Overall impression of Bad Gögging is not great. First time I have not been able to get a wink of sleep, due to an ear splittingly loud party going on in one of the houses opposite the campsite, with hard core, full on heavy metal music. I am used to living in central London and nothing usually wakes me, but I cannot believe how loud this was and how long it went on for. At least a couple of hours and the next morning, I asked the French couple next to me about it and they said they hadn't heard a thing. How was that even possible?
On top of that, the campsite owner was the most miserable woman who I reckon took a dislike to me and certainly did not hide her feelings. To be fair, another woman turned up who was much more pleasant when asking about directions to get out of there. The name of the village really made me chuckle; whilst it was certainly bad, I can't vouch if there was any gogging going on...
Stopped off for a coffee with an equally grumpy shop owner but then things got much better. Nice cycle along a path and as I turned the corner, I came across limestone gorge which was impassable on a bike. I need to cross the Danube.
There were a couple of options, the first was a one man operated cable ferry which pulled you across the ferociously fast flowing river, or the second was a much more relaxed and comfortable looking passenger boat which took you directly to the village of Kelheim over 4 KM away.
I opted for the cable ferry as it looked much more fun, although upon reflection the boat would have afforded me better views of the gorge. I also realised that by taking the cable ferry that I did, I missed out on visiting Weltenburg Abbey which was an interesting touristy looking place that had some wonderful frescos, food stalls and beer drinking options - it was also a brewery after all.
Still, the cable ferry was fun and during the 3 minute ride, I watched 3 young ducks swim like mad against the current in an effort to get to their pack and it was quite comical. They gave up. I hope they all reconnected later though. One thing for sure, you wouldn't stand a chance if you fell in.
As I got off at the other side, I had to make my way up through some very pleasant woodland where I got some great views of the monastery, at least.
As I got nearer to the town of Kelheim itself, there were quite a few walkers out enjoying the nature and I soon realised that the town was a tourist attraction with all the associated amenities.
I pressed onto Regensburg, stopping off at a riverside restaurant beforehand where I wolfed down a big old wiener schnitzel which everyone else was eating, so figured it must be good, and it didn't disappoint when did finally did arrive.
Regensburg was a major centre at the time of the Holy Roman Empire and the dazzlingly pretty buildings and maze of small streets certainly reflected this; a knock out Cathedral, the 900 year old stone bridge (I think this may even have been the oldest bridge across the Danube, although there are most likely several claims to this title), the corn market and old Town Hall to name just a few. I wasn't getting very far today, but I was having a fab day and decided to stop off for a coffee and slice of lemon cake.
An expensive day of eating, but as I didn't really have a budget - that would have approximated to planning for this trip, which I clearly had not done - and have decided that cooking for myself is a waste of time, time to change my plans and focus on enjoying food rather than just eating healthy lentils etc for fuel. From now on, I will have an emergency tin of tomatoes, tuna and couscous and that’s all. Hallelujah!
I could easily have stayed overnight here, and upon reflection I should have done. It's about time I had a night in a hotel I reckon and it was getting late. But instead I pushed on and in the distance appeared Walhalla.
I had heard about this place, a German Hall of Fame built by Kind Ludwig I of Bavaria to celebrate famous Germans, built in the style of the Parthenon. It loomed larger and larger the closer I got to it and I would love to have climbed the hill and explore. However it was just about to close so I didn't have time. I wished I had planned this a bit better, should I return the 45 minutes to Regensburg or aim for the next campsite which was an hour and a half away. If I went back, I could come visit at 9.00am the next morning, or just push on. Decisions decisions and in the end, I decided to push on.
However I it would be getting a bit dark by the time I got to Staubing so I decided to just wild camp. I haven't done that yet and as I was not hungry, hadn't really sweated that much and the weather was set to be fine with no rain, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to do so. I cycled on, keeping my eyes open for a suitable stop and I eventually found one beside a small lagoon, hidden from the main road behind a clump of trees near to the town of Pfatter.
I was actually pretty nervous setting up the tent, and completely shattered too as I had covered quite a lot that day. My first thoughts were that someone would move me on and I was too tired to pack up and set off again, but as night descended it got easier. I keep hearing strange noises and the odd car in the distance, but it was fine although I didn't sleep brilliantly as I had put the tent on a bit of a slope, stupidly.
But I got through the night alive, with no nocturnal visits by wild beasts or the bogeyman and it was a terrific feeling to wake up alone and with a beautiful setting to boot. Loving the early morning noises of animals on the lagoon.
Nature sure is grand. Right, time for a slap up breakfast in Staubing, I reckon.
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