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Published: April 12th 2013
RTW Trip Germany
Beautiful German villagesMy journey continues and since my last blog I have crossed the border from Germany into Austria. Throughout the cycle ride I have been privy to some fantastic scenery, met some fascinating people and have enjoyed some great experiences along the way.
My first tales are really about the people you meet along a trip like this. I will leave the mixed sauna story till the end.
I have been very fortunate to have resided in some wonderful places since leaving Portsmouth on 1 March. One such place is a youth hostel in Germany called Saldenburg castle, quite close to the Austrian border.
Having introduced myself to the Youth Hostel Leader she told me, that for mealtimes, I could sit on a table with a young Lady and her daughter rather than sitting by myself.
The following morning I clambered over the bench and sat myself quietly down opposite this young Mother and her daughter. We made polite conversation and exchanged names. Her name was Patricia and she and her daughter were staying at the youth hostel for the week.
We continued with our pleasantries and she asked me how I had slept. I told her
that I had slept very well apart from a loud bang at around 5 o'clock in the morning.
She responded "The earth moved for me last night" "Oh did it now?" I replied. She said that it was the second time that she had stayed in this hostel and the last time her bed had moved all by itself.
I didn't really take too much notice; the rest of the conversation appeared absolutely fine, she too appeared quite normal, but before we went on our own ways, Patricia told me that she wanted to show me something that evening. I of course said yes.
That evening, whilst minding my own business, Patricia approached me with a 3 page letter. It had been written by one of those paranormal psychics who scour round castles looking for ghosts and apparently the very same castle in which we were staying was some form of gateway to another world for knights who had died in battles gone by. Attached to the letter was a post-it note advising Patricia not to lodge at the castle on future occasions.
Having already booked myself in for a further day's rest and not easily
spooked, it was quite surreal listening to this woman telling me all about this haunted castle. She certainly appeared normal in every other way and unfortunately nothing moved for me in the night, although till this day I still don't know what awoke me on that first morning.
Also whilst staying at the castle I was very fortunate to bump into a guy called Harry who is in charge of Fulda kayaking club. Again I was minding my own business, when he and his kayaking coaches invited me to join them for a birthday celebration drink. A bottle of fizz was opened and before long we had also downed a few bottles of beer.
The evening was going well and then Harry asked me if I would like to accompany Fulda Kayaking club on its early morning run. Not wishing to turn down such a generous offer, I gladly said yes, although things like that always roll off the tongue easier when you've had a beer or two.
Anyway, as promised we all met up the following morning, bright and brisk and went for a run through the forest followed by stretching exercises. Fulda kayaking club teaches
RTW Trip Germany
Me with Wuerzburg castle in the background kids from the age of 6 upwards to go down rapids in quite challenging conditions and it has already produced several world class champions in specific kayaking categories. Harry and his coaches strongly believe in all round fitness and discipline and it was a real pleasure to accompany the coaches and the kids on their early morning run.
Following breakfast, I was also invited to witness the kayakers on the river and I was given the duty of manning the safety rope, should anyone capsize on the river. With the river flowing reasonably fast for that time of year, it wasn't long before my heaving line throwing from past days was put to good use, as a couple of the kayakers capsized in the freezing water.
That evening we assembled for more drinks in the Youth Hostel and Harry and his team taught me how to pour a "wheat" beer correctly and we also sampled some nice Schnapps.
Having attempted kayaking myself and failed miserably, I take my hat off to the children and teenagers who train with Fulda Kayakaing club, but especially to Harry and his team for being so motivational and inspirational.
Another person
RTW Trip Germany
Fantastic architecture everywhere I met on my travels was a German guy from Rostock called Jahn. He approached me from opposite directions on the cycle path carrying his hand made rucksack plus two other bags. After a brief introduction it turned out that he had been hiking through 7 different countries for the past 7 years. He only camped wild and never on campsites as they were too expensive for him. He said that he earned his money collecting old plastic and glass bottles for which you receive money in many european countries. Shopping in Aldi was an impossibility,as it was too expensive, but on occasions he treated himself to a shopping experience in Lidl. An interesting character, he hopes to write a book on his return, although a bath will be in order before then!
Another person I met was a guy called Renee,who it turned out was the first German person whom I had met who had managed to escape from East Germany to West Germany before the wall came down in 1989. He managed to escape only two months before the border officially opened, travelling from East Germany to the Czech Republic and then onwards to Austria where he
RTW Trip Germany
Jesus on the cross can be seen at most villages throughout Bavaria was eventually handed over to the Red Cross. A risky business at the time, he and his car were repeatedly strip searched at the borders and only by convincing the authorities that he was a staunch communist was he able to successfully escape to freedom.
Well at last Spring appears to be on its way and my feet no longer feel like a set of golf clubs. In fact yesterday was the very first time that I could cycle with just a T-shirt on. Only just two and half weeks ago whilst cycling downhill en route to Wuerzburg I literally had to stop every 2 minutes to try and warm my hands back up. I can honestly say I have never been so cold in my life, not even on diving course.
Cycling long periods every day, gives you plenty of time for contemplation but also awakens your senses to things that you may have ignored for such a long period of time, such as a woodpecker giving it oodles in the forest or simply birds singing away as you follow one cycle path to another. Also little things, that you wouldn't normally bat an eyelid to can
RTW Trip Germany
A bike rest with benches and table and chairs make you chuckle to yourself, such as the oldest fattest dog on earth appearing to have swallowed a viagra pill when a hare came in sight or a young child attempting to catch a chicken with a net.
In one Youth Hostel in Bavaria, which is staunch Catholic country, a Gentleman in his late twenties turned the sound off on the telly when a couple were making love on a TV programme. At least he didn't change channels.
Despite having navigated with GPS in both my previous jobs, it never seems to get easier and when you are cycling rather than using power a mistake can be rather costly. So far my GPS has led me up dead end streets, over golf courses and through ploughed fields. My longest cycle so far has been 156 Km (approx 94 miles) and riding down a path not knowing whether you're going to get through at the very end and a distinct possibility of a 10 km diversion is not something you glean for at the end of a long day.
Whilst on the subject of golf courses, I saw a new sport in Austria for the very first time
RTW Trip Germany
At the beginning of the Mainz-Danube canal the other day. Frisbee Golf is the name and in effect, the players tee off using a frisbee instead of conventional golf clubs and balls. On reaching the green there is a net through which they must throw the frisbee. Some players were carrying dozens of frisbees in their bags and it seemed a very serious sport by all accounts.
Just under a week ago I arrived in Linz, the fourth largest city in Austria where I would stay with my cousin's boyfriend Thomas. He suggested on the first evening that we should attend the mixed Sauna. Being a British Gentlemen I hesitated for a few seconds before saying "of course". Us British are rather prudish when it comes to showing off our bits. You never know what might happen at the most awkward of times and one mustn't embarrass oneself. Already I had visions of absolute babes walking around starkers.
Of course, my naval training had many a time put naked training into practice, such as Trafalgar Day in St Vincent with HMS GRAFTON Wardroom, naked sword fighting with a birch stick in the fountain in Arnhem with a fellow Naval Officer (who is now in a
RTW Trip Germany
The beautiful city of Bamberg great position of authority and whence his name cannot be published on this site - you know who you are!), The Garden of Eden pub in Key West (downstairs is a normal bar, upstairs everybody is naked) and of course the Naval game of Naked Bar, however the big difference with this was that I had been intoxicated on all of these occasions.
This mixed sauna malarky would be enjoyed during the day without a sniff of beer.
Anyway we drove into Linz and ordered our towels. An electronic gizmo let us in and out of the sauna establishment. This was not your run of the mill sauna. This was high tech with bits and bobs everywhere. My friend Thomas stripped bare. I hesitated for a couple of seconds before removing my underpants. Already I was thinking, please God do not embarrass the nation.
We calmly walked to the mixed sauna area. You must always shower before entering the sauna. I quickly glanced around, so far so good. Whilst showering a beautiful woman walked by. Quick, think of something else..... Father Christmas, anything. She was gone in a second... phew!
And so we entered the first
RTW Trip Germany
More views of Bamberg sauna. No darlings in here, but an enormous heat emanating from the coals. Here in Austria, everything is tightly regulated. You can't just walk in the sauna at any old time. Timings are a must, and the "aufguss" when you pour water over the coals is also tightly regulated. I wasn't too aware, but it became apparent as the day wore on.
5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes....I'm sweating like a Royal Marine in a Maths test and already wanting to dive out the door, but you shouldn't really do this as you destroy the air which has been building up within the sauna for the past 20 minutes. I'm looking round at the other Austrian men in the sauna, thinking "don't let yourself down boy, they'll think your a pansy".
Anyway one of the Austrian Gentlemen stands up and I'm thinking "yes.... fresh air quick", but no......instead he picks up the wooden spoon and starts pouring water on the oven coals. 1, 2, 3,......I feel like I'm going to hell 4, 5 unbearable. I suffer the heat and then after 4 more minutes I come out like a prune.
We go to the shower to cool
down. In the corner is a lady in her 80s. She only just fits in the shower cubicle. And then some noise comes from her direction. I don't know if it is the water pipe or whether it emanated from the Lady, but my visions of a mixed sauna were seriously dented from then onwards!
My friend Thomas, looked after me admirably throughout my stay in Linz. A tour of the city, the mixed sauna of course, a hike up a mountain and lots of great food, cake, coffee and beer. What more can you ask for? I also had great pleasure in meeting his great friend Kurt, a talented artist who also has " a brain the size of a planet" when it comes to historical information and who also has the most amazing collection of German wartime memorabilia. The three of us met up and had a most wonderful time together drinking beer and eating delicious food.
This morning I arrived in Vienna where I shall be spending the weekend. I hope to visit the Spanish School of Riding in Vienna amongst other things and Spring definitely appears to be on its way. This morning, I
bumped into Dirk and Anita, two German cyclists who were returning to Germany from Budapest and who had before then cycled from Alaska down to Panama.
The adventure continues next week, firstly cycling to Bratislava in Slovakia and then onwards to Budapest in Hungary. Hopefully I will not be stung for another £450 by two good looking girls when I visit the Hungarian capital this time round!
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Andy
non-member comment
Kayak, saunas, ghosts and a bike.
Clive, Good to hear of your adventures - keep the dits coming. My life in a blue one seems dull compared with yours - not a mixed sauna or ghost in sight! Stay safe, Andy