Regensburg to Straubing What a week: - from the sublime to the not so .....
Regensburg to Straubing What a week - from the sublime to the not so ..... 58 km A messy morning cleaning up the aftermath of the storm.... everything was muddy and wet...including our bike. The rain was a surprise. The previous day was sunny, no humidity and the prediction was for clear skies. Well, that was wrong. Recumbent bikes have lovely comfortable seats that absorb water like a sponge. The seats had been covered, but we hadn’t used the tarp - so we had wet seats to sit on. It’s a bit like slipping into a cold wet bathing suit. Not the best start. The weather has definitely changed to colder temperatures and very damp in the morning. We bundled up and headed off. As we approached the village of Donaustauf, we could see an odd and impressive site on the hill - Wahalla - a replica of the Parthenon built by a Bavarian Crown Prince in 1842 to honour great Germans. We have become used to seeing Roman ruins and Castles, but Greek replicas are new. We discovered an exceptional bakery/deli/shop in a small village, Frengkofen off the trail. The day was cool and blustery, so we needed a hot cup of coffee and something sweet. This shop rivalled anything we have seen in the city and was the hub for its small community. The heavy artisan loaves are sold by weight and people come in and buy bread, meat and cheese in small quantities. My vanilla slice and Barry’s raspberry topped pastry were probably the best we have had so far. The route is now following a much wider and busier Donau compared to the quiet meandering stream we saw at its source. Stopped to watch the boat traffic and we met a couple who were from Comox on Vancouver Island. They were also retired teachers and were on a 5 week trip and riding to Budapest. We have met few Canadians. The short cut to Worth at Kiefenhoz is a good paved route and gives a nice change from the river. We were hoping to camp at Straubing but the site was infested with mosquitoes -so we moved on to check out the Youth Hostel. The facilities are housed in a very old house with modest amenities. But the real problem was the unfriendly nature of the man who checked us in. He spoke no English and seemed very annoyed by our presence. Nonetheless, the price is right (40 euros including breakfast), our own room and it is too late in the day to look around. This youth hostel has more signs telling us what not to do than we have ever seen. Should be an interesting stay.
What an interesting bridge this is. There are colourful locks attached to the chain link celebrating a relationship.
German yards are so tidy and beautifully landscaped - they are also often decorated with humorous additions like this couple who gave us a laugh as we rode by.
As we stopped by the river, this couple stopped for a visit when they saw our Canadian flag. They are retired teachers from Comox, Vancouver Island and are riding to Budapest.
I have been mystified by the corn fields in Germany as we have watched the corn left on the stalks to dry out. We realized that as part of Germany's commitment to eliminated their dependence on oil, farmers are being encouraged to grow corn for fuel. The sad thing is that we haven't seen corn for sale to eat.
