Andy Sangster's solo cycle world tour continues through Germany and Austria.
Day 4
I am now in Konigswinter in Germany after two nights spent with my cycling friends in Antwerp and Aachen. The cold wind was a bit kinder to me today, it's still coming from the north east but I started to head south en route here through Bonn. The pic attached is from Bonn Minster where the sun was shining a little, but it's still cold setting of in the morning.
I did around 110 km today which was a bit less than the 130km on each of the previous two so I had time to see a bit of Bonn and Konigswinter before getting some nice food and an early night.
The cycle has performed well and Steve Ettridge will be pleased to know the wheels are ok so far!
Day 5
Day five was 130km from Konigswinter to Limburg an der Lahn. I followed the Rhine all the way down to just south of Koblenz passing through the vineyards and some really cool looking villages and then picked up the river Lahn up to Limburg. This was a lot further than my planned route but was recommended by the hotel owner as its more or less a cycle lane all the way. There was a few times during the day when I missed the little green cycle sign that I was wishing id stayed with my original plan but it was a nice scenic route with a few hills thrown in. Tomorrow I'm heading to the east of Frankfurt to a place called Mullheim am Main as I'm being hosted by a cycling friend and his family through www.warmshower.org.
I've had the last two nights in a hotel and Saturday and Sunday I'm being hosted so if the weather picks up next week I might get the tent up.
Day 6-7
I am now in Wurtzburg in Bavaria staying with a cycling friend. The sun was out all day for a change so hope that's a sign of things to come and I might even get to camp next week on the Danube. Had a great stay in a town called Mullheim an Mein on the outskirts of Frankfurt and stayed with Oliver Daniela and family. They made me feel very welcome and even let me have a go on one of his many recumbent bikes. He has so many bikes his garage is like a cycle showroom
Tomorrow I'm off to Nurnberg so should be an interesting place to visit.
Day 8
I am currently in Nurmberg after a bit of a slog from Wurtzburg against the wind which hasn't been around much in the last few days. Nurmberg is a really nice city with an amazing old town and the youth hostel I'm staying in is one of those old buildings. I paid out and got a meal at the hostel went up 3 times for main meal and starter and had about a dozen jam doughnuts!
Breakfast is included so it will be the same again tomorrow morning!
Day 9
I am now in Regensburg, Bavaria which is also a really smart city. They seem to be able to preserve the old important buildings and every town here has an old town separate from the new. I'm heading into Passau tomorrow on the German and Austrian border where I've managed to secure a night in someone's house. I will then follow the Danube to Bratislava where I will have my first days off since starting in Cleethorpes on the 1st April!
Day 10
I'm now in Passau on the border of Germany Austria and Czech Republic. Today was a nice steady ride along the Danube from Regensburg with the wind in my sails for the first time my average for the ride was 24kph! Passau is where the Danube cycle pathway starts and goes a long way down its path into the Black Sea in Romania. I'll be having a few rest days in Bratislava which is in Slovakia and is just beyond Vienna. That will be my first rest day since leaving from Cleethorpes on April 1st. So it will be plenty of rest, a few beers and a lot of food. And a bit of tourist stuff.
Day 11
Just made it to Linz which is situated on the Danube cycle trail after a really scenic ride from Passau. I'm going another 30 km along the river to find a camp site and get the tent up for the first time so far.
Please donate to my Just Giving page for the NSPCC, www.justgiving.com/andysangster1.
