Drifting Down the Danube on High Chi

Well this is the first of my blogs for my current pedalling trip. This time in Europe, cycling along the Danube from Regensburg in Germany to Budapest in Hungary, with Austria in between. I have given myself 5 weeks so I won't be on any real time agenda and can linger or move onto other areas before heading back to Frankfurt to fly home. I may end up in Slovenia, Belgium or Holland...it all depends on how the time spans out and what takes my fancy.

The flight wasn't so bad. It's still a bloody long way and loads lots of CO2 into the atmosphere. With a two hour wait in K.L, I had time to adjust a bit. It felt like travelling on the plane for the day, spending the evening in an airport and then sleeping the night on the plane- and so my normal rythm wasn't too mucked up.I pulled the bike out of the box on my arrival at Frankfurt airport and my back wheel was stuck & it appeared that the gear hub was bent. And so started a bit of a funny trapse around the airport, which is huge and on several levels, dragging my lame cycle around. If only I had known, as I found out later, in Regensburg, that it was just my mudguard jammed down on the tyre which I had done myself in packing!

The train was super fast and efficient- no graffiti scratched on the windows or train staff being beaten up as is happening on the Gawler line at the moment in Adelaide. Largely the trip was through rolling country side, pine forests and quaint towns with a change of trains at the infamous Nurenburg. Regensburg is everything I had hoped it would be for my introduction to Europe and my cycling trip. At the railway station there are two bikehaus (read bike shops) on opposite sides of the road. I had my rear hub gear spindle straightened ($18). I spent the afternoon wandering around the town photographing the extensive collection of street stencils while others were facing the other way photographing the 14C Dom (read cathedral) or the 12C stone bridge which spans the brown, not blue, Danube. The bridge is medieval and the knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the river on their way to the holy land. The sense of history resounds and surrounds. With the active student representation here it has maintained its integrity as an old town that is lived in rather than as a theme park. I was concerned that this trip may be just looking at pretty villages. Tourists blend in rather than dominate too much and everyone speaks German but apoligizes when I can only speak English. Well of course they all speak German but so do all the tourists as well! I'd forgotten they drive on the 'wrong' side of the road as well.

I haven't felt jet lagged, just a bit tired at times but a quick nap fixes that although I did find it hard to work out what year it was when I filled out the YHA form and got half way through cleaning my teeth before I realized that it was shaving cream! The first settlements at Regensburg date back to the stone age. Since then it has seen the comings and goings of the Romans, ruling families, princes, 150 years of the Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire. The stone bridge across the Danube opened major international trade routes between northern Europe & Venice which started a golden age as a city of wealthy trading families. Regensburg unlike almost all other major German cities, received little damage from the air raids of World War 2. The medieval city centre is intact and now listed as an Unesco World Heritage site. Narrow winding streets are cobbled and lure me down them to dicover the ever present graffiti sticker and stencil work- some of it creative. "Money Mouse" with $ in his eyes appear everywhere as does "Stencil Love" depicted on a stylish flying saucer. The "You can't stop us" and "Don't think twice..Vandalise" cheekily challenges authority with triumphant fists raised but does not have the scare factor of "Nazis Rule". I love the one of the old lady with graffiti texta and paint roller in hand with something like "She's too fast for You". "When was the last time you did something for the first time" is a thought worth consideration.

The weather is perfect autumn with brisk mornings full of sunshine moving into quite warm as the day progresses. Shorts & T shirt are OK. Fluttering leaves move past my face and occasionally get caught in my front wheel, clicking frantically, until I pause to remove them. I stayed 2 nights at the YHA- extremely well run in an old several storied building ($50 a night) with a lovely bright eating area overlooking a treed garden. Breakfast is included and is sumptuous with several meats, cheeses, rolls/breads, jams, different types of yogurts, mueslis and fresh fruit. A huge breakfast and a little pilfered for lunch makes it reasonable accomodation. I have a single room with my own bathroom. I discovered a wonderful middle eastern take away where I went for tea after having a stein of beer in a biergarten (as you do) overlooking the old town and the everpresent Donau (read Danube). ($4). I got talking to a man from Kuwait who was buying some food for Ramadan. He has been here for several months to support his mother who is having knee replacements. Regensburg has a sister city relationship and is renowned for its joint operations. They seemed relieved to hear I was Australian rather than American as they first thought. Several people have given me this impression. It's nice to know we haven't spoilt our international reputation completely yet. When is the election? The owner who is from Iraq was appreciative of the Australian presence in Iraq who are supporting his three brothers who are in the military attempting to stabilise the country - good luck! I was appreciative of the Kuwaiti guy who paid for my Felafel Roll ($4) as an act of pure kindness.

It is cycle heaven here with cycle ways absolutely everywhere in shared foot paths. Cycles are definitely not 2nd class travellers. In fact cycles rule with signage, bike traffic lights, gutters that always dip for easy access and ramps for getting up stairs, cars giving way to bikes and giving good clearance, etc. It is very safe and helmets are not necessary. Huge 'bike parks' instead of car parks are a novelty.... for me anyway.

On my 2nd day here I followed the YHA warden's instructions to get a view over the town. The hill is covered with natural decidous forest in autumn colour with a myriad of winding walking paths. I have a feeling of everything being good in the world and a glimpse of what life could be like outside ordinariness- things cared for, people naturally exercising into old age by walking and cycling, the environment considered as precious rather than something that is ignored or worse, exploited. I think I have must have high chi and that all my Sheng Fooee is in alighnment with my planets.

Love Pedallingpete

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