I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt) in the tourist info place didn’t like my look before you buy approach. Something stern in German gave me that impression. The tourmap took us passed a open square. The water art was layed out in the shape of the old synagogue, burnt down in 1938. Thoughtful.

The Minster is impressive inside. How are these things designed and built over 300 years from 1200? It was open today: everything else apart from cafes are shut.