Zebegény to Budapest

Zebegény to Budapest

2652km … Saint-Brevin-les-Pins to Budapest … Done!

Today the streets will be paved with gold and lined with cheering people. There will be marching bands, parades and a carnival atmosphere. We are going to make it! Our 41st day of riding will bring us to the end of a fantastic ride that has taken us from the Atlantic coast across France, skirted the northern and flattest part of Switzerland, then looped us up and around into Germany, across the flattest part of Austria, into the southern reaches of Slovakia and finally in to Budapest in Hungary.

Read More Read More

Bratislava to Ňárad

Bratislava to Ňárad

Nothing never means nothing

It’s a funny day when there are no real stories. We leave Bratislava by crossing a bridge back to the south (or right bank) of the river and then almost immediately crossing back. Today we are on our own as there are few signs to guide us.

Read More Read More

Bratislava

Bratislava

Buildings and Statues and Castle and Ice Cream and … Bones

We have one day – one hot day – in Bratislava and we head out without any real plan other than to make our way to the dominant Bratislava Castle and to wander the old streets. Mission accomplished.

Read More Read More

Wien to Bratislava

Wien to Bratislava

Auf Wiedersehen Österreich … Ahoj Slovensko

Until this morning we both believed that the people of Wien were not really connected to the Donau river. As we leave the beautiful city of Wien that theory is debunked. People are everywhere, enjoying their river and this sunny and warm Sunday morning. We pass by the “Vienna beach club” where people on ski boards are being towed upstream, across stream and downstream on a moving cable. It looks like great fun!

Read More Read More

Vienna

Vienna

The feeling is gone, only you and I, it means nothing to me. This means nothing to me. Oh, Vienna.

From the Ultravox earworm that has been plaguing me for weeks

There are so many churches here in Vienna, and they make good use of them – not just for church services or for prayer or letting hordes of tourists clomp around oooh-aaahing about the absolute religious decadence. Many of the churches are used for concerts. Yep, take music and set it in a grand ornate church and it seems you have a sellout event.

Read More Read More

Krems to Wien

Krems to Wien

Kraftwerk

What is this Kraftwerk? Since we’ve been riding along the Donau there’s been signs everywhere. Do the ladies of the GCWA (German country women’s association) get together at frequent intervals along the river to crochet and quilt? (Go on, shoot me for my outrageous generalisations. I like a good craft hobby as much as many others and I know a number of women in the CWA who get together and happily craft. I don’t know so many men who do the same.)

Anyway, that theory seems unlikely.

Read More Read More

Grein to Krems am der Donau

Grein to Krems am der Donau

When somebody Melks your Mojo

“Where are you going today,” the hotel owner asks as we check out.

We fumble around, searching our brains. There’s been so many places it is sometimes hard to keep up with them all.

“Krems,” Neil says, getting it first.

She purses her lips and nods. “A long way,” she says. “But it is nice. You must take the ferry across the river here.”

What? All our routes, maps and the EV6 app show the route on our side of the river (north, or the left bank).

Read More Read More

Oberlandshaag to Grein

Oberlandshaag to Grein

When the going gets hot the hot get going

With apologies to Billy Ocean

It’s getting hot here in Austria! Today’s ride is a long one, on largely unshaded roads and paths. While the river is as beautiful as always, the way is a little monotonous and exposed this morning. Because we have a 90km ride today we just crank it.

Read More Read More