I set off late. Well, I set off at a reasonable time but then dawdled in the supermarket (post Sunday shopping) and had breakfast and a coffee...either which way, I was late hitting the road.
The road I hit (actually a path on top of a dyke) was a good one. Surface reasonable; direction good. So I stayed on it. For the next 33kms.
It was a quiet, solitary, simple ride and most enjoyable. It moved me along at a good pace (I worked out a while ago that unsurfaced roads knock about 5kph off your speed but seeing as the route was saving me several kilometres, who cares?) in a steady Donau lead (for it was a flood wall) direction.
I arrived at Weltenburg for the Danube ferry just as several bus loads of tourists hit the abbey. I looked around the courtyard and the souvenir stalls and bought a ticket for the boat. It took me some time to realise (after conjuring up some worrying scenarios of bike/rowing boat disasters) that the little boats coming up to the pebbled shore were not, in fact, what I had bought a ticket for. I joined the queue for the ferry proper and I, many cyclists and even more sightseers headed through the Danube gorge to Kelheim. It was a lovely leisurely trip which afforded time for lunch and a coffee and so, I arrived ashore suitably refreshed and ready for ride part two.
The second half of the day was much the same as the first. Although there was more road, more cyclists and less path. I haven't been to see Regensburg centre yet (World Heritage Site) as the campsite came first.
As it's a rest day tomorrow (I take my lead from the tour) I have had a tea of salad and wine (wine from the dedicated drinks supermarket chosen not for quality I'm afraid, but as it has a screws top lid. I have fallen fowl of a Swiss Army Knife corkscrew before and do not intend to repeat the very frustrating experience again) and have done my washing.
Tomorrow will be a lie in, a day out and very, very little cycling.
P.s. the dead fish intrigued me (being, as it is, on a path 10 metres from the river. And quite large.) So I took a photo of it to share. I am sad I cannot also share the truly horrible smell.
Just found your blog. Really inspirational. I used to cycle around Dublin when I lived there and cycled a lot in Edinburgh for a while but then I got knocked off twice and entangled myself with tram tracks once...one of the knocking offs (hmm) was not good and I swore I'd immediately get back in the saddle but somehow never did. I'm envious of your adventuring though. All power to your hamstrings. Rosyx
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