After this you will be wondering what else i can do with one hand while cycling .....
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th August (Days 41 and 42): Munich
Well here we are. Rested, full of great food, having had another art fix at the Neue Pinakotek. Old memories are following us - just glimpses of things half-remembered. Several of John's old haunts are still here: Zum Kloster, and Scheideger for example, but we can't locate the place he lived near Marianplatz. I went for a run along the Isar yesterday, and a lot of that was familar too.
We are sharing the hotel with the Kiwi rowing team and their supporters! It's the world champs in Munich at the moment, so we had some excellent craic chatting with them the other evening. Salt of the earth guys from Dunedin, Christchurch, and other areas around (mainly) the South Island. Odd collision of two familiar, but up until that point in time, separate worlds as we hadn't emigrated to NZ until after John had been to Munich.
Quite disorientating. We have celebrated John's birthday with a cake (with candles), and some mainly edible gifts (what DO you get for a man on a bike who already has a lot of luggage?). We are now off to pop a bottle of bubbles, and to expore some of the gastronomic delights of the city....
We are sharing the hotel with the Kiwi rowing team and their supporters! It's the world champs in Munich at the moment, so we had some excellent craic chatting with them the other evening. Salt of the earth guys from Dunedin, Christchurch, and other areas around (mainly) the South Island. Odd collision of two familiar, but up until that point in time, separate worlds as we hadn't emigrated to NZ until after John had been to Munich.
Quite disorientating. We have celebrated John's birthday with a cake (with candles), and some mainly edible gifts (what DO you get for a man on a bike who already has a lot of luggage?). We are now off to pop a bottle of bubbles, and to expore some of the gastronomic delights of the city....
Sunday 27th August (Day 40): Mamming to Munich (130km)
Our longest day's cycling to date, and not too bad given that we were on the bikes for 7 hours. Set off early, and had already covered 40kms by coffee and cake time (nut roll jobbies today). The Isar remained tree-lined which meant we were shaded from the sun all the way. We gradually climbed with the river (about 300 meters altogether during the day).
We decided to take breaks every 20 km after the intial stop to refuel. Had lunch in the shade of a large tree on the river bank. It was difficult to break from lunch having already cycled for 3 hours, and knowing that we still had a long way to go.
The Isar is a much different river to the Donau. The Donau appears unhurried and stately, whereas the Isar has clear, fast-running shallows with white water sections. Finally, Munich's suburbs hove into vie, Friesing and Iching near the airport were familiar names, and our spirits were bolstered. We put on a bit of a spurt of speed around the 100km mark, and finally made our way through the Englischer Garten to Mariaplatz where we are staying at the Holiday Inn. We have decided to stay a few days, partly to enjoy not being a human fly-paper / mosquito feast / horsefly meal, and also to celebrate John's birthday (29th August) in a bit of style.
We decided to take breaks every 20 km after the intial stop to refuel. Had lunch in the shade of a large tree on the river bank. It was difficult to break from lunch having already cycled for 3 hours, and knowing that we still had a long way to go.
The Isar is a much different river to the Donau. The Donau appears unhurried and stately, whereas the Isar has clear, fast-running shallows with white water sections. Finally, Munich's suburbs hove into vie, Friesing and Iching near the airport were familiar names, and our spirits were bolstered. We put on a bit of a spurt of speed around the 100km mark, and finally made our way through the Englischer Garten to Mariaplatz where we are staying at the Holiday Inn. We have decided to stay a few days, partly to enjoy not being a human fly-paper / mosquito feast / horsefly meal, and also to celebrate John's birthday (29th August) in a bit of style.
Saturday 26th August (Day 39): Passau (river Donau) to Mamming (river Isar) - (104 km)
Set off through the busy roads around the outskirts of Passau, and into the Bavarian countryside which has a great deal of farmsteads - mainly dairy. More 'gingerbread' style houses overflowing with red geraniums than you could shake a stick at! It was also a day for wildlife spotting: 2 deer, 2 snakes, 1 junior robin, 1 lizard, a hedgehog (deceased), and a mole.
We said goodbye to the Donau and cycled around 30km across country (including a couple of vertiginous climbs) before dropping onto the path beside the Isar, and old friend from 12 years ago when John spent some time working in Munich. The Isar was delightfully shaded with willows and we cycled happily to a campsite at Mamming that was not half as bad as we expected, located beside a gravel pit and between 2 major roads as it is....
We said goodbye to the Donau and cycled around 30km across country (including a couple of vertiginous climbs) before dropping onto the path beside the Isar, and old friend from 12 years ago when John spent some time working in Munich. The Isar was delightfully shaded with willows and we cycled happily to a campsite at Mamming that was not half as bad as we expected, located beside a gravel pit and between 2 major roads as it is....
Friday 24th August (Day 38): Wilhering (Austria) to Passau (Germany) - 84km
Woke to the unusual sight of fog. Ethereally beautiful. Usual cliched dewy spiders' webs draped all around. Unfortunately, although attractive, it made everything extremely wet, and we set off in waterproofs. Luckily, though, the weather soon cleared, and we were treated to a fabulous day. The wind picked up after about 30km, but the surroundings were great. The scenery changed again with rolling, wooded hills alongside the river, and tiny immaculate villages. The change was particularly marked as we swung inland for a few kilometers, where we were constantly surrounded by the tang of overripe fruit.
We travelled across from Austria tp Gemany, and instantly the excellent cycle path signage disappeared. Also, we ended up doing about 20km along a busy road again. The sight of Passau though was a real treat, as we hadn't expected anywhere quite so awesome. Found a simple, but comfortable guest house for the night, and spent the evenign exploring the narrow alley-ways and many-coloured buildings. If you get the chance to visit Passau, go...it is really worth a visit.
We travelled across from Austria tp Gemany, and instantly the excellent cycle path signage disappeared. Also, we ended up doing about 20km along a busy road again. The sight of Passau though was a real treat, as we hadn't expected anywhere quite so awesome. Found a simple, but comfortable guest house for the night, and spent the evenign exploring the narrow alley-ways and many-coloured buildings. If you get the chance to visit Passau, go...it is really worth a visit.
Thursday 23rd August (Day 37): Ybbs to Wilhering (94km)
After a very quiet night, with deep, uninterrupted sleep, we set off alongside the heavily wooded Donau. It felt as though around every corner there was a castle turret or schloss perched on a high peak overlooking the river. The wind was also following us at this point, so we were as happy as. We ended up with 30kms under our belts by 10am, and 50kms by 12 noon - including a cake stop (delicious sort of marzipan crumble cake).
Gradually we headed into farmland and away from the river. Loads of apple, prear, and plum trees as well as elderberry bushes in abundance. The ubiquitous fields of sweetcorn were broken up into small, odd-shaped fields surrounded by small copses or hedged with poplars. Idyllic - except for the now head winds which meant pedalling was rather hard work.
We crossed the bridge at Mauthausen (bad idea as I will explain in a moment) instead of taking the ycle bridge at Abwinden. The bridge across to Mauthausen is vusy, has a very narrow path (not god with wide luggage), and has steps down to the cycle path. Luckily we didn't spot the steps, and hurtled down onto the busy road. We then spotted the cycle path through a hedge and decided on some cross-country adventure which meant bashing through some trees and a ditch with our bikes. All in all, easier than getting our bikes down the steps. Our cockiness lessened as we set off through uninspiring new villages and towns, often alongside or on busy roads. Worse was to come though, as, when we popped out of dullsville, we were faced with something resembling Middle Earth (also known as Linz). If you happen to be over this way, avoid it like the plague. Huge chimney stacks deposit acrid smoke into the air making your eyes sting and your throat feel scoured. Other cyclists we met complained of headaches and respiratory problems. Huge piles of ore, coal, and gravel and pushed around, while machinery calnks and hisses. We almost expected Orcs to come bursting out to push us off the bikes! We quickly decided to jetison the plan to camp near Linz, and pushed on 25km toWilhering.
Alas, the 25km were mostly on a cycle path beside a busy main road. But we just pushed on, and were rewarded with a lovely ferry ride, and a peaceful little campsite for the night.
Gradually we headed into farmland and away from the river. Loads of apple, prear, and plum trees as well as elderberry bushes in abundance. The ubiquitous fields of sweetcorn were broken up into small, odd-shaped fields surrounded by small copses or hedged with poplars. Idyllic - except for the now head winds which meant pedalling was rather hard work.
We crossed the bridge at Mauthausen (bad idea as I will explain in a moment) instead of taking the ycle bridge at Abwinden. The bridge across to Mauthausen is vusy, has a very narrow path (not god with wide luggage), and has steps down to the cycle path. Luckily we didn't spot the steps, and hurtled down onto the busy road. We then spotted the cycle path through a hedge and decided on some cross-country adventure which meant bashing through some trees and a ditch with our bikes. All in all, easier than getting our bikes down the steps. Our cockiness lessened as we set off through uninspiring new villages and towns, often alongside or on busy roads. Worse was to come though, as, when we popped out of dullsville, we were faced with something resembling Middle Earth (also known as Linz). If you happen to be over this way, avoid it like the plague. Huge chimney stacks deposit acrid smoke into the air making your eyes sting and your throat feel scoured. Other cyclists we met complained of headaches and respiratory problems. Huge piles of ore, coal, and gravel and pushed around, while machinery calnks and hisses. We almost expected Orcs to come bursting out to push us off the bikes! We quickly decided to jetison the plan to camp near Linz, and pushed on 25km toWilhering.
Alas, the 25km were mostly on a cycle path beside a busy main road. But we just pushed on, and were rewarded with a lovely ferry ride, and a peaceful little campsite for the night.
Wednesday 22nd August (Day 36): Krems to Ybbs (74km)
It rained intermittently during the night and showered as we got up, ate up, and packed up d'luggage. Both of us were a little snippy and crispy at the beginning of the day, but cheered up as the patches of blue grew and it turned into a fabulous day with dramatic skies.
We headed into Krems first to have a look around. What a gorgeous old town. Winding cobbled streets under archways, old frescoes painted on walls often built in around 1800, and a dramatic castle that overlooks the town on a distant hill.
The day continued in this idyllic vein, wending through vinyards, under rocky outcrops, and through excellently preserved villages. Dürnstein in particular was tremendous, although rather full of tourists. After Dürnstein we had coffee and cake in Weissenkirchen. The walnut cake was a masterpiece. Moist, filled with walnuts, and topped with whipped cream it melted in the mouth and promised a heart attack at a later date. Sublime. The warmed apricot only paled in comparison with the excellence of the walnut creation.
We passed through and photographed manz of the villages in this famous wine making region, and had lunch in a shady tree outside of Marbach before heading across the river at Presenberg. The hills were now almost vertical, and were covered with trees, ferns, and delicate mosses. We found the campsite (the best yet - John is just putting a picture up as I type) just outside of Ybbs. It was right beside the river; only us and one other set of cycle tourers, and a marvellous sunset. What more could we have asked for?
We headed into Krems first to have a look around. What a gorgeous old town. Winding cobbled streets under archways, old frescoes painted on walls often built in around 1800, and a dramatic castle that overlooks the town on a distant hill.
The day continued in this idyllic vein, wending through vinyards, under rocky outcrops, and through excellently preserved villages. Dürnstein in particular was tremendous, although rather full of tourists. After Dürnstein we had coffee and cake in Weissenkirchen. The walnut cake was a masterpiece. Moist, filled with walnuts, and topped with whipped cream it melted in the mouth and promised a heart attack at a later date. Sublime. The warmed apricot only paled in comparison with the excellence of the walnut creation.
We passed through and photographed manz of the villages in this famous wine making region, and had lunch in a shady tree outside of Marbach before heading across the river at Presenberg. The hills were now almost vertical, and were covered with trees, ferns, and delicate mosses. We found the campsite (the best yet - John is just putting a picture up as I type) just outside of Ybbs. It was right beside the river; only us and one other set of cycle tourers, and a marvellous sunset. What more could we have asked for?
Tuesday 21st August (Day 35): Vienna to Krems (95kms)
Back on the bikes. We got started at a reasonable hour, found the post office, sent a large parcel off to NZ full of prints and posters, and then headed off. The wind was a little kinder this time, and assisted us some of the time, and made the overcast start a little more pleasant. The huge clouds gave way to a glorious sunny day and we bowled alongside the Donau on a fantastic cycle path that passed through towns with amazing, 'powerful' buildings that spoke of the wealth and priviledge around Vienna as once was....
The variety of people who cycle around here is superb. Ages range from 5 years old or younger on their own bikes (some with panniers that are approximately the same size as ours'!!) racing up and down the hills all day long. Others were are younger still and sit in trailers, or on 'helper' bikes. At the other end of the continuum there are the 'oldsters' who spend the whole day out on the bike, often in packs of 20 plus - it's excellent to see!!
The route took us along willow-lined paths, flower meadows and woodland galdes, all backset with huge cumulus clouds - all very picturesque. On the other hand, campsites were proving somewhat of a problem. The first was only 30km away, the second didn't exist anymore (it was now a mini-golf place), and the third was a rather vile 'city' of cabins built about 6mm apart from each other. As such, we ended up cycling another 20km to end up at the site at Krems (expertly found by John) which was squeezed between a main road and the caravans on the site, and cost the rather large sum of 32 euros (it only costs about 34 euros each to stay in a B&B). We did meet a lovely zech guy there though, and had a chat to him in an eclectic mix of English, German and Czech (all aided by the phrase book).
It was also a day for gear failure. John's Ortlieb rear pannier needed the tag tie on the replaced to make sure that it does not fall off; the front Carradice pannier lining has started to come away at the top; 2 spokes on my rear wheel snapped; our MSR spatula snapped, John's sunglasses gave up the ghost when the arm snapped off; and the John's sleeping bag stuff bag split at the seams. John, ace mecahnic :-) mended my spokes, and my mission was to mend all the stuff that could be sewn up. I'm also going to be sending some letters to various manufacturers and suppliers. I mean, some of the stuff is only a few weeks old. Ah well....
The variety of people who cycle around here is superb. Ages range from 5 years old or younger on their own bikes (some with panniers that are approximately the same size as ours'!!) racing up and down the hills all day long. Others were are younger still and sit in trailers, or on 'helper' bikes. At the other end of the continuum there are the 'oldsters' who spend the whole day out on the bike, often in packs of 20 plus - it's excellent to see!!
The route took us along willow-lined paths, flower meadows and woodland galdes, all backset with huge cumulus clouds - all very picturesque. On the other hand, campsites were proving somewhat of a problem. The first was only 30km away, the second didn't exist anymore (it was now a mini-golf place), and the third was a rather vile 'city' of cabins built about 6mm apart from each other. As such, we ended up cycling another 20km to end up at the site at Krems (expertly found by John) which was squeezed between a main road and the caravans on the site, and cost the rather large sum of 32 euros (it only costs about 34 euros each to stay in a B&B). We did meet a lovely zech guy there though, and had a chat to him in an eclectic mix of English, German and Czech (all aided by the phrase book).
It was also a day for gear failure. John's Ortlieb rear pannier needed the tag tie on the replaced to make sure that it does not fall off; the front Carradice pannier lining has started to come away at the top; 2 spokes on my rear wheel snapped; our MSR spatula snapped, John's sunglasses gave up the ghost when the arm snapped off; and the John's sleeping bag stuff bag split at the seams. John, ace mecahnic :-) mended my spokes, and my mission was to mend all the stuff that could be sewn up. I'm also going to be sending some letters to various manufacturers and suppliers. I mean, some of the stuff is only a few weeks old. Ah well....
More photos
I have finally found an internet cafe that allows you to access the USB port, so here are some of our pictures.
We took a bus trip to a nearby town famous for having an intact wall all the way around. Spelt Chelmmo, pronounched something helmno with a welsh accent. This is a picture of the facade to a church. It is only a small town and this is one of many such churches.
On the train from to Krakow from Torun. Tagging is a national passtime in Poland so we thought we`d capture some of it. Torun (and Krakow) were great places, but there is a lot of poverty (and boredom, I guess) in much of Poland. It makes an interesting contrast to the posh little towns and cities we visited.
This is Wawel Castle in Krakow, the seat of the Austro Hungary empire. There is a legend about a Hindu god ( i think) creating 7 stones, on of which lies under this hill. Apparently Nehru (first Indian PM after thez booted the brits out) came here specifically because of this. Anyway, it is a peaceful place.
Some architecture from Budapaest. This is a castle in Pest full of a mix of baroque, gothic and classical styles - the guys build as the fancy takes them. The city is also full of excellent art neuveau architecure including a fantastic wooden passage - too dark for my little camera to handle.
And here we are in Slovakia looking at Hungary across the Danube. Cycling on this side was a good idea for this leg. It was much quieter and far less developed. We had just been for a skinny dip to cool off.
I left Hazel in Austria (Wolfsthal) and heading back to Bratislava for the day without luggage. It has a nice, small old town centre. This picture was taken right in the middle. Not everything is rennovated or restored, which is nice.
Hazel in a medieval town called Torun. Lots of old buildings to look at and little streets to wander aound.
We took a bus trip to a nearby town famous for having an intact wall all the way around. Spelt Chelmmo, pronounched something helmno with a welsh accent. This is a picture of the facade to a church. It is only a small town and this is one of many such churches. These two pictures were taken on the train from Torun to Krakow. There is an enormous step up to a tiny little door, which can present a few problems. Fortunately, we got on this train at its first station and left at it`s last station, so we had plenty of time to sort things out. We were helped by some friendly passangers on arrival, who passed our various bags out the window to us. A tricky we used ourselves on a later train journey.
On the train from to Krakow from Torun. Tagging is a national passtime in Poland so we thought we`d capture some of it. Torun (and Krakow) were great places, but there is a lot of poverty (and boredom, I guess) in much of Poland. It makes an interesting contrast to the posh little towns and cities we visited.
Chilling out in Krakow. An absolutely lovely place with plenty to see and do, and lots of cracking little restaurants and bars.
This is Wawel Castle in Krakow, the seat of the Austro Hungary empire. There is a legend about a Hindu god ( i think) creating 7 stones, on of which lies under this hill. Apparently Nehru (first Indian PM after thez booted the brits out) came here specifically because of this. Anyway, it is a peaceful place.
The bikes and Hazel squeezed into a sleeper compartment on a train from Krakow to Budapest. I only had to remove the front wheel from my bike, and that is because it is a bit bigger than most. The guard was not happy, but being an idiot tourist lets you get away with a lot.
We were going to cycle this bit, but getting any details on the route proved impossible while on the road. Eventually, we got details for a route through Hungary, which I will post, but i still have nothing about the Czech section. After the roads in Poland, I didnt want to spend more days on scary roads, so we took the train.
Here we are safely arrived in Budapest. We spent an hour or two helping a couple put their bikes together (someone had dismantled them for the trip and they forgot to bring tools)
Some architecture from Budapaest. This is a castle in Pest full of a mix of baroque, gothic and classical styles - the guys build as the fancy takes them. The city is also full of excellent art neuveau architecure including a fantastic wooden passage - too dark for my little camera to handle. It was raining again, and hard. At last, I had a use for the swimming goggles i have been dragging around with me. This was our first day back on the bikes heading out of Budapest.
Cycling out og Budapest we had a lot of ferry crossings on our first day. This is the last one of the day (and the last sailing as well) and we very nearly missed it. It was overcast (not raining any more) and late so we had to really push hard to cover the remaining 10 kms. A long day.
Just leaving our campsite in Hungary and about to cross the bridge in the background for a days ride through Slovakia.
And here we are in Slovakia looking at Hungary across the Danube. Cycling on this side was a good idea for this leg. It was much quieter and far less developed. We had just been for a skinny dip to cool off.Back in Hungary again for the last few kms before Bratislava. Storks are a common sight and they put these metal platforms on top of some of the poles for the birds to nest on. They are huge, the photo doesnt really show it well. Also, you can not see the loud speaker below that is blaring out local music. I have no idea why this is done, and it only seems to be in some villages. It must drive the locals mad.
This was our last campsite in Hungary (we then headed straight to Austria). The countryside was beautiful but you had to be quick once the sun set as the mozzies were HUGE and hungry.
I left Hazel in Austria (Wolfsthal) and heading back to Bratislava for the day without luggage. It has a nice, small old town centre. This picture was taken right in the middle. Not everything is rennovated or restored, which is nice.
These are hunter`s lookouts. We would often see deer lazing in fields as we zipped by, so i guess there arent many hunters or they arent very good.
Here we are in Vienna on the balcony of our hotel room overlooking the St Stephen`s square.
A pretty little town on the Danube on the way to Linz.
A pit stop to refuel on the way to Pasau
One of the back streets in the old town of Passau
Now on the Isar, a tributary of the Danube, heading towards Munich.
In Munich, at the place where Hitler was arrested in the 1930s. Taken today in the first rain we have had for ages.
One of the back streets in the old town of Passau
Now on the Isar, a tributary of the Danube, heading towards Munich.
In Munich, at the place where Hitler was arrested in the 1930s. Taken today in the first rain we have had for ages.Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Saturday August 18th, 19th, Monday 20th (Days 32 to 34) Vienna
Old Vienna is impressive in an overdone, cramped, symetrical sort of way, whereby, for example, huge stone statues are shown holding up doorways, celings, and other weighty structures. And once you've seen one, and marvelled at the stonemasonary, the abs and the well-developed quads, you've seen them all :-)
On Saturday, we took a tram to the Belverdere palace to get a bit of a culture 'fix'. The art exhibition there was excellent, especially the Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt collections (including "The Kiss"). A little irritated by there prevelance of some people to take pictures of the art, of have pictures taken of themselves in front of the art, rather than actually looking at it. Hey ho.
Bizarre event of the day: John and I were sat in the coffee shop afterwards (great apple strudel) doing the 'discussion of the art' thing that you do when all of a sudden a lady approaches the table. She looks a little sheepish and embarrassed, and asks if she could take my picture as I was a spot on likeness for a couple of Klimt's Secession works (and that this was a compliment - although John did suggest afterwards which works she may have been referring to, and he wasn't being nice!!). After blushing profusely, I agreed and then had to pretend she wasn't there while she snapped a shot or two....
The afternoon was spent meandering around the center of old Vienna avoiding the crowds. We lucked in when we found an awesome map shop near the Spanish Riding School (Freytag and Berndt; http://www.freytagberndt.com/) which had all the maps we needed to complete the routes in Austria and Germany, as well as information about cycling in France which is where we are heading next.
Sunday was another culture-filled day, with a trip to the Leopald Museaum to see more Schiele and Klimt, as well as some work by Paul Rotterdam, Adolf Hölzel and Kolo Moser. I won't go into too many details, but it was a sublime morning.
Exhausted, we staggreed from the gallery and lunched before plotting the rest of the afternoon. More wandering, and then I went for a run along the Donau Kanal, while John went on a search for art prints and posters. That evening, we had an entertaining watching a diablo artist 'juggling' - wow. He was extremely talented - I would have ended up knitting the strings, and making a general mess, but he managed to juggle 3 without dropping them, and remember which was going where at what time.
Monday, I went to the Spanish Riding School, while John headed out to the Albertina for another art injection. I relished immersing myself in a totally equine experience for a couple of hours, watching, reading, and generally absorbing. I, of course, purchased the DVD which I can use to torture John at a later date!! :-)
We 'picnicked' on the balcony overlooking the cathedral, and drank a toast to everyone with a bottle of bubbly. Off on our bikes again tomorrow, which will be excellent, although there is the promise of rain...
On Saturday, we took a tram to the Belverdere palace to get a bit of a culture 'fix'. The art exhibition there was excellent, especially the Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt collections (including "The Kiss"). A little irritated by there prevelance of some people to take pictures of the art, of have pictures taken of themselves in front of the art, rather than actually looking at it. Hey ho.
Bizarre event of the day: John and I were sat in the coffee shop afterwards (great apple strudel) doing the 'discussion of the art' thing that you do when all of a sudden a lady approaches the table. She looks a little sheepish and embarrassed, and asks if she could take my picture as I was a spot on likeness for a couple of Klimt's Secession works (and that this was a compliment - although John did suggest afterwards which works she may have been referring to, and he wasn't being nice!!). After blushing profusely, I agreed and then had to pretend she wasn't there while she snapped a shot or two....
The afternoon was spent meandering around the center of old Vienna avoiding the crowds. We lucked in when we found an awesome map shop near the Spanish Riding School (Freytag and Berndt; http://www.freytagberndt.com/) which had all the maps we needed to complete the routes in Austria and Germany, as well as information about cycling in France which is where we are heading next.
Sunday was another culture-filled day, with a trip to the Leopald Museaum to see more Schiele and Klimt, as well as some work by Paul Rotterdam, Adolf Hölzel and Kolo Moser. I won't go into too many details, but it was a sublime morning.
Exhausted, we staggreed from the gallery and lunched before plotting the rest of the afternoon. More wandering, and then I went for a run along the Donau Kanal, while John went on a search for art prints and posters. That evening, we had an entertaining watching a diablo artist 'juggling' - wow. He was extremely talented - I would have ended up knitting the strings, and making a general mess, but he managed to juggle 3 without dropping them, and remember which was going where at what time.
Monday, I went to the Spanish Riding School, while John headed out to the Albertina for another art injection. I relished immersing myself in a totally equine experience for a couple of hours, watching, reading, and generally absorbing. I, of course, purchased the DVD which I can use to torture John at a later date!! :-)
We 'picnicked' on the balcony overlooking the cathedral, and drank a toast to everyone with a bottle of bubbly. Off on our bikes again tomorrow, which will be excellent, although there is the promise of rain...
Friday 17th August (Day 31) - Wolfsthal to Vienna (72 km)
What a day. It was in theoy an easy day. Somehow we had miscalculated it as an easy 55-60km day. We dallied around having an extremely relaxed breakfast, and saying goodbye to our host, Helene. Packed d'luggage on the bikes, before setting off at a leisurely pace...straight into the teeth of a ferocious head wind.
It wasn't raining, however, and the route was quiet and pleasant. We cycled about 20km before grabbing a coffe, cake and supplies from a little town called Bad Deutsch Altenburg, and then headed out of town over the 2km bridge across the Donau and surrounding flood plains. After that it was 50km along an almost perfectly straight flood defence - beautifully signposted and surfaced, but with no protection from the wind. As a result we both had to grind away for the whole day with no respite (except for the coffee and cake, and lunch stop of course :-) ).
We couldn't hang around either as it was Friday, in the peak holiday time, and 1) we didn't know what time the tourist info place in Vienna closed on a Friday, 2) we had no accommodation booked, and no idea where to go, and 3) the cycle path signs always disappear in big cities, and you end up looking at the map for ages working out where to go next. A diversion on the cycle route took us about 5km out of our way (through some lovely forest, but at a difficult time to appreaciate it), before we actually caught sight of Vienna; I was beginning to think it didn't exist!!
I was actually bitterly disappointed initially (HERE BEGINS A RANT) at how ugly the outskirts of Vienna are. Industrial, covered in tagging, with utliltarian apartment blocks, big roads, and few green spaces. You would think that, given all the supposed progress in construction techniques and materials, that aesthetically pleasing living areas could be designed that equalled, if not surpassed those of the past. (HERE ENDS THE SOMEWHAT CURTAILED RANT).
Things perked up once we got onto Prater Hauptllee through an enormous park and finally into the impressive classical and baroqu architecture for which Vienna is famous. John naviagated masterfully, and we arrived at the tourist info place with time to spare. We ended up in an extremely comfortable, renovated hotel called Hotel am Stephansplatz, with a balcony that overlooked the immense cathedral. Couldn't quite believe it, especially the next morning when I awoke at 6.30am, stood on the balcony, and watched the city gradully wake up....
It wasn't raining, however, and the route was quiet and pleasant. We cycled about 20km before grabbing a coffe, cake and supplies from a little town called Bad Deutsch Altenburg, and then headed out of town over the 2km bridge across the Donau and surrounding flood plains. After that it was 50km along an almost perfectly straight flood defence - beautifully signposted and surfaced, but with no protection from the wind. As a result we both had to grind away for the whole day with no respite (except for the coffee and cake, and lunch stop of course :-) ).
We couldn't hang around either as it was Friday, in the peak holiday time, and 1) we didn't know what time the tourist info place in Vienna closed on a Friday, 2) we had no accommodation booked, and no idea where to go, and 3) the cycle path signs always disappear in big cities, and you end up looking at the map for ages working out where to go next. A diversion on the cycle route took us about 5km out of our way (through some lovely forest, but at a difficult time to appreaciate it), before we actually caught sight of Vienna; I was beginning to think it didn't exist!!
I was actually bitterly disappointed initially (HERE BEGINS A RANT) at how ugly the outskirts of Vienna are. Industrial, covered in tagging, with utliltarian apartment blocks, big roads, and few green spaces. You would think that, given all the supposed progress in construction techniques and materials, that aesthetically pleasing living areas could be designed that equalled, if not surpassed those of the past. (HERE ENDS THE SOMEWHAT CURTAILED RANT).
Things perked up once we got onto Prater Hauptllee through an enormous park and finally into the impressive classical and baroqu architecture for which Vienna is famous. John naviagated masterfully, and we arrived at the tourist info place with time to spare. We ended up in an extremely comfortable, renovated hotel called Hotel am Stephansplatz, with a balcony that overlooked the immense cathedral. Couldn't quite believe it, especially the next morning when I awoke at 6.30am, stood on the balcony, and watched the city gradully wake up....
Wolfsthal (Various)
Another fabulous day. We are staying at this awesome place in a little village called Wolfsthal (Villa Pannonica, Villagasse 9, 2412 Wolfsthal, www.villapannonica.at) with a beautiful, peaceful garden. It even has a swimming hole (with goldfish) into which we immediately plunged on arrival at the pension.
John disappeared off to Bratislava for the day after breakfast, while I went for a run in the nearby forest and along the Donau. I followed the cycle route initially and then into the trees (it was about 35° so I needed to stay in the shade). The beech forest was heaven, and the leaves are just beginning to turn so there is a scattering of yellow and brown on all the paths as you trot through. It was windy too, so you often got showered with leaves, and were surrounded with the gentle sussaration of all that vegetation blowing around! I made up a route, and popping around one corner spied a doe and stag in a clearing. They spotted me at the same moment and bounded out of sight. Ran to the Danube and then followed a track almost back to the Slovakian border before heading back.
Another dip was followed by chores, and John arrived back soon after bearing fizz, and good things to eat for a picnic on the balcony. We spent most of the evening chatting about all the possibilities of things to do once we have headed back to NZ.... Off on the bikes again tomorrow - Vienna here we come.
John disappeared off to Bratislava for the day after breakfast, while I went for a run in the nearby forest and along the Donau. I followed the cycle route initially and then into the trees (it was about 35° so I needed to stay in the shade). The beech forest was heaven, and the leaves are just beginning to turn so there is a scattering of yellow and brown on all the paths as you trot through. It was windy too, so you often got showered with leaves, and were surrounded with the gentle sussaration of all that vegetation blowing around! I made up a route, and popping around one corner spied a doe and stag in a clearing. They spotted me at the same moment and bounded out of sight. Ran to the Danube and then followed a track almost back to the Slovakian border before heading back.
Another dip was followed by chores, and John arrived back soon after bearing fizz, and good things to eat for a picnic on the balcony. We spent most of the evening chatting about all the possibilities of things to do once we have headed back to NZ.... Off on the bikes again tomorrow - Vienna here we come.
Thanks.... :-)
Just a very short note to say thank you to all who have sent emails and news. I'm sure the people in various Internet cafes have worried about the mad woman with the hair cackling away in the next cubicle!!!
big love
H xxx
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Bratislava
A quick blog entry to keep things ticking over.
We have made our way along the Danube into Austria and i have just popped back over the border to have a look at Bratislave and make this posting. The cycling in Hungary from Gyor towards Austria has been fantastic, as have the few excursions into Slovakia. The weather is being kinder to us and we are now on our third day of uninterrupted sunshine. The route is a bit fiddly at times, and you need to be guided by the force at times in big cities, but we have never been truely lost (a difficult thing to do when you are following a river the size of the Danube!). Scenery has covered the range from soviet concrete catastrophies and industrial skylines to isolated river beaches and forests in the early stages of fall (fantastic colours). Add in a few medeaval (can never spell that word) towns and castles of every style and age, as well as hundreds of small rural village, and you have an idea of what we cycle through.
From here we are going to head along the Danube to Vienna and then head to Cesky Krumov (Czech Rep), Salzburg, and Munich, although i am not sure in which order. After that we are heading further into Austria and then maybe over to Italy before going through Switzerland and into France. This is a bit different from the original plan, but you
Hazel will be back on line in a few days time to give a more detailed account and i will pop some pictures here as well.
I will post some details on our gear, which is working out really well and may interest someone.
Time to check out the sights of Bratislava .....
BTW - update on my backside. I have toughened up and can now walk more like a man and less like a gibbon.
We have made our way along the Danube into Austria and i have just popped back over the border to have a look at Bratislave and make this posting. The cycling in Hungary from Gyor towards Austria has been fantastic, as have the few excursions into Slovakia. The weather is being kinder to us and we are now on our third day of uninterrupted sunshine. The route is a bit fiddly at times, and you need to be guided by the force at times in big cities, but we have never been truely lost (a difficult thing to do when you are following a river the size of the Danube!). Scenery has covered the range from soviet concrete catastrophies and industrial skylines to isolated river beaches and forests in the early stages of fall (fantastic colours). Add in a few medeaval (can never spell that word) towns and castles of every style and age, as well as hundreds of small rural village, and you have an idea of what we cycle through.
From here we are going to head along the Danube to Vienna and then head to Cesky Krumov (Czech Rep), Salzburg, and Munich, although i am not sure in which order. After that we are heading further into Austria and then maybe over to Italy before going through Switzerland and into France. This is a bit different from the original plan, but you
Hazel will be back on line in a few days time to give a more detailed account and i will pop some pictures here as well.
I will post some details on our gear, which is working out really well and may interest someone.
Time to check out the sights of Bratislava .....
BTW - update on my backside. I have toughened up and can now walk more like a man and less like a gibbon.
Sunday, 12 August 2007
August 9th, 10th, and 11th (Days 23-25) Budapest
Budapest is a marvelous place. We are staying on an island in the middle of the Danube, and it is an oasis of peace and quiet apart from the music festival that is taking place on the adjacent island. I jest not! Ah well. John has been off exploring Pest and Buda, and I will leave it to him to describe. I have been drawing instead, sat in the park. It seemed the perfect opportunity to chill out.
A bizarre thing happened while I was drawing yesterday. There am I., minding my own business when a guy on a bike (taking his dog for a walk) suddenly screeches to a halt beside me and points at my foot. He then proceeds to get off the bike and sit down. The next thing I know, he is massaging my feet!!! (Only for the brave I can tell you). He only spoke Hungarian, and I only spoke English and about 10 words of Polish so I haven’t a clue why he was doing this!! There were loads of other people around so I wasn’t too concerned, but on a scale of 1 to 10 of strange and odd things to happen this had to be a 15!!! John was depressed as no one had hijacked his feet while he had been out :-)
Better go and see what he has been up to today. New pictures to follow soon. We are off on the bikes again tomorrow, following the Danube.
A bizarre thing happened while I was drawing yesterday. There am I., minding my own business when a guy on a bike (taking his dog for a walk) suddenly screeches to a halt beside me and points at my foot. He then proceeds to get off the bike and sit down. The next thing I know, he is massaging my feet!!! (Only for the brave I can tell you). He only spoke Hungarian, and I only spoke English and about 10 words of Polish so I haven’t a clue why he was doing this!! There were loads of other people around so I wasn’t too concerned, but on a scale of 1 to 10 of strange and odd things to happen this had to be a 15!!! John was depressed as no one had hijacked his feet while he had been out :-)
Better go and see what he has been up to today. New pictures to follow soon. We are off on the bikes again tomorrow, following the Danube.
8th August (Day 22) Krakow to Budapest by train
After packing up all our stuff, we left everything in the hotel, and killed time until our train left at 10.36pm. We had run up against the incredibly unhelpful Polish train administrators. We had bought a ticket for the overnight train to Budapest, plus two bike tickets (but only to the border – she had no idea how much it would cost to buy onward tickets, or what currency was required). We then found another place that seemed to be a bit more onto it. The lady cancelled our ticket to Budapest, and booked us into a sleeping compartment…we’d been 100% clear about having bikes. However, once we’d got out of the place we realized that we probably only had a reservation now rather than a ticket. I went back in, and the lady explained that indeed we did only have a reservation, but that our ticket was paid through to the border along with our bikes. She had no idea how much we would have to pay for the Slovakian or the Hungarian leg of the trip. So, off we went to the currency office to get large amounts of the two required currencies, plus some Euros just in case. Also, we had been to see the train the night before, just to make sure that the bikes would indeed squish inside a sleeping compartment (they did – photos to follow!).
Needless to say, we trotted up with our ‘tickets’ only to meet with an officious no (in Polish) and an explanation why we weren’t even going to be allowed on the train (in Polish). Well, John by now is apoplectic with rage. So, I point out, again, and again, and again that we had indeed bought our tickets, and had been sold our tickets, and this in fact should allow us to get on the train. I then followed the guy around while he went to see his colleagues to discuss the problem (after all, we had been sold the tickets thus not our fault). We also had all the currencies that were required. Finally, he caved. Furious, when I asked one last time if we could get on, he spat through gritted teeth the word “tak”! Hurrah –we were on. The bikes were unceremoniously manhandled through the narrow corridor and by dint of wheel removal and the turning of handlebars, we did indeed get both of them in the compartment. The train official did calm down, and was quite cheery by the end. We did manage some sleep – in between hammering on the door by passport officials at regular intervals as we sped across borders.
Needless to say, we trotted up with our ‘tickets’ only to meet with an officious no (in Polish) and an explanation why we weren’t even going to be allowed on the train (in Polish). Well, John by now is apoplectic with rage. So, I point out, again, and again, and again that we had indeed bought our tickets, and had been sold our tickets, and this in fact should allow us to get on the train. I then followed the guy around while he went to see his colleagues to discuss the problem (after all, we had been sold the tickets thus not our fault). We also had all the currencies that were required. Finally, he caved. Furious, when I asked one last time if we could get on, he spat through gritted teeth the word “tak”! Hurrah –we were on. The bikes were unceremoniously manhandled through the narrow corridor and by dint of wheel removal and the turning of handlebars, we did indeed get both of them in the compartment. The train official did calm down, and was quite cheery by the end. We did manage some sleep – in between hammering on the door by passport officials at regular intervals as we sped across borders.
7th August (Day 20) 40km cycling outside of Krakow
Went for a cycle along the river today. It was a gloriously sunny day, and it was great to get out of town and away from people. Cycling without the ‘luggage’ was excellent too, like having two different bikes. We made our way along the river, at first on good cycle paths, but then on potholed gravel paths, that finally dwindled to a track in the mud. We had a bite to eat beside a lake, disturbing the resident ducks in the process. They took off and swam around the other side of the lake, ignoring the bits of cake we were lobbing at…to…them :-)
On the way back we blatted up a hill to a monastery that is in the process of being done up. Glorious views of the surrounding countryside. Then it was back to Krakow to plan our exit from Poland to Budapest.
On the way back we blatted up a hill to a monastery that is in the process of being done up. Glorious views of the surrounding countryside. Then it was back to Krakow to plan our exit from Poland to Budapest.
6th August (Day 20) Krakow
The hotel we booked into (not many campsites around) was noisy, and seemed to be on the main route for every vehicle with a siren in the region. Thank goodness for ear plugs is all I can say!! Krakow itself is a wonderful city. The central square is enormous, and full of buskers, tourists, horse-drawn buggies, and random other entities. Wawel Hill is like something from the Gormenghast Trilogy! Every time you turn a corner there are awe inspiring buildings – often large Gothic structures with pinnacles, spires, unusual faced-statues, and blocky, solid towers.
There are a lot of other places to wander around, and Kazimierz is the area where a lot of Jewish Poles lived before WWII. It is full of galleries and little cafes now; very bohemian feel to the place. We had a blissful hour drinking coffee in a tree-lined courtyard, in a divine little garden.
There are a lot of other places to wander around, and Kazimierz is the area where a lot of Jewish Poles lived before WWII. It is full of galleries and little cafes now; very bohemian feel to the place. We had a blissful hour drinking coffee in a tree-lined courtyard, in a divine little garden.
5th August (Day 19) Torun to Krakow by train
Today we were on the train to Krakow – 6 1/2 hours. We battled with the bikes and the train, and ended up stashing them in the corridor outside of the toilet, in front of one of the doors off the train, as there was nowhere else to put them!! It meant that we had to keep leaping up and down and letting people on and off whenever there was a platform on the side of the train where my bike was bungied. The fun really started when someone else turned up with a bike, and proceeded to squeeze it on beside John’s. The Polish passengers seemed to take this all in their stride though, and seemed not to mind clambering over the bikes every time they needed to visit the WC!
The countryside that we passed through was lovely, with vast tracts of pine and birch forests, as well as small villages with a range of agriculture.
Once we arrived in Krakow it was time to use the ‘elbow’ tricks we’d learned off the little old Polish ladies, and we managed to get the bikes off before the people crushed past. The panniers, however, were a different story. We couldn’t get back on to get them off! Luckily a very kind (and strong) lady who had been sharing our compartment lugged all of the panniers out of the window for us, bless her. The random kindness of strangers – never fails to amaze me.
The countryside that we passed through was lovely, with vast tracts of pine and birch forests, as well as small villages with a range of agriculture.
Once we arrived in Krakow it was time to use the ‘elbow’ tricks we’d learned off the little old Polish ladies, and we managed to get the bikes off before the people crushed past. The panniers, however, were a different story. We couldn’t get back on to get them off! Luckily a very kind (and strong) lady who had been sharing our compartment lugged all of the panniers out of the window for us, bless her. The random kindness of strangers – never fails to amaze me.
4th August (Saturday, Day 18) Chelmno
Took the bus into Chemno which was an experience in itself. Bought the ticket with ease as the lady spoke English. Clambered into a rickety old local bus,, and then watched at the bus driver spent on average 2 minutes per person issuing tickets to people. The trip to Chelmno took us through some rural villages which appeared to be relatively prosperous, with new houses being built.
Chelmno itself is described as a Mediaeval town with one of the most complete town walls in the country. It was indeed an impressive place. There are some excellent churches and a nunnery. One church in particular (photos to follow) had about twelve separate towers in a ‘v’ shape, towering up into the sky. Some peaceful parks too, and we chose one of these to have lunch while watching a pretty little fountain. It was also the day for weddings, and we watched a few groups having their photos taken in their finery. Stunning day with wall to wall sunshine, and little fluffy clouds.
Had a bit of difficulty working our where the bus back to Torun left from, but figured it out with a large amount of gesticulation, and a helpful bus driver. The trip back was long, bumpy, and lasted 45 minutes longer than the trip there. The route was more scenic though.
Tomorrow we are off to Krakow on the train…with bikes…facing the terror of the three-steps up and associated stresses.
Chelmno itself is described as a Mediaeval town with one of the most complete town walls in the country. It was indeed an impressive place. There are some excellent churches and a nunnery. One church in particular (photos to follow) had about twelve separate towers in a ‘v’ shape, towering up into the sky. Some peaceful parks too, and we chose one of these to have lunch while watching a pretty little fountain. It was also the day for weddings, and we watched a few groups having their photos taken in their finery. Stunning day with wall to wall sunshine, and little fluffy clouds.
Had a bit of difficulty working our where the bus back to Torun left from, but figured it out with a large amount of gesticulation, and a helpful bus driver. The trip back was long, bumpy, and lasted 45 minutes longer than the trip there. The route was more scenic though.
Tomorrow we are off to Krakow on the train…with bikes…facing the terror of the three-steps up and associated stresses.
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