June 2, 2008
From Bobingen to Gunzburg: On the way to the Danube
Again we have beautiful weather. In the morning a refreshing breeze is blowing us along, later on it's just hot. We leave Bobingen to the west, have two pesky hills to climb before we reach the stream which we can follow to the north to Anhausen and Gessertshausen. This is all familiar terrain from our first visit with Martin.
Leaving Gessertshausen we enter new territory. Our route takes us through small villages and over many hills, longer and steeper ones are still to come later on in the trip. Riding through the villages, we often search for bakeries and shops in vain. They have been forced out of business by larger chains in shopping centers, an unfortunate development we witness time and time again in Germany and later in France. This means people have to get in their cars to go shopping and the towns have a sort of dead look, nothing going on, no one out shopping and stopping for a chat with a neighbor.
In the largest of the villages we pass through, we stop at a butcher's for a hot sandwich of Leberkäse on a roll. Leberkäse isn't really made either of liver or cheese as its misleading name would have you think. It is a kind of mixture similar to what hotdogs are made of, baked in a loaf and cut in slices. It can be eaten either warm or cold, preferably with mustard, and is very good, especially when home made by the local butcher.
Small shops might be dying out, but the tradition of setting up a new May pole every year is very much alive. The tradition goes back to the 16th century and the customs involved vary from region to region. A tall straight pine tree, stripped of its branches and festooned with wreaths of branches and ribbons, is set up in the center of town to symbolize the advent of spring and new life.
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Around Munich the pole is painted in the Bavarian blue-and-white diamond pattern, here the bark is cut away in elaborate designs, each village's pole is unique.
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The sun gets hotter and the hills seemingly steeper as the day progresses. In Burgau we get off track and make a detour which takes us too far north and east. This we try to correct by cutting across the fields on bumpy dirt paths rather than retrace our steps to where we would find the right turn-off. Interesting how one loaths to backtrack even if the alternatives are more tiring or uncertain. But with Janos's GPS and good orienteering skills we make our way to Rettenbach and Günzburg, our goal for the day.
Günzburg, situated on the Danube, is a market town with a long history. In 1760 it was put on the post route between Paris and Vienna, which undoubtedly contributed to its prosperity. The facades of the historic market square have been perfectly restored - Renaissance, Baroque, Rokoko.
The town sees a fair number of tourists, many of them cyclists, and is equipped for them with many restaurants and hotels. We find a room at Hotel zur Traube, very comfortable and with wifi. The place is run by a friendly Croatian woman and the restaurant serves great food, too. Giant servings for our giant appetites.
Today's ride: 68 km (42 miles)
Total: 139 km (86 miles)
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