June 3, 2008
From Gunzburg to Sussen: Sweet, a piece of cake - well, not really
Today we feel really slow. Janos woke up with a near-migraine and had spent a bad night. Outside we have grey skies and a few drops of rain when we leave the hotel. On a cheerier note - the breakfast at the hotel was perfect and our Croatian hosts again charming.
The weather has turned around, as has the wind. Our helpful tailwinds have become frustrating headwinds. But even more frustrating than the wind is the steady climb, very gradual, imperceptible except you don't know why every turn of the pedals requires so much effort. It isn't until kilometer 45 where we start going down down down that we realize that we have been climbing steadily since the start.
The road out of Günzburg takes us over the Danube on a temporary bridge for cyclists and pedestrians, as the road itself is under construction. How thoughtful not to send us on a giant detour. We then have some gravel sections and a few kilometers of road with too much traffic but soon return to idyllic countryside and views.
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The nicest part of today's ride is through the Lone Valley. Lone not as in the Lone Ranger, but Lone as the name of a river. Actually, we are alone in peaceful surroundings, with all shades of green as far as the eye can reach.
Towards the end of today's ride we pass through Geislingen, home of WMF, Würtemberische Metallwarenfabrik (German Metalware Production Company). Due to the presence of the factories, there is a large foreign population here. We see the women sitting in the square in front of the church industriously knitting and watching the children - while the men pass their time in the cafes eating ice cream and drinking coffee. Hmmm ...
There are some nice traditional facades in the old part of town and we discover one of the largest half-timbered houses in southern Germany. However, even with the help of the GPS we are not successful in finding a hotel. On to the next town.
On a lovely bike path in the Fils Valley we reach the towns of Kuchen and Süssen. Where did they get these names? Kuchen means cake and Süssen sweet. In Süssen we find a hotel.
Today's ride: 63 km (39 miles)
Total: 202 km (125 miles)
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1 year ago