Day 4 Pochlarn to Krem

The big news is we have had sunny weather for the last two days of riding. It is amazing how much nicer that makes the trip. Today we rode with a German man. That was helpful since he could read the signs and also read the menu at lunch. We went a slower pace and did more sight seeing in the 50 km. Melk was a very interesting village with a amazing Benedictine abbey and gardens. We rode through vineyards in the Domane Dachau region. The town we are in for the night was Krems--much larger than we expected. The pictures are various views from the trail The picture of the food is a classic Austrian desser KIauserschmarrn. They are famous for their apricot desserts in this area. Sadly, only one more day of biking--then onto hiking.

Day 2 & 3 Linz-Grein; Grein-Pochlarn

Today is Sunday. The ride was 52 km. It was very nice--because the sun was shining. Our first two days of riding were very rainy. We still enjoyed it--but the sun was better. Most of the ride is right along the river shore and the views are very pleasant.


When the path diverts inland more we go through mostly farming areas and occasionally a small village/town. At one spot there was a detour that was not well marked. We ended up on a muddy route pushing our bikes for a short distance. We had asked some bikers we met and they clearly said "no problem". Famous last words. . .


The picture above is of the bike ferry. Several places have a bike ferry. It was not well marked but we figured it out and waved to the ferry man who was on the other side of the river. It saved us about 1 hr of nonscenic riding for about 2 euros.

We continue to enjoy the food. Breakfast is our biggest meal--getting us "fueled" for the ride. The breads are great. The breakfast buffet usually includes fruit, cheese, soft-boiled eggs, sliced meats, mueslix, etc. The coffee is very strong. We tried for decaf--but I think that is not an option in the places we have been. We often will picnic for lunch--meat, cheese, breads. Our German is limited so our evening meal selection often requires alot of translation.

The hotel we stayed at last night was 5 km uphill. They met all of the bikers (about 16) at a specified area in town and shuttled us with our bikes on a trailer. This morning the firsst 5 km where an easy downhill ride.

Beginning Our Danube Bike Ride

Hello friends and family:
Today was our first day on the Danube bike trail. We started in Passau, Germany. We got our assigned bikes and had to get to the pier in less than 1/2 hr for a 2 hr boat ride to Scholgen where we started riding. The bikes are more mountain bike--so they are unfamiliar to us. Surprisingly the bigger seat is less comfortable than our small road bike seats. The path is nice--mostly off road. It rained most of the day--but the temperature was mild. The accomodations are nice. The food, especially the bakery products, are great. They provide good maps but still there were some decision making moments and a few backtracks. We rode about 60 km today. There are others staying in the same hotels and riding the same route--but we don't usually see anyone else. Ron's high school German is somewhat lacking but better than Sharon's complete lack. We are staying tonight in Lenz, Austria. It seems to be a shopper's paradise--we are not shoppers but enjoyed looking at the Konditorei treats. We are hoping the rain is over.

Vienna to Passau

Hello everyone! We will be the first to admit that the travel days (across the Atlantic, etc) are not our favorite. We had a 6 hr layover in LA. We arrive in Paris late and barely caught our flight to Vienna (final boarding was in progress). Our luggage was not so lucky--but it did arrive 4 hrs later and was delivered to our hotel.

Vienna is a very nice city--and we don't normally like cities. Very clean, lots of Konditerei options and a good walking space. We had a scare because the hotel had not received our cancellation for the second room (wish Dick and Sharon were here). Luckily they had mercy on us and didn't charge us for the room--even though it was our fault.

We traveled by train to Passau, Germany. From here we will begin our bicycle trip tomorrow. We will eventually end up back in Vienna after 6 days of biking along the Danube River. Hopefully that will make for some nice pictures. Unfortunately tomorrow is predicted to be a rainy day--not what we want for the first bike day--but out of our control.

We had a picnic from the deli tonight. They have great salads. With fresh sliced cheese and baguette. Very nice!

We hope all is well in USA. We will "talk" more later in the week.

On the Road Again. . .Almost!

Hello friends and family:

We leave next week (May 24) for a return trip to Italy. This time we will start in Vienna, Austria, with a one week bike trip along the Danube River. We will have the support of a tour company moving our luggage each day to the next destination. They have arranged the lodging--so it is a preplanned adventure. It will be Ron and I traveling only--very disappointing that our neighbors had to sit this one out--Dick is recovering from heart surgery.

After the bike trip we will hike in various Italy locations. Our son, Dustin, will join us for a week in the Dolomites. He was with us there once but he only had one day because of a delayed flight (engine failure--emergency landing in Omaha).

We will return via Geneva, Italy. We will visit some new spots and stay in some of our favorites from previous trips. So. . .watch for our updates.