August 26, 2022
Day 4: EuroVelo 15 - the Rhine river (source to sea)
Oberriet to Friedrichshafen
After finishing my blog yesterday, I was joined at my shared table by a guy eating chocolate ice cream from a bucket. I immediately liked him, even though I didn’t see an extra spoon! This was Alois. Despite having a one-hour drive home in the dark if he stayed too long, he shared his time with me. We covered a wide range of topics, but his love for his country and his hometown of Briel/Brigets stood out. I had passed within a few kilometres of Alois’s hometown on my first day without knowing it. I also met Gosia from Poland, who has been to Perth, Australia, a few times and is heading there again soon. I convinced her that while Perth is okay, Brisbane, Australia, is the centre of the universe. A great end to my day - thank you, Alois and Gosia!
The benefit of travelling solo is that people are more likely to strike up a conversation. In pairs, people tend to avoid interrupting. Many have stopped to ask about my trip, offered advice, wished me safe travels, and even extended invitations to connect as I pass near their hometowns. I’m humbled by their generosity.
Today was my earliest start yet, just before 8:00 am. I returned my amenities key, retrieved my passport, and picked up some pastries for breakfast. The lady serving couldn’t use the EFTPOS machine, and since I had no cash, she gave them to me for free! The day was off to a good start.
I headed out, and the day began as it ended yesterday - riding alongside a motorway and the Rhine. I couldn’t see the river because of the train line! After a couple of kilometres, the path crossed over the train line and dike, so the motorway noise disappeared. I still couldn’t see the river as it was hidden behind another dike, but I had a view of lush green fields. The birdlife was amazing in the early morning light. I saw a kite, a falcon, and numerous smaller birds, who in turn kept a wary eye on the kite and falcon. There were many people walking and working their dogs on the lush fields. One woman was running with her two dachshunds, and I hoped the falcon hadn’t spotted them!
Cycling in the cool morning air was refreshing and enjoyable. Although I couldn’t see the river, I knew it was now bordering Austria, and I’d soon enter my second country of the day - only to finish in a third before the day ended.
Approaching Fubach, I encountered a road diversion and detoured through the village, which was a welcome change of scenery. I soon reached Hard, a small town on the edge of Bregenz, where I had my first look at Bodensee (Lake Constance).
The last few kilometres before Bregenz took me on a circuitous route through forests and parklands. I passed a couple of extremely popular camping grounds and hoped this wasn’t an omen for later - I’m not keen on crowds. The lake was bustling with activity - boats, kayaks, canoes, and plenty of swimmers.
Interestingly, after six days in Europe and seeing thousands of people, I’ve only seen one person wearing a mask, whereas in Australia, masks are still a common sight (for some it’s a fashion statement!). I do fear catching COVID on this trip. My timetable is finely tuned, and I can’t really afford to lose days. Fingers crossed.
Bregenz is the largest city straddling the easternmost banks of the lake. A month-long summer festival had just ended, and the temporary venues were being dismantled. The town was chaotic with detours, and my Karoo Hammerhead GPS was upset with the constant rerouting. The town was still busy, with people cycling, walking, and skating everywhere, so I had to take extra care. I had one close call when I passed a dad on his bike and began overtaking his young son, who looked to be about six. As I pulled up beside him, I jokingly yelled, “Race!” I heard his father call out something, which I assume was ‘race’ in Austrian (I’d crossed the border), because the kid sped off laughing. I played along, pulling up beside him, then letting him pull away, and so on. His laughter was infectious. Being competitive, I eventually overtook him and sped off. In the distance, I heard him crying ... (Don’t judge me - he was big for his age!).
The path for the next 9 kilometres to Lindau ran right along the edge of the lake. I was now in Germany, my third country in just a couple of hours. Lindau is a quaint, historic town with cobblestone streets that rattle your bones when riding a bike. I stopped for ice cream and to people-watch. It’s a very touristy town, and after the sixth tour guide waving a flag walked past, leading a group of tired tourists trying to keep up, I decided it was time to move on.
Leaving Lindau, the path led me uphill and down again, though nothing that made my legs scream. The route took me through small villages and towns, with numerous turns. I annoyed my GPS a few times by missing directions, and at one point, I ended up on platform 1 of a village train station!
I started thinking about accommodation but first focused on lunch. I’m getting better at feeding my body properly - staying hydrated and eating the right foods makes a huge difference in my energy levels (obvious, but still worth noting).
I stopped for lunch in Wasserburg am Bodensee and had spaghetti carbonara. Although I was clean, I could sense people trying not to get too close to me. I must look a bit grungy after days on the bike. Fortunately, the waiter had to get close enough to take my order.
I passed two camping grounds where I considered staying. Lake Constance is a tourist hotspot, and the season is unusually warm, so the camp grounds were packed. I rode on.
The next town, Langenargen, was my favourite of the day, even of the past few days. It’s a beautiful, touristy town with a great vibe - plenty of green spaces and eateries. I will definitely return one day if their tourist board invites me ... all expenses paid ... @langenargentouristboardarewonderfulpeople. That should clinch it. I was tempted to stay in Langenargen, but I felt good and hadn’t yet heard back from the tourist board, so I decided to push on to Friedrichshafen.
On arrival, as I pulled my fully loaded bike up in front of the Plaza Hotel Buchhorner Hof - yes, you read that right - a Mercedes pulled in. A well-dressed family of four got out. The wife spoke hurriedly to her husband, and he glanced at me before checking the name on the hotel. I’m pretty sure he thought one of us was in the wrong place.
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