Sore Feet

09-Jun-08: Hall of Fame
Germany: Freiburg to Donaueschingen
79km, 5h 19min riding, 809m ascent

Many were excited to be moving on from the rest day in Freiburg to the town of Donaueschingen, which is home to the source of the Danube river, and the start of the Danube cycleway which in all our minds will deliver quieter riding paths and better campsites given its tourism popularity.

We had good weather and the riding was a plesant one following quiet country roads through farmland. Just prior to lunch we ascended a single challenging 10km climb with gradient ranging from 9-13%. And the view from the top was well worth the effort.

Any distance less than 100km is already becoming a quasi rest day and even moreso as the weather becomes kinder and we become stronger. So with less than 80km to cover we reached town in the early hours of the afternoon which allowed us time enough to spend what ended up being a few hours in a local bike shop creating babies for our luggage, as Shanny our tour leader refers to the act purchasing items which cause our luggage to expand.

We stumbled upon a well stocked bike shop in which we purchased numerous items including pepper spray for aggressive dogs which we expect to encounter in Romania! The owners and other customers of the shop were very interested in our journey and we spent some time, with Manon translating, explaining the hows and why fors of our adventure. Our visit concluded with the owners getting us to pose for a photo which we imagine is now amusingly posted proudly on the shop wall hall of fame.

10-Jun-08: In a Fairytale
Germany: Donaueschingen to Simaringen
88km, 4h 55min riding

We woke for our first morning of cycling along the Danube to a crisp morning which, due to the relative differences in temperature between the outside air and that inside our temporary homes, had caused mammoth amounts of condensation on the inside surfaces of our finally dry tents and decided that although we were appreciative of the sunshine, the effect of rain on a tent was clearly preferable to condensation!

We were on our way quickly under beautiful clear blue skies for what has been the most spectacular day of riding so far and one which affirms why we all decided to undertake this journey. The cycle path started with a meandering ride through grass fields and past little timber shacks and large climbing trees with a misty outlook of distant hillside settlements and after lunch led us through the floor of a valley cradled by massive walls of rock adorned with pine trees. I felt as though I was riding through a fairytale picturebook.

As we approached Simaringen we were startled by a brigade of camoflaged military personell in training alongside the bike path. It was not until we were on top of them that we realised that outcrop of rock was not a rock at all! We rolled by in silence as I heard one of the soldiers read the sign on the front of my bike out loud..."Paris to Beijing"...and subsequently whistle in amazement.

11-Jun-08: Staying Dry
Germany: Simaringen to Ulm
107.5km, 5h 19min riding

Today was one of those days I can only note as 'pleasant'. Not spectacular, not dreadful, just pleasant. The sun became bashful and hid behind cloudcover for most of the day but we did not get rained upon, which is always a blessing. After a couple of shorter riding days, the few extra kilometres did take their toll on the energy levels which were promptly restored upon reaching our hotel and the all important hot shower.

Manon, Graeme, Dan, Al and myself decided that it was time for a decent night out so after an afternoon rest we all wandering the old town of Ulm in search of a little local cuisine and were not dissapointed. We found a beautiful and cosy little cottage style restaurant which was fully booked but had a table for us provided we left within 2 hours, which we greatfully accepted. After half a litre of local beer, our main courses were delivered in amusing fashion.

The waitress was a solid german lady dressed in traditional clothing but reminded me of a gladiator who would be right at home wrestling in a pool of baked beans! We could hear her stomping up the stairs with our meals which were briskly thumped on the table, off-centre of our seating arrangment, much to our bemusement...but after a single attempt by one of us to correct the seemingly askew placement, we were told not to touch as plates were then placed in front of us. We could not really come to grips with why we were being expected to transfer our meals from one perfectly good plate to another just for the sake of it, but we daren't argue with the gladiator! The meals were amazing and the atmosphere added to the experience.

We moved on to a sports bar where we watched the Euro Cup soccer match between Sweden and Turkey. We gave a 7 euro tip and were subsequently bid farewell with a round of Sambuka's on the house for which the waiter joined us, following which we and got hopelessly lost trying to find our way home but much fun was had by all.

12-Jun-08: These Feet are Made for Walkin'
Germany: Ulm - Rest Day

Today is our rest day which as per cutsom has been spent doing laundry, sourcing much needed bike supplies and updating blogs! I was excited to find a pair of 'rain legs' which are the front half of a pair of plastic shorts which strap on to form a shield against rain flowing off the front of my jacket, keeping it from soaking the crucial parts of my riding pants.

We are off to dinner to the same restaurant tonight and hope to enjoy the hospitality of the gladiator once more before leaving Ulm tomorrow to continue along the Danube cycleway.

Posting photos is proving a bigger challenge than I had hoped but will do my best at the next rest day! x