Bobbing, weaving and yodelling (apart from the Yodelling)

 What a crackin view. I knew it was there when we went to bed, but to find it there in the morning as well! We stared in disbelief. Again. A vast mountainside of vines going as high as the farmer dared. With similar mountains as far as we could see. And our village of Viesling perched on similar inclines. Why? Why didn't they settle in a valley where there was more chance of finding a flat space? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they didn't. It makes for views straight over the neighbour's house because the land is 'mid plummet'. 

When we went for breakfast, there were several German men in there already tucking in. They turned round and said "Morgan" in turn. (Very seriously) We replied "Morgan" each time. After a significant bout of morgans, we were able to get on with the business of eating breakfast. 

We sat in a breakfast room which was adorned with so much kitsch that it was surprising that there was room for what was an extremely comprehensive breakfast. Every corner, ledge and slightly unoccupied wall was festooned with the sort of ornaments which you will rarely see these days in the UK. It was very easy to remember that we were in Austria and not Cleethorpes, say.

The woman who ran the 'Gasthous' was lovely. As we left, she took the trouble to show us another road back down to Spitz and the Danube which, she said, had better views. She was right. They were stunning. We wanted to keep stopping to take photos. On the other hand, we wanted to keep going and enjoy 20 mins of swooping down the hill to the river.

After some research and the advice from our slipstreamer yesterday, we decided to cross the river. This meant catching a ferry which bobbed backwards and forwards from one side to the other all day. We arrived just as it bobbed off and when it arrived at the other side, it stopped bobbing. It remained there for 40 minutes. We were on the brink of giving up when, at last, it returned. I was conscious that if it waited on our side for 40 minutes too, time would be too tight and we'd still have to abort this plan. So when they finally allowed us on to the ferry, I asked the ferryman how long it would be before we set off again. He shrugged his shoulders as if it was a daft question and said, "I dunno. Ten minutes?" What with that and asking coffee shop owners for a cup of coffee, I seem to be asking a lot of daft questions...

It was nearly 11am before we set off on the other side, with only three miles under our belts and we were off like a dog out of a cage. 

There are things we can now conclude about Austria and Austrians, having spent a few days alongside them. 

They might be serious but they are very efficient and helpful. There is no litter anywhere. Not the tiniest scrap. Even in the dodgier areas. Children are very well behaved and say 'Allo' even if their parents don't. They (the men, that is) sport some excellent mustaches. I was admiring them this morning but Kate told me not to get any ideas. Some were so impressive that their bikes hardly needed handle bars. I tried a moustache once but looked like the sort of secondhand car salesman you would trust even less than most. 

The only thing there has been a serious lack of is yodelling. I hope I hear some at some point. If you want to know how often I yodelling, ask Kate. (And watch her roll her eyes) I would like to hear one of the pros and compare skills....

There was a lot of flat, straight, continuous cycling today. We motored along and did the first fifty miles in three hours of cycling which is good for us. 

We eventually arrived in Tulln, which is where we parted company with the Danube until later on tomorrow. Our night's accommodation is seven miles 'inland'. Before striking off into the hinterland, it was time to stop for refreshments. We found the square which everybody goes to for refreshments and sat at a table. I decided to yield to the pressure of Austrian culture and ordered a beer. For a start, it's actually cheaper than coffee! It's been a hot day and after a few sips of cold beer, I began to see the attraction. I almost regretted asking for a 'kleines bier'.

Seven miles later, and we arrived at another very Austrian Gasthous. 

It's vast. We have a room with two single beds that look a bit like cots with one side missing. Kate will probably enjoy a night without me turning every few minutes....

And so, we have just twenty three miles to cycle tomorrow to arrive in Vienna. 

This ride has been eventful but time has gone so quickly. When we arrive in Vienna, we will be able to go to the train station and ask if we will be allowed to put our tandem on the train two days later to return to our car in Passau. So far, all anyone has said is, 'probably'... Sometimes 'probably' has to do.

 For some reason the photos are in reverse order today....

This evening's accommodation 
This is supposed to show the gardens at Tulln. Not the little flower in the foreground
On the ferry at last.

Waiting. (And not very patiently)
Viking river cruise. So they're not just an itv 3 advert thing?
Beautiful views as we descended this morning
A very small example of breakfast room adornment. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Into the clouds

Image
 We could have been disappointed by the weather today if it were not for the Internet, which insisted that the weather will be great from tomorrow on. Actually, when we looked out of the window at our dramatic view, it wasn't raining, but the weather app. assured us that it was raining and who would argue with that?  We descended a floor for breakfast. It was as expected. Rolls, cheese, ham, spam, jam and plenty of coffee. Some breakfasts have also offered cereal but it is pretty clear that this is only provided by places that are willing to pander to the taste of those parts of the world where cereal is a breakfast staple. As we sat down, Gertrude, our host walked in and proudly placed freshly boiled eggs in front of us. Kate ate hers. Suffice it to say that my body would not thank me for furnishing it with an egg. We are staying here for a week and the thoughts that Gertrude was going to present me with an egg every morning, emboldened me to take action. I explained that I d...
Read more

How do they do it?

Image
 We were running on adrenaline when we got up this morning. The alarm wasn't needed as suspected and we sat drinking tea at 6:45 contemplating the myriad of scenarios that lay ahead of us today.  We were packed quickly and efficiently with a skill born from growing experience of living out of a couple of panniers. All our worldly needs clipped into a couple of panniers and a bar bag. Kate is now so skillful that she can include three dresses and some mini hair straighteners. The sat nav chirruped away happily as we set off through early Saturday morning streets that were so quiet we could listen to the birdsong as we followed an intricate but beautiful route through the city to the Westbanhof train station.  We were so early we could have just caught the previous train - if we wanted to pay €120 instead of €46. So we waited an hour, watching nervously as more and more cyclists appeared wanting to catch the same train. At last the time came to board the train. I made for...
Read more

On track and off it.

Image
 I should tell you more about the castle we stayed in last night, first.  Don't get me wrong, it was very romantic. A fairy tale sort of a castle with turrets and huge rooms and vaulted ceilings. This was reflected in the cost. But Prince Charming or Rapunzel were nowhere to be found. (As you will read in a moment...) There was no breakfast and no food or drink available at any point. Not even a little chocolate on your pillow, which is a challenge when it's so remote. It was also cold. In the evening, we sat in all our clothes, under the duvet. The shower gel had not been refilled which is an issue when travelling light and we never saw a soul from beginning to end of our stay. Just an envelope at Reception with our name on it. I suppose none of that should matter, but when it's a four star hotel...? There was no chance of us drying our clothes even though we used the hair dryer on them until it had probably had enough. This morning, we ate our yoghurt and an emergency fl...
Read more