Breakfast was early on the day we rode out of Waidhofen. After we ate we made a quick detour to Opa’s house to say goodbye to him. We took some pictures and he photographed us riding away. We took the same route out as we took in. It was a bit hilly at first, but flattened out toward the Danube. It was cold. We stopped at a little bus shelter to throw on more layers. We rode past Ybbs, the town we stayed in before, and rode to a tiny little town called Diedersdorf. There were no rooms available there so we had to ride on to Krummnussbaum where we found a place. Tiny town + early sunset = lazy evening in the hotel room. We cooked some food, watched TV, and caught up on journal ... read more

For the past week we've been pedaling along the Danube River, through nearly freezing rain and warm sunshine, making our way from our wonderful hosts in Kelheim, to Paul's equally hospitable family in Waidhoven, Austria. Here's a recap of our journey between: After saying our goodbyes to the Anzinger family in Kelheim, we rode off through the drizzle of rain down the Danube. It was cold that day. The light rain and cold air kept us from stopping. When we stopped we got cold. As long as we're on our bikes we're warm. At least until the wetness soaks through, that is. By early afternoon Sara's gloves got wet and she couldn't get her hands warm again. We decided to stop for the day rather than have her suffer the rest of the ride. Luckily we ... read more

We left Munich following the Isar river on its journey toward the Danube. This was a surprisingly beautiful ride. After passing through the heart of Munich our path brought us to the Englischer Garten. A giant public park right near downtown. The Englischer Garten is huge. Covering 3.7 square kilometers it is larger than Central Park in New York. As we rode we passed vast expanses of grass and beautiful wooded areas, all right along the Isar. After the park, the Isarradweg (Isar bike path) continued through a very large nature preserve. With no cars and just a few other cyclists and runners our minds just floated away as we rode through the quiet, peaceful riverside forest. Somewhere along this path we found a steep trail down to a seemingly secluded rocky beach on the river. ... read more

We left Baden-Baden heading somewhat South-East. Our path took us up the Steinberg, which was quite a climb. We spent about an hour pedaling up this hill before we saw the top. But it was so worth it! The view from Rote Lache over the little town of Forbach nestled in the valley was incredible. After a little rest we dove down the steep and winding road into Forbach, passing little farmhouses and huts and goats roaming the hills by the babbling brook. The road was so long and steep we had to take little breaks to rest our hands! Down in Forbach we stopped at a grocery store for lunch, and ate with a view over the creek and the surrounding hills. We took off toward the South on our way to Donaueschingen, the official ... read more

There´s a quote in the center of Baden Baden by Bill Clinton that reads, "Baden-Baden is so nice, you have to say it twice." Its a cute quote, but it doesnt quite convey just how "nice" it is here. Let me explain why this place should be re-named: Baden-baden-baden-baden. First of all, why did we decided to bike out of our way to Baden-baden? Well, of course, after viewing Rick Steves Travel Show in which he raved about Baden-baden´s Roman-Irish bath house spa. And since this city inspired writers like Mark Twain and Dostoevsky, we had high expectations for this city. We were not dissapointed. Here is why: A Long Awaited Change of Scenery Before we arrived in Baden-baden, morale was low after a few rainy nights and few deep inhalations of industrial fumes. We were ... read more