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 [View Full Entry]

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Now that we’ve finished our five-day stay in Waidhofen an der Ybbs, we’ll offer you a glimpse into our marvellous visit! Sorry, there aren’t any juicy, thrilling details from such a quiet little town. But after a long week on the road, that isn’t such a bad thing. It’s hard not to feel relaxed in this beautiful town nestled in such a picturesque river valley. And the kindness and hospitality of the people here, especially Paul’s family, made us feel right at home. We fell right into a routine: breakfast with a smile from the kind lady at our hotel, then [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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After 8 days or so in Kelheim it's about time we share what we've been up to. The Anzinger family, being so kind to offer us a room in their house, have been exceptional hosts, and we can't begin to share our experiences here with them without first thanking them for their hospitality. It's been so great staying here with them. Thank you so much Albert, Rosemarie, Albert, Anna-Lena, Matthias for welcoming us into your home for the last few days. We also have to thank Antonia, Albert's girlfriend, for showing us around Kelheim as well, and for making us a [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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After spending the larger part of the week lounging around camp by the zoo in Munich, Paul's knees feel better and we are ready to get back on our bikes and head to the Danube. (Cautiously of course). But what have we been up to here? That's a good question actually. It seems like we haven't done much and it's nice for a change. But I feel the need to fill up this page more than four lines so I'll share some highlights: 1. Hanging out at camp reading The Omnivore's Dillemma, a very interesting book that we highly recommend, every [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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Well not really. But we do have some bittersweet news for you. After some somewhat strenuous riding through the hills of the Black Forest Paul seems to have acquired some sort of overuse injury in his knees. Some google searching of the symptoms told us it could be Iliotibial Band Sydrome. While not life threatening it is certainly bike tour threatening. However Sara, having been cautious with her surgery knee, remains in good condition. We have therefore decided, with much fretting and disbelief, that we have to rest. So we bought a couple of train tickets to Munich and we'll spend [View Full Entry]

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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. [View Full Entry]

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After another wonderful hotel breakfast we made our way out of Mannheim and on towards Baden-Baden. Though it would take us a few days to get there. Day one out of Mannheim took us along dyke paths and muddy forest roads. We rode through on and off rain showers as we navigated the bike path signs southward. The riding was relatively uneventful. We rode through the somewhat boring, flat river valley mostly without any interesting scenery. The forests were pretty, and the distant hills of the Schwarzwald were nice to see when they showed themselves. The views were mostly uninspiring. We [View Full Entry]

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