Schliersee to Ingolstadt to Bertoldsheim to Hochstadt

40km, av 17, total 725
We take 2 trains then it's back on the bikes. It's a beautiful day so the kms skip by, on paths, quiet roads and even a couple of hills to test our rested legs. A local leads us for about 10km and makes sure we take the right way.
We stay in a tiny village so dinner is at the beer garden. A choice of bread and cheese or bread and sausage or bread and cheese and sausage..... Luckily there is also icecream.

55km av15 total 780
After a huge breakfast we tackle a few more hills, up and down past patchwork green, brown and yellow fields. The rain is forecast for 1pm and yes it's bang on time. It's only gentle though and we have our snazzy new German ponchos so it's ok.
A private penzion again tonight for €50, part of an accredited chain that is cycle friendly. We manage ok with no common language, the owner sees our need for a hose to clean our muddy bikes.

The hills are alive....

with the Fräulein Maria bicycle tour in Salzburg (we've skipped 1 1/2 hours across for the day). We ride around town for 4 hours, stopping where lots of scenes from the Sound of Music were filmed. The Austrians and Germans know nothing about the movie and aren't too keen on all the tourists who want to visit for that reason - we see only one discrete sign near Liesl's glass pavilion.
We also tour an enormous old fortress. How did they build those thing?

Munich

Off to Oktoberfest with a group from the resort. Think Melbourne Show but all the pavilions are filled with people drinking 1 litre steins of beer and getting progressively louder! The oompah band plays and the songs are sung and there's dancing on the tables. Outside the huge tents it's still a family occasion with rides, sideshow alley, popcorn and every type of greasy food you want. LOTS of people.

Vienna to Passau

End of book 2 of the Danube Bike trail. Total 655 or 300 for this second section, with 6 days of riding. Passau to Vienna is a very popular ride because of its beauty and ease of cycling and we've passed hundreds of cyclists going the other way, the majority on guided or self-guided tours. The giveaway is their rental bikes and coloured panniers. We've also seen many much more laden than us with camping gear and backpacks. Of course there are also lots of locals using the paths for commuting or exercise.
We've definitely left behind summer, the mornings are more than chilly! The open plains of Hungary and Slovakia have turned into hills, with the Danube winding in the valley between them. The people have still been friendly and helpful and our new bikes are performing beautifully.
Goodbye Austria.

Obernzell to Passau to Schliersee

20km bike, 2.5 hour train to Munich, 1 hour train to Schliersee
It's overcast but dry as we set out for Passau. We head straight for the train station and Kay pushes enough buttons on the auto ticket machine to reduce the price from €90 to €26 for us both. ????, but no one questions it. A train change in Munich, which is full of revellers on this first day of Octoberfest - lederhosen and dirndl abound. Perhaps we'll come back later in the week with no bikes.
This detour is to take advantage of free accommodation in the Bavarian Alps at a RCI resort, we've given up 260 km of cycling to relax for 5 days.
Lots of riverboats restocking at Passau

Linz to Obernzell

80, av19, total 665
We skip along today, it's cold but sunny and there's a bit a tailwind, with rain forecast tomorrow. We travel through villages lined with fruit trees - apples and pears are all over the ground - past fields of corn, and along leafy towpaths. The gardens are full of dahlias, hydrangea, daisies, roses, sunflowers ... There are castles peeping out of the trees high on hills and hang gliders enjoying the perfect conditions. We criss-cross the Danube twice on tiny ferries, one has a piece of metal and a hammer to summons it from the other side. Each costs $2-3 including bikes - bargain. We are towed into town behind a couple who are happy for us to hang in and turn to check the pace is ok for us. 28, woohoo!
It takes 3 tries in this small town to find something Kay can eat, but it's very yum meat with a creamy cognac sauce and the local wine slips down a treat after a long day. We hit the sack at 8pm in our charming non-English-speaking €46 guesthouse.
We are now in Germany.

Mauthausen to Linz

40km, av15, 585

The rain clears overnight and our belongings are almost dry.
We visit the Mauthausen Memorial Camp. Awful.

Only a short ride today to Linz, another beautiful old city, where we are couchsurfing with Gerfried and Kristina.
As usual we find plenty to talk about, from kids to gardens. Kay and Kristina sing a song they both know, then soon perform a yodelling duet. Watch out Meg it may come your way! Gerfried takes us out to a film about a base jumping lady. Wow.

Ybbs to Mauthausen

30 km, av16, total 545

We leave after a hearty breakfast and it's drizzling. We ride 25km and it's raining. We cross the river to the train station, wring buckets of water from socks and gloves, and jump into the warm carriage. Enough, this isn't the Great Vic, we have choices!
We are in a comfy zimmer frei - private accommodation house - that's old and huge, and have a shopping centre and McD across the road. What more could we need?

Krems to Ybbs

70, av 15, total 515

It's a magic day and we dawdle through beautiful wine and fruit growing regions. We look at stunningly beautiful old buildings and chat. We have coffee. We have a picnic lunch. We remember tomorrows forecast is bad so we decide to push on. We take an unintended hilly detour. We arrive late and get the last bed in town. We really enjoy wine, dinner and a magnum (ice cream not bubbles!).....
A guesthouse again tonight.

St. Andrä-Wördern to Krems

60km, 17.5 av, total 445

Our lovely hosts feed us a delicious breakfast of birchermuesli - with homegrown pear and walnut, bread with cheese, ham, jam, apfelstrudel and pots of coffee. Kay manages to adapt to gf We waddle away from the table!
It's another beautiful day with sunshine and smooth paths along the Danube, through dappled-sunshiney woods and chocolate-box villages. Are we getting boring??
Our picnic lunch of ricecakes and pear with nutella never tasted so good. Tonight is our first guesthouse: €56 b&b which seems pretty ok to us.

Vienna to St. Andrä-Wördern

30 km, av 14, total 385

A beautiful days ride on a lovely sunny day. The bike path and new bikes are so s-m-o-o-t-h. We leave late, stop for a ?harvest festival with food, wine and music, and tour an amazing Klosterneuburg Alley. It seems that most of the area is out cycling, walking or celebrating on this gorgeous autumn day.
We couchsurf with Ida and Ferdyl in their lovely cottage, we are very snug on our attic room. It's great to stay with locals and learn about the area and customs.

Vienna Saturday

We visit a market, way too busy, then wander round the city centre for a bit. Beautiful buildings, beautiful people - Kay fits in nicely as she is wearing a scarf like almost every other woman. The arvo/evening is spent at a buskers festival watching some amazing and crazy acts. Our budget has been blown by the modest but lovely Hotel Donauwalzer so we are taking advantage of city freebies!

Vienna

Hello Cannondales.
Do you know how much you need to buy when starting from scratch?
Bike
Shorter headstem (for Ian)
Upgrade saddle
Pedals with foot cage
Bar ends, bell, mirror, computer
Head and tail lamp
Handlebar bag
Rear rack and panniers if your old ones don't fit (Kay's don't).
Pannier raincover
Stand
Pump
Bidon cages (they throw in a new bidon)
Locks (D and heavy chain)
Helmet
Previous bike purchases have involved an involved measure of angles and legs then lots of adjustment. Here it's a look-over and yep das ist gut.
After 2 days it's all finished. They look and feel great. The whole shop knows us and do what they can to help. The boss gives a decent cut. If you're ever in Vienna and need bike gear go to visit nora pure sports.

Budapest to Vienna

End of book 1 of the Danube Bike trail : Total 355 km, slightly less than expected. We've been on the road for 9 days with 3 rest days, pretty slack really but it is a holiday.... Goodbye Hungary and Slovakia.
We spend today in a blur of bike shops, emails and phone calls but finally all is sorted. The insurance claim is lodged and should cover most, and we pick up our bikes tomorrow.
We manage a quick trip into the beautiful city centre but will do 'proper' sightseeing when we return by cruise boat end November.

Bratislava to Vienna

By train

Well how do we say this? F-A-A-R-K. Our bikes are stolen. The chains were cut, from inside a locked foyer, the perps maybe shifty spivs from the pub next door. Luckily we have our panniers and gear. Poor Nina, our host, is more upset than us. The police come. We go to the station for interrogation/interview and copious amounts of paperwork. Thanks to Nina it isn't too traumatic cos she interprets. Off by train to Wien.
Goodbye Treks.

Hegyershalom to Bratislava

45km, av15, 355

It took all day to do 40km - we got lost a bit, we chatted a lot with people we met, we ate and drank, we skinny dipped in a deep, clear lake.
It's goodbye Hungary and hello Slovakia.
Nina is tonight's host, in a great flat close to town. Kay cooks dinner for the 3 of us, then Nina gets on with her fashion design work and we collapse!
It's raining, beautiful.

Komarom to Gyorujfalu

79, av17,total 245,,couchsurf
Again to Slovakia to enjoy the quiet roads. The villages we pass are small and immaculate. The signage is not so good here and we miss a couple of turns. It means we mix it with trucks for a few km. They are huge and scary, but polite - slowing down and giving us space.
Gyor is a large and beautiful city, but our sightseeing is limited to the view from the cobbled city square where we eat a magnificent fruit and icecream concoction. The waiter frowns regretfully when Kay hands over her GF translation app then thinks a bit. Without creamy stuff and wafer it is ok. YES. Plenty for 2 though all around are eating one each... We have a wonderful chat in Spanglish with 2 ladies from Buenos Aries who are amazed by our plans. Random meetings are great.
Tonight we stay 5 kms away with Laszlo, who has learnt his minimal English mainly from music - ac/dc and stones included! He has a dog and 4 lively pups. Kay cooks dinner using our supplies and some from his cupboard. We receive a visit from Krisztina's brother and manage to converse quite well. All is very good.

Gyorujfalu to Hegyeshalom

65 km, av16, 310

Off at 9 after Ian cooks breakfast. It's hot today -36*- so Kay strips to her sports bra. Too much muffin-top says Ian so bathers . Who cares!! another amazing ride on a path parallel to a mainish but quiet road, there is a freeway nearby for most of the traffic.
Everyone rides bikes, from tots scooting along to grannies, carrying all sorts of loads. Ours are apparently very good quality so are admired and asked about by other cyclists. Bike paths are also through all the cities, usually marked on the wide pavements - we love it.
We treat ourselves to a very expensive but very fine coffee at a restored manor. We sit in a cobbled courtyard in the centre of the 3 storey building, shaded by a huge tree. Viennese waltzes play from hidden speakers The elegantly clothed waiter manages to understand our requirements and brings our caffe latte. Honey, espresso, milk, espresso, froth, cinnamon, all in separate layers, a work of art. Nice. We sip and are glad there are no other guests to be insulted by our scruffy and probably smelly bodies! Remember Jess when we saw those layered coffees while with Penny in WA?
We stop at a city dominated by dentists. It is very close to Austria and Slovakia and for many years offered much cheaper treatment. Now it's the ?Swiss who come for dental-tourism. A holiday in luxury hotel, new crowns etc, and still cheaper than home. Their health insurance is happy to pay for the whole package. Perhaps we should investigate it?
Andras is tonight's host, an architect/student/lecturer. He shows us photos of some of his amazing design work and teaches us about Hungarian drinks!

Esztergom to Komarom

Today is a beautiful ride through quiet Slovakian countryside. It's hot and a slight headwind but neither are a worry, we love the fine weather. We recross the border to Hungary to our destination. We have coffee and delicious cake at a cafe our host has recommended, then take the waters at the local thermal baths. There we get chatting to a local man who is also on couch-surfing, another new friend. During our Turkish dinner we receive a text from our host - she is working in Switzerland so has arranged for her partners parents to let us into her flat. They travel 40+km to meet us. And bring grapes and wine. Her brother telephones to help with translation. WOW. Our small Australian gifts seem totally inadequate but are given and received with hugs.

Esztergom

A day off after 2 days? Why not, our bodies are grateful for the rest. We hang around the festival, buy a few supplies and do some paperwork? Datawork?
Last night's roving and dancing group are on stage and amplified. Amazing!!
We meet with friends of Torquay friends and have a great night. Lots of chat and beer, and all are flabbergasted by our proposed trip and accommodation options! Ian learns about Hungarian shouts. Egesegedre!

Szokolya to Esztergom Hungary

Today is a chilly and early start. We eat a delicious breakfast at 6am with our very hospitable hosts. They have been in their 100+ year old farmhouse for 10 months, and have extensively renovated it. The walls are 600mm thick so it is very well insulated against the freezing winters. We leave with fruit from their orchard and home-made palinka - for medicinal purposes of course! An amazing couple who will very special parents for their soon-to-be-born child.
A beautiful ride today along paths and through small villages, crossing paths with many cyclists going the 'right' way.
We meet an English teacher in the park who asks if we'll talk to her class. They ask lots of questions, and are then amazed by the weight of Ian's bike and laden panniers!
Our destination has a food and wine festival so we eat dinner and drink while listening to music, then ride home in the dark on the footpath, no lights or helmets, like naughty kids.