This was a day for fenders. Light to medium rain and cold (55 degrees) . Fingers and toes were like prunes. A wrong turn took us to the appropriately named town of Rain, where we caught a train with other water logged cyclists into Ingolstadt.
My first rule of cycle touring is: It will rain. Second rule: you will be lost. Got both of them today.
Beautiful sunny day. Started the ride with friends, Horst and family. Thanks for being wonderful hosts! Along the way we spotted a tube vending machine. Made Donauworth before sunset. Was welcomed by a ol car rally. Wish I could have seen it. First hotel was full. They suggested one a km up the hill. They were also full. Several phone calls were made, and we were sent to a hotel a km down the hill. Oh nooooo, it was the same one. This time Debbie went in. More phone calls were made, and a hotel was found. All is well.
It was one of those days. Gore Tex was the name of the day. You put your head down and ride. There is no beautiful scenery, no trees, only the rain. We had an hour of sun, just enough to take off the rain kit, then the dark skies closed in again. Reached Ulm in time to climb the largest church steeple in the world.
Beautiful town. Seems to get a good chunk of its revenue from cyclists. We are everywhere in town. I am starting to recognize different groups of cyclists and see them in town.
The morning started off very foggy and slowly turned into a wonderfully sunny day. The first half stayed in a very tight valley with limestone cliffs on both sides. Hard to describe the beauty of this ride. The path finally opened up to wide, flat corn fields as we came into Riedlingen. On the approach into town, an elderly couple asked us where we were going and if we needed a place to stay. She suggested two hotels that were nice but not expensive. They also suggested the other side of the river as it was wider. The people we meet are very friendly.
We are now on the main section of the ride, and with it's popularity, a good set of cycle specific maps are available. Very good detail, as well as a graphical description of the road surfaces. Dashed red means hard packed dirt. The rain started in the afternoon and was off and on, enough for a very dirty ride. The reward today was a section of the river that is in a tight valley with no trains or paved roads. Outstanding.
We are now on a main route that follows the Donau. There are many routes that come and go along the way. The route is very easy to follow with several groups of touring cyclists along the way.
The builders of the trail system are very serious about what they do. Pictured is a healthy bridge over a set of railroad tracks.
It was one of those days that went between horrible and beautiful. The rain and mist let up late but left us in a muddy mess. Part of our way was freshly graded and muddy. I would rather ride uphill and against the wind than pull a trailer in the mud. We found a fountain in the fields above Futzen and cleaned up the built up mud.
The climbs had some outstanding sections in the black forest that made it all worthwhile.
The velo way we rode today was between Basel and Tiengen, along the Rhine. About 42 miles with a mix of surfaces, from perfect blacktop to miles of packed rough rocks. Calling it gravel would be complementary. Many sections deep in the forest and along the Rhine were outstanding. Two of the marked turns were under construction. Another section that used the road was impassable. We had to push through loose gavel, fresh oil, and high curbs to get across the 100 yards. Arrived in Tiengen at the start of a light rain.
Leaving the hotel. Nice cool morning to start the day.
We stayed in a small town outside of Basel. Had to wind around the streets to find the marked euro veloway 2.
The Zurich airport was great. After collecting the bikes and getting the passport stamp, we went to the lower level and cought a train to Basel. The bikes are together now. We are chilling in the warm afternoon sun with 68 degrees. Nice new hotel, but it is too far out and no restaurants are near.
Time for Debbie and me to pack the bikes again. We are always amazed that everything fits. Packing for much cooler (highs of 70 on the hot days) and wetter weather (hello fenders). We start on the Rhine for a day then over to the source of the Danube and follow the river to Passau on the Austrian border. Stay tuned for more.
