Basil - Vienna 13 Days 1082k

Chocolate Beer Chocolate Beer and Schnitzel

Basil, Hoentengen, Randeldorf, Hausen in Tal, Ulm, Neuberg, Rosenberg, Dengendorf, Engel Hartzell, Lintz, Tullin, Vienna

The first ride though Swizterland was hilly. Switzerland was very clean, very beatiful and very expensive. A snickers bar was 3 euro so there were no coffee breaks until we reached Germany. Switzerland has amazing bike paths. Often it would be a road just set aside for biking and there were many Swiss out on their bikes.

Sometimes you meet new friends on bike paths

We crossed from Switzerland to Germany back to Switzerland and finally back into Germany to camp. There was a day off so it was a BBQ, beers and a swim in the Rhine - cold but not too bad.

Then back onto the bike for the final part of Switzerland

The bike ready to go and loaded with a baguette

Lake Constanz is in the background on the right. We started from the lake in the morning and by two were at the top of a very large hill. It was the biggest climb so for that lasted for around 10k. It was a big day but on the way down I set a new speed record on the bike and I was using the breaks to slow down.

The Germans are very efficent. There are 34 different places listed on the sign post.

Southern Germany was very beautiful and there was some great scenery and some excellent riding in the sunshine.

I had broken the 500k in a week barrier!

In Ulm the festival on the Danube was taking place so the Eurovelo 6 track became the venue for dinner and drinks. We camped at a Canoe club just 100m from the site of the festival.

The 2000K mark on the Danube.

Sometimes it rains and it rained a lot in Germany.

Some German pub food for the World Cup semi final

German sheep

Coffee and cake in Neuberg.

We took a ferry through the Danube gorge. This was only about 8km but it took out some very large hills that we would have otherwise had to climb.

We camped next to group of Swiss school kids. They were about 15 years old and were doing a 12 day bike trip doing 100k each day. Lucky for them they didnt have to carry and gear.

This was the cossing point from Germany into Austria - a power station. There were 3 flights of stair to get the bikes up down.

Arrival into Austria.

There were 3 boats needed to follow the track.

The city of Linz.

Vienna! After 46 days on the road I get to sleep in a bed, have a shower without wearing jandals and catch up on some sleep.

The last 13 days with the Margeaux, Pierre and Vincent have been a blur of biking, camping rain, storms, amazing scenery and many many laughs. There have been breakfast beers, so many cups of coffee and a few times that I didnt think I could keep up with them.

I have biked further and faster than I thought was possible and I have had an incredible time doing it. Its a funny thing riding a bike. You forget the pain and suffering that goes into getting from A to B and only remember the good things.

I have been very fortunate to share the last few weeks with the 3 French and I have learned a lot from them.

So tomorrow its onto Eurovelo 9 to the alps!