Germany and France

2014-05-13: I have been on the road for three weeks today! I was up early as the early mornings seem to be dry; I packed and was ready to leave just before 9. I went through Monchau and took some photos. I then left the town and climbed a long, steep hill. At the top, I enquired about the disused railway route; only to be told that I had to go back down the hill and up the other side! I eventually found the track and travelled towards St Vith. Again, it started to rain. I went through St Vith onto the road to Winterspelt. Here, I wasnt sure if I was on the right road as the route markings were different from what I was expecting, but the road went as expected. Eventually, I found the markings on the road that I was looking for. At Winterspelt, I enquired about a campsite and was told that there was one at Bleialf. I found it, although it cost more than any of the others - and it doesnt include free wi-fi! When I pitched my tent, there was a Dutch cyclist taking a weeks break already in the campsite. I saw him cooking on a stove similar to mine; we tested mine and concluded that there is a problem with the fuel I am using. It was a tough day with the weather and all the climbing.
Kilometers travelled: 81.88; Total kilometers travelled: 1310; Meters climbed: 1017;

2014-05-14: Amazingly, the night was without rain; however there was a lot of dew. Up early and ready to go before 9, I tried to find some fuel for my stove at the local stores, but none had. I found the cycle track and was on my way down south. Suddenly, I was travelling north up this massive climb. At the top, a farmer told me I had missed the turnoff. As I was being vigilant, I had a good look to see how I had missed it. Once on the correct road, I stopped to have something to eat and to dry out my groundsheet. At Waxweiler, the cycle path seemed to take a different route as to the one I wanted. I started up this hill and was checking the route, when a gent came up to me and asked if he could help - this is the first time in Europe that someone has voluntared their services - if I ask, they are very helpful. I carried on until Bitburg; the entrance to and the exit from Bitburg was on a very busy road. In Bitburg, I stopped to get some fuel - they eventually understood what I wanted when I showed them the Holland name; they didnt understand the German name. Maybe, the manufacturer of the stove has it wrong. I continued and am camping outside Irrel, next to Luxemburg. As I was setting up my tent, it started to rain, after a totally dry and pleasant day! Today, was ànother tough riding day, with some big hills. But, it was topped off with, drum roll, success with the stove! I got it working and had a cup of soup, so things are looking up in the cullinary department; not quite cordon bleu, but the possibilities are improving.
Kilometers travelled: 69.34; Total kilometers travelled: 1379; Meters climbed: 1271;

201-05-15: Where I stayed last night, Camping Nimseck, is one of the more reasonable places I have stayed at. I think I will need to stay at a site for 2 nights as I am wanting to see a company and I dont think I will get there by Friday midday and I will probably be there by Saturday or Sunday, at the latest; lets see how my prediction goes. At any rate, I need a break to wash some clothes. When I woke up this morning, there wasnt a cloud in the sky. This is my rest day! I had breakfast and, lo and behold, there was no blue sky! I did my washing and then rode into town to get some supplies; some stuff I can cook! I also bought a pair of long tracksuit pants as my waterproofs, my only long riding pants I brought, are starting to look a bit tattered - they will be fine when it rains, but I need some thing to keep me warm. It hasnt rained, yet, but I will be surprised if it doesnt - you never know.
Kilometers travelled: 3.79; Total kilometers travelled: 1383; Meters climbed: 138;

2014-05-16: Today was the best day of my tour, so far, without a doubt! Why? Firstly, because it did not rain, at all and there was sunshine the whole day; can you believe it! I left Camping Nimseck - certainly one of the better campsites I have stayed at - at about 9. I went to the information office in Irrel and they gave me the maps I needed for the day. I set off with a minor hiccup - I had left my ground sheet at the campsite to dry. Fortunately, I realised this before I left the village. Once on the route, progress went well. I stopped of at , which is in Luxemburg, my 5th country, to get something to eat. I enquired at the information office about maps and they gave me duplicates of the ones I already had; they also told me I had to use the ferry to get across the river. Progress went well. At Mettlach, I tried to find a campsite and was told by the information office that there is one at Nimsek. When I got there, enquiries of some locals suggested that there was not one. I saw a McDonalds and went in there to use their internet - they had to send me a code to my phone. As I dont have a sim card for Germany, this was not possible. I then asked another person and he directed me to a campsite about a km away - again, no internet. I must investigate the possibility of getting a sim card. I did the most distance in a day and seemed to climb a lot; where that occured, I can only assume because of going against the river the whole time.
Kilometers travelled: 92.61; Total kilometers travelled: 1475; Meters climbed: 1332

2014-05-17: After a night being sandwiched between a busy train line and a party, I had a reasonable night. I woke up early and started packing up camp; the flysheet of my tent was saturated from condensstion - I must try opening one of the flaps to get a better airflow. I left just before 9 and went to investigate a sim card - as it is only valid in Germany and comes with loads of airtime and sms's and little internet, I decided to try elsewhere where I find the opportunity. I got onto the river path and followed it all the way to Sarralba and take the turnoff to Strasbourg. At Keskastle, I found a campsite, Camping les Sapins. The receptionist speaks a smattering of English, and I, no French. We understood each other and I have a lovely campsite, with all the facilities. Where I entered France, I am not sure, but the signs on the route have been in French for a while. I have to admit, after the experience of the French embassy, re my Schengen visa, I was not too keen to go to France. However, the treatment I have received from the French people so far, has been fantastic! Another long day with a gentle climb the whole time, but a good day, all in all!
Kilometers travelled: 93.82; Total kilometers travelled: 1569; Meters climbed: 450

2014-05-18: Last nights supper included pasta, 2 poached eggs, a chocolate pudding or two and most of a dinky bottle of wine. The poached eggs were not Michelin standard, but passed the edible test. There is a clock in town that chimes every quarter of the hour - this reminded me of the clock I had; fortunately, it did not bother me. I left the campsite to the pealing of the church bells. I took a D road to Strasbourg; these are supposed to be the quiet roads. It was very busy, although the drivers were very courteous. As it is Sunday, most of the shops were closed. I found a shop in Saverne that was open, so I bought some lunch. Outside town, I sought some shade - the temperature was in the upper twenties - and stopped for a while to have something to eat. The ride into Strasbourg was uneventful. I used google maps to navigate around Strasbourg and I had a few hiccups as the map did not show some of the largish towns; maybe, something to do with the scale I was using. At about 5, I started to look for a campsite. I asked a shopowner who was standing outside his shop; he tried to direct me, but the directions started getting complex. His friend then told me to follow him in his car and he took me to the canal - this was my first bit of speed work; after 95k's. Later, I asked a family where the campsite was. The husband kindly took me to the entrance of the campsite; my second bit of speed traing; this time after about 103k's! A good day, all in all; I am in a little town called Erstein, south of Strasbourg.
Kilometers travelled: 107.5; Total kilometers travelled: 1677; Meters climbed: 939.

2014-05-19: Last night, I did what I could for supper; made some pasta and had a pudding that I had kept. The night was uneventful and I woke up early. I was on the road at about 9:15. I got onto the canal quickly and made good progress towards Rhinau. I stopped of at the first store I passed and bought some provisions, including a freshly made baguette! I finished half of this before I had done a couple of k's! Rhinau is on the banks of the Rhine river and is the last town in France. The ferry crossing was good and did not cost anything. I then followed the cycle track along the banks of the Rhine river. At Endingen, I lost the cycle route through the town; here they marked the route with a coloured diamond on a 2x4 marker - I went straight past them! Outside Endingen, I took a wrond turn; to be honest, the turn I took was downhill and the route continued going uphill! I was too disappointed because I came across my first wild fox. After a slow, but tough day, I am at a campsire just north of Freiburg.
Kilometers travelled: 73.56; Total kilometers travelled: 1750; Meters climbed: 296.

2014-05-20: It is 4 weeks since I started on my tour. This morning went well; I left the campsite and trundled into Gundelfingen, where on the off chance, I popped into Supernova, the manufacturer of my dynamo hub. Gregor, the COO, kindly showed me around the company and we chatted about the lights and hubs, etc - thank you, Gregor. I left Gundelfingen and went through Freiburg and followed the train line to Kirckzarten. Here, I asked for directions and a lady from the bike shop was extremely helpful. Needless to say, it did not make the climbing of the hills any easier. I went through Buchenbach and up to Wagensteig and onto St Märtens and Thurner. I think I must have counted about 100 switchbacks - maybe that is a bit over the top! I stopped on the side of the road and sat on some logs eating and drinking - probably to the dismay of the local drivers! It was then downhill through lovely Black Forest countryside to Titensee, where I am spending the night.
Kilometers travelled: 73.98; Total kilometers travelled: 1824; Meters climbed: 1205.

2014-05-21: I woke up and decided to have an easy day today; stay in the campsite or take it easy to Donaueschingen? I spoke to some bikers from the UK who were doing a week long trip through Europe. I did some washing and as it was nearly dry and still early, I packed up and hit the road. I found a cycle route to my destination and went up this hill; at the top it took me onto a busy highway. I didnt hesitate and went straight down the hill again. I found another route that followed a river; ideal! It then turned off into the forest, nice and scenic. A fork indicated a shorter or longer route; I took the shorter. As of now, I have yet to find a hill I cannot walk up. Today, I nearly did; I would walk up 20 or so paces and rest. This must have continued for about 90 minutes. Does it count as swearing if there is nobody to hear? At the village, the route flattened out somewhat. At Loffingen, I hit a snag; every road led me onto the previously mentioned busy highway! After going round in circles for a long time, I eventually went against the route markers and followed my gut instinct. I then ended up where I wanted to go. I also found the symbolic source of the Danube, thanks to Tomas. I followed the Donau route for about 3k's to a campsite. Today was a very frustrating day; however, all's well that ends well!
Kilometers travelled: 72.33; Total kilometers travelled: 1896; Meters climbed: 770.

2014-05-22: I stayed at the campsite and caught up on some chores. I took a ride into Donaueschingen and had a look at the town. At the confluence of the Brigash and Breg rivers - the symbolic source of the Danube - there is a distance marker to the mouth of the river at the Black Sea; it reads 2779km's! A very quiet day indeed - I needed it as my legs were getting very tired yesterday.
Kilometers travelled: 19.73; Total kilometers travelled: 1916; Meters climbed: 57.

2014-05-23: It must have started to rain at about 1:00 and continued until about 9:30. As soon as it stopped, I packed up and hit the road. I bought some sweet tarts at the bakery nearby and then onto the velo6 route. It meandered through beautiful little towns and just before Tuttlingen, it disappears underground in summer; it reappears about 12 k's later - this has to do with the limestone that the river transverses. I replenished some supplies in Tuttlingen. The route was fairly flat, with the odd climb here and there. At about 16:00, I decided that I had had enough and started looking for a camping site. I asked at a Gasthaus, and they said I could camp in their field. I didnt need a second invite, as the gorge that the river runs through is so beautiful, it will be like camping in paradise. A good day overall, with no major surprises.
Kilometers travelled: 66.28; Total kilometers travelled: 1982; Meters climbed: 356.

2014-05-24: The night was very peaceful and fortunately, I was not harassed by any wild animals. I awoke very early, washed by the Donau and hit the road just after 7:00. The river continued meandering through beautiful countryside. After a few k's, I hit the 2000km mark on this journey; the k's are slowly going by! I had to cross a bridge and saw a locket around one of the railings; I wounder if the couple concerned are still together, or, if they even remember having put it there! The weather was overcast most of the day with a bit of rain. I stopped for supplies at Kaufland and as I was about to leave, a lovely lady asked me about my luggage; we had a very pleasant chat. Thank you, as most people avoid ones gaze! After about 60k's, I started looking for a campsite. I've found one that is very reasonable and appears to have decent ablutions. Must go and get enough supplies for tomorrow as my experience tells me that most stores are closed tomorrow. I found a store and bought some food for today and possibly for tomorrow. I then took a ride through the medieval town of Riedlingen. I also found out cooking supper that my fork is not tolerant of high heat! All in all, a great day and I hope tomorrow is not too wet!
Kilometers travelled: 81.49; Total kilometers travelled: 2064; Meters climbed: 739.

2014-05-25: I didn't have a good night; maybe it had to do with the chocolate I ate before going to bed! The morning was a bit overcast and I was in no hurry to leave the campsite. I had breakfast and left after 9:00. I trundled along the route and it deviated away from the river on occasion. Some of the climbs were steep and one climb, there must have been about 7 of us walking up it; someone commented that it was 18%! Essentially, today was fairly flat. After 50k's, I started looking for a campsite - I couldn't find one. I stopped to have something to eat at Ehingen and looked up to see a SAPPI factory right in frornt of me! After Ulm, I was looking at an information board when a gent stopped to ask me what I was looking for. He then directed me to the nearest campsite - about 10k's away. Fortunately, it was in the right direction and ended up being fairly close to the route. A rather longer day than planned and tougher than anticipated because of a constant headwind, although it was dry and warm.
Kilometers travelled: 95.39; Total kilometers travelled: 2159; Meters climbed: 624.

2014-05-26: I had a good night - no chocolate and slept well, even though there was a thunderstorm nearby; it did not rain. I was up early and was ready to leave at about 8. I did some work on the internet and left before 9. I got back onto the Donau route and trundled along quite comfortably for about 20k's. Along the way, I nearly saw my first live kill on the way; a raptor made a dive at a hare, who ducked into some bushes to avid being breakfasr! I came to a change of direction in the route where the route markers were not very clear and met Michael, a German tourer travelling to Passau. He also commented on the markings of the route. We rode together and stopped en route at Donauwörth, where we met another German couple who are touring. Michael and I continued on the route and stopped off at Rennertshofen where we are spending the night. A good day as it was dry and there was not a head wind.
Kilometers travelled: 94.15; Total kilometers travelled: 2254; Meters climbed: 467.

2014-05-27: The night was reasonable; and after a hearty breakfast, we set off from Rennertshofen to get back onto the donau route; this took about 5k's. Today the river became our friend and travelling companion; whenever we got lost, we would make our way back to the Donau. We got lost a number of times due to poor marking of the route. We stopped just outside Neustadt at a crypt to have something to eat. There was a spectacular view of the monastory and a message in the crypt; travellers passing this place must stop a moment and consider their surroundings. We continued along the Donau and when it started to rain, we sought accomodation. All in all, a good day.
Kilometers travelled: 72.94; Total kilometers travelled: 2326; Meters climbed: 135

2014-05-28: The night was uneventful and breakfast was good; there were about 6 other cyclists all travelling the same way as we were. The rain hadn't stopped and continued throughout the day. We followed the Donau route from Bad Gogging for about 15k's and then had to take a ferry trip for about 7k's. Most of the cyclists at breakfast were on the ferry, plus a host of others. We kept bumping into them on the way at various spots seeking shelter from the rain. We stopped and had something to eat and clean up; the route took us on sand roads with very fine sand and when wet, gets into everything - it must have some lime content in it. We continued to Redensburg, where Michael met his wife, Petra. I continued until Worth a d Donau, where I spent the night. I met Michael and his wife and we had dinner together. It is worth noting that I have travelled more kilometers than there are left for the Donau to travel to the Black Sea!
Kilometers travelled: 111.7; Total kilometers travelled: 2438; Meters climbed: 233

2014-05-29: This morning, it was still raining. I woke up early to try and clean my panniers and Nomasizwe; but, was able to really only smear the mud around, although, it was a lot thinner than before. Does anybody in SA remember the Ascension Day holiday? Today is Ascension Day and a holiday. It is also Fathers Day; all fathers, have a good day. The first part of the ride was on paved surfaces, so it was ok. We stopped after about 60k's at Deggendorf for lunch, where Petra met us. The rain eased off a bit, so we headed off towards Passau. Here, the road surface changed and we found ourselves on unpaved roads - the mud clung to the bikes like leeches. The rain let up a bit, and we arrived in Passau just after 6pm. I found accommodation and the first thing I did was try and clean Nomasizwe; it helped, but I will have to give her a second wash in the morning. Michael and I said farewell to each other; although I am sad to say good bye to him, I am grateful to have had his company for the past 3 days. They have been the best days of my tour, so far, spoilt only by the atrocious weather, which rivalled the weather in England. I have made a good friend and had some fabulous times - isn't this what travelling is all about; meeting people and experiencing the different cultures? I cant believe that the German Danube is almost a thing of the past! No pics today because of the atrocious weather. Pity.
Kilometers travelled: 122.3; Total kilometers travelled: 2560; Meters climbed: 274.


2014-05-30:
Slow down, I move too fast,
I gotta make my visa last,
Sliding past villages along the way,
The sun fleetingly came out to play.
The morning was overcast, but dry. After breakfast, I left Passau and found the Donauradweg very quickly and headed towards Linz. The route hardly deviated from the Donau river. Along the way, I said Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland, as I crossed into Austria. I've spent about two and a half weeks in Germany and travelled along its western border and down along its southern area. It has been a very pleasant time; sometimes testing, but mostly very pleasant. I have seen a side of you that I did not see last time I was here; you appear to be far more relaxed and at ease with yourself. I have no doubt that the most beautiful town I saw was Monchau. Today, I went through some very striking valleys along the Donau, but, because of the width of the river, I don't think they are as striking as further up the river when it is still in its infancy. The Black Forest is beautiful and some of the most beautiful areas I have seen. Thank you, Duetschland, for your hospitality. I saw my first beaver today; unfortunately, it was a roadkill statistic! At one point, the route crossed over the river and there were about 10 cyclists aboard the ferry. I wanted an easy day today; which I got, although a little more kilometers than I wanted.
Kilometers travelled: 76.21; Total kilometers travelled: 2637; Meters climbed: 391.

2014-05-31: The morning was dry, but a bit overcast. I left the campsite in Feldkirchen an der Donau, and headed east. I came to Ottensheim and bought some breakfast. There were some cyclists at the shop and I asked them which way to the cycle route - they were going the same way and also didnt know. After asking some locals, we found the route again. I took it very slowly to Linz and wanted to stay there overnight. I went into the city and there was a market in the main square. I looked around and got onto the cycle route again. I saw a campsite sign and headed towards it as it was on the Donau route. When I got there it had been taken over by the Linz triathlon. Even the Donau cycle route was closed for the cycle leg of the triathlon! When there was a gap, the marshall let us through. Oh, this reminds me, I have been challenged to be at the New Zealand 2016 Iron Man in March of that year. I will have to try and arrange that! It then started to rain and I hadn't found a campsite. I saw a map that indicated there were a number of campsite on the other side of the river - even Murphy is around! Fortunately, there was a bridge and I crossed the river to find them. After an hour, I managed to find one; it seems very pleasant and I might stay an extra night here to try and get my stuff dried and take a break. A good slow day, today.
Kilometers travelled: 60.0; Total kilometers travelled: 2697; Meters climbed: 500.