Two days down the Danube

Monday 28 May

Today started well with another  good breakfast in a slightly twee room in our beautiful modern hotel (Hotel Garni Jägerhof). The day should have been about 34km but, perhaps because the cycle path signs were not so comprehensive, we got ourselves lost leaving the lovely town of Scheer and again leaving Mengen. I’m not too sure how much extra distance we covered but by the time we arrived at our accommodation I was tired hot and sunburnt.

We are staying in an old Cistercian monastery. It is a big complex and our room is above the cloisters. The church is still in use and while the cloister has been converted into a hotel and conference centre other buildings house museums, restaurants and private residences. The place is set in extensive grounds with tended gardens and a camping area.

The only drawback is that it is some distance (7km) from the Danube and the cycle path.

Tuesday 29 May

About 45km again today and after four days my bottom has taken an aversion to the bicycle seat, mind I have only one more days riding to go so I think I’ll make it.

Today was much more straight forward and we didn’t manage to get lost at all. We criss-crossed the Danube sometimes riding across open farmland, with crops alternating in straps and no fences, and sometimes in more remote areas. A highlight for me was passing several small hydroelectric power stations most with a fall of less than 2 metres. They cannot produce much electricity and they are quite large installations but it’s obvious here that they are happy to have many sources. Over the last few days we have passed many solar farms one today was 8 hectares and capable of producing 15Mw, or at least that’s what we deduced from the sign in German,

Lunch today was at Munderkingen where we were served by a young man who was excited to discover that we were kiwis because he had travelled extensively in NZ. He took the photo of Gordon and I together. 

Tonight we are in Ehingen in a nice old hotel in the centre of the town.