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It was great to cycle with Michael, but our average speeds were not in synch and I was now covering around 21KM per hour and really wanted to get some KMs under my belt after the past few days of rain induced pit stops. The accommodation last night was spot on however and gave me chance to get everything sorted, cleaned and stocked up on healthy stuff for the road. Every now and again it is worth having a decent room to stay, I find. We swapped numbers & I set off to have a quick look around Linz in daylight. I wanted to try out and some Linzer torte, a traditional Austrian pastry of shortbread, fruit and nuts with a specific design on top named after this city. Its not really my kind of thing, but when in Linz and all that.... I had also wanted to visit a traditional tea room which I had heard was a thing, but at that time in the morning, all were shut. But I didn't care, I was in an amazing mood, the sun was finally shining, I had a super healthy breakfast, everything was clean and dry and being Austria, the road conditions were perfection. I crossed over the bridge (spying a much more funky bridge to my right, which I found out later was the newest bridge over the Danube and was just a few days away from its official opening) and turned right to follow the river and immediately came to the Skulpturenpark which had some great stuff in it. Particularly striking were mournful, serene and haunting statues of monks placed on the banks of the river and in boats overlooking the city, part of an ongoing art project by the Austrian sculptor Manfred Kielnhofer called Guardians of Time. Striking, I thought, especially given the proximity of the concentration camps of Mauthausen and Gusen nearby. I have been to Auschwitz and these camps are such depressing places that I intended on giving Mauthausen a pass. However a couple of things changed my mind; firstly a message from Bram who said it was an extraordinary place and then secondly, as I cycled in the general direction, I came across another striking installation by a local artist Rudolf Burger. This work consisted of six concrete posts surrounding a concrete ashlar which was joined by thick chains to a couple of the posts, and in the centre of the block was a bowl with grooves. The whole installation stood on a foundation of concrete and steel. Drenched in symbolism, the concrete posts resembled posts that held electric wires into which POWs were forced to run or were pushed when at the camps themselves, whilst also evoking the feeling of incarceration, as if the posts were claws clasping a prisoner who is in chains. The granite block at its centre resembling a sacrificial site where thousands became victims of a murderous insanity. The bowl with its blood groove representing dissection tables whilst simultaneously acting as a focal point for the blood and tears of the victims. Honestly, you could interpret this monument to death, no pun intended. It was chilling, oppressive, brutal, and uncomfortable. An information board explained that it was there to remember the inmates of Gusen camp who were forced to build the adjoining bridge and railway track to transport both POWs and vast amounts of granite which were to be used in Hitler's building projects at Berlin and Nuremburg, and a local stopped to show me the direction that the train tracks went though a local wood (at least, I think that's what he was telling me) So what if it meant that once again I didn't get to cover so many KMs. It is important not to forget those that suffered, so I decided to make the detour. At a gradient of 14%, it was a hell of a climb up to Mauthausen and I walked a fair bit of it. As with Auschwitz, it looked weirdly rather pleasant from a distance. They info desk were very helpful and allowed me to leave my bags with them, so I downloaded the accompanying app and went walkies. Main things that struck me - the infirmary camp used to accommodate sick prisoners who were no longer able to work and went there to die whilst alongside was a recreation ground used by the SS for their own fun and relaxation. Imagine being out there enjoying yourself being overlooked by people who were dying in the most horrific circumstances. Then onto the quarries (Mauthausen was there to mine granite for Hitler buildings in Berlin and Nuremberg) where inmates had to carry granite blocks up to 50kilos up the quarry steps to the camp, known as the stairs of death. Horrible things like prisoners being lined up and each one had to push their neighbour off until there were none left; those that were pushed over were colloquially known as parachutists. One of the most moving and breathtaking parts of my visit was to the Memorial Park, which had been constructed on the site of the wooden accommodation blocks destroyed by the Nazis themselves at the end of the war in an attempt to cover up the atrocities that had occurred there. All countries who had citizens that had been sent to the concentration camp submitted extraordinary monuments that covered the entire area and these were all just unbelievable in both their scope and originality. I could honestly have spent an entire day just wondering around these installations alone.... Then onto the various barracks, the area where Jewish prisoners were kept, the electric wire fence reconstruction where prisoners were forced to run into the fence and burn to death slowly. The same as Auschwitz, the ovens etc. I must have spent about 3 hours, but I got a feel for it. After a while in these kinds of places you become desensitised to the death and like I say, it is all so clean and neat nowadays that it is hard to imagine the unending roll calls in all weathers, the disgusting sleeping, living conditions etc. I had a coffee and a cake and used the super sparkly, clean bathroom and imagined what an inmate would think of the facilities nowadays in comparison. The rest of the afternoon was very pleasant. Coasted the Danube on the Northern Austria side all the way to the small town of Wallsee, crossing over on a small ferry at one point to the Southern Austria. Wallsee was dominated by the tower of a Schloss Wallsee, an impressive and now privately owned castle. It was around about this point that I somehow deleted the google maps icon from my phone, which was annoying but all I had to do was keep following the river which I did until the next attractive town of Grein. I absolutely loved this part, wow these road surfaces are astounding and the river was flowing full and fast. Grein had a pretty location with nice views over the water and windy atmospheric streets in behind, although there were also huge trucks that whistled along as well. I set up my tent in the local campsite and got chatting to a friendly French chap who had been cycling Ukraine. The campsite was OK, but I realise that although it looked lovely, the huge trucks whistled close by and it was in fact earsplittingly loud. Still, I figured it would be fine later as I was sure the trucks wouldn't be flying through there all night, and I was right. I decided to eat out as the town looked so pretty in the early evening light and I had still knocked off a fair distance as well as some top quality sightseeing. The restaurants were full of tourists on their river cruise boats which had docked in the harbour. Cruises are never something that has never remotely appealed to me in the least, but I have seen quite a few such boats on the Danube around here and I can see the attraction. Maybe one day when I am older and I can't cycle a few thousand KMs.

When will this rain ever end? Another night of downpours and it is mentally draining. The route following the Danube is breathtaking and the roads are like velvet, I would just prefer that the weather would behave itself and we get to see some ray of sunshine and enjoy it at its best. I had planned to leave earlier than I did, but the rain just wouldn't let up. I didn't so much pack as just shove my sopping wet tent into a pannier and get on with it. Michael felt much the same way, although he had been out on the lash big time last night and was taking forever to get it together this morning. I was in no rush though as I sat in the grey and overcast marina having a cup of tea. In the end we decided to cycle together again and finally set off mid morning. We were only planning to get to Linz which was 40KM so it shouldn't take too long. Although it did take us longer than expected as we took an additional 10KM detour after missing a sign telling us that the road ahead was impassable and chose to ignore a lovely lady who shouted out after us trying to explain the same thing. It isn't the first time on this trip that I have come across signage explaining that the route is inaccessible when in fact you usually can make it through, but not on this occasion. There had been a rockfall or some such event and as we were attempting to carry our bikes through a tiny gap, a couple of security guards came out and told us to go back in no uncertain terms. Rather sheepishly, and about 45 minutes later, we cycled back past the lady who had helpfully been telling us not to go any further and then take a small ferry that had been set up to cross over the river so that we could continue on the other side. Whilst waiting for the outrageously expensive boat to arrive (the operators clearly had a captive market here), I bought the world's most expensive reheated frozen pizza as we chatted to the enterprising Austrian lady who spoke perfect English with an American twang, having spent several years in New York. It must have been strange to come back to living here, I thought. Nothing on earth farther from New York, but she had obviously spotted an opportunity and she was so pleasant, it didn't matter a bit. Michael was great company, I have to say. He had been on a couple of cycle trips and had a much more pragmatic outlook on everything than I did. It was great to have the company and we stopped off along the way, myself rather more keen than he to sample some of the over-the-top pastries in the pretty village of Ottensheim. As we approached the outskirts of Linz, the view turned to uninspiring to say the least. We followed a cycle path along the main road which was unending works. Michael's bike was in need of attention and as we stopped off at a cycle shop, I realised that I had a couple of broken spokes myself, not surprising when you think I am 98K and have two heavy panniers to bring along as well. Whilst waiting for the guy to fix us, we found some student accommodation which doubled as a hotel which was bliss. I took my sopping wet tent down to the basement drying room, bought some actual washing powder and washed all my dirty stuff in an actual washing machine and then we set out to find something to eat. It was pretty late and things were closing, but Linz did seem like a nice enough town and we found a decent enough restaurant. Great nights sleep and it looks like the rain may be abating tomorrow, so good times.

Torrential rain throughout the night and the ground below was sodden. Once again, I am so grateful that my tent is such a good quality one because inside, everything is completely dry. The forecast for today was also pretty grim but I have now found a great weather app called Weather Radar which is scarily accurate to within 15 minutes on what is happening weather wise. I can't believe I have never heard of it before. However there is no way I am going to stay in Passau for another day, as lovely as it is. So I packed up, waited in the dry restaurant section for an extended break of an hour where there would be no rain, and took the plunge. Destination Linz, only 85KM. I bumped into Michael as I left and we both set off down route 130 and within minutes we had crossed over into Austria. We only knew this from google maps or Kamoot. No big fanfare, no signs at all and all we could find was a weathered statue of some king holding Christ on a cross by the side of the main road, so we took some pics. Even in the crappy weather, I was so happy to get country number 6 under my belt. I was starving hungry so we stopped off for a plate of ham and eggs, always a perfect breakfast food I find. And onwards we went, past the small but atmospheric Pyrawang branch church. We spent the morning ducking in and out of various logging contractor work sheds or indeed any place when a downpour started to happen. Michael was an expert in predicting weather patterns, being from the west of Ireland and along with Weather Radar, we dodged quite a few super wet bullets. But no denying, it made for a grey day. Fortunately the road surface was amazing and this is something I will always remember about Austria. It really has THE most amazing roads and cycle routes, in perfect condition. Given the dismal weather, we abandoned the idea of making it to Linz and tried to find accommodation. We went through the village of Wesenufer which would have been idyllic in any other conditions and although there were loads of places, everything we tried was shut. We pushed on, determined to take the first place we could which was more of a leisure park with camping attached called Freizeitanlage Schlögen. The only rooms available were super expensive for what we needed, but there was space to camp. We only had about 20 minutes before the next downpour to get our tents up in our allocated space and needless to say, we were the only people camping. Still, the place had a decent bar and restaurant overlooking a marina. That night we ate at the restaurant which was surprisingly good and I had my first bottle of the local wine, a cheeky Grüner Veltliner to accompany a hearty meal.

Slept well and up early, packing all my stuff up but leaving the tent up which was handy as it torrential rain started to hit and it was forecast to remain that way all day as well. As I was sitting in the covered restaurant area deciding what to do, I got chatting to Michael who was the first English speaker I have met thus far since Alan. We both decided it was a wash out, so I decided to just stay another day in Passau. The campsite was at the base of Saint Georgsberg mountain. At its summit was Veste Oberhaus, a 13th Century fortress which served as the Bishop of Passau's palace, but now was an open air theatre / museum / youth hostel with a viewing platform and generally just a landmark of Passau. More recently, it was here that the Hitler Youth used to congregate which I find a bit creepy. Anyway, we decided we may as well shoot up, take a look and the views were indeed pretty awesome. Then we headed back down hill to check out Saint Stephen's Cathedral in all it's fabulously over the top baroque swirls and curls. The interior was off the scale and I remember how Simon had mentioned it had been (still was?) the largest church organ in the world with close to 18 000 pipes, but sadly noone was playing. Still, definitely worth the entry price, I thought. Good to do a bit of sightseeing with someone else and to finally get a bite to eat in a decent place with company. Weather wise, it cleared up during the middle of the day and then night-time brought more downpours, but as nice as Passau was, I was not intending to spend another day there tomorrow so it had better dry up.

I have decided to stay put for the day, not least as Passau looks like an interesting and attractive town and it's about time I took a day off and be good to myself. I was still smarting from the battery being pinched and Bram came over to my tent and gave me some omelette for breakfast. Immediately my mood lifted, it's the small and kind gestures that make all the difference. He was off again today but we took each other's numbers and continued to text for the next few days. I love how you build up a network of cycling buddies who share info as they go. Not quite sure how it all works, but you tend to bump into the same faces every now and again, either when you all go at different rates. It also makes you feel connected, important as a solo cyclist, I find. First stop, electrical shop at the local MediaMarkt where I stocked up on a new battery pack and a couple of cables. Then to the supermarket where I stocked up on ingredients for a cracking lunch chez-moi, cycled around, stopped off for coffees, back to the tent, did some proper washing and chilled. My tent is on the banks of the river Ilz, a tributary to the Danube so great for a quick dip. Later that afternoon, I took the bike out again for another spin around the town which is another Bavarian belter. I swear to God, you could take a picture of any building here, slap it on a box of choccies and you're good to go. I had a beer and looked for a nice restaurant to eat, but as I was on my own and it was a Saturday night, a lot of the decent looking venues were not interested and were all booked up. Have to say, that wasn't a great feeling but it's not going to bring me down. However the campsite restaurant was OK and I had a regular old spag bol to keep me going. Exchanged pleasantries with some others at a nearby table and then spotted the same dodgy looking characters from last night, and wondered if they were coming back for some repeat business.

I felt a sense of achievement waking up to my peaceful lagoon view. No denying I was hungry, but it was only a short 20KM to Straubing. In comparison to the recent stunning Bavarian towns, the place was unspectacular and the only thing of note was a decorated clock tower. There was a market on and I stupidly got ripped off spending 2€ on two apples at the market stall. Completely my fault, but I just wasn't thinking. Next stop Deggendorf, an uneventful ride with nothing of interest, as indeed was the town. Got chatting to a nice guy cycling to a wedding in Budapest outside the Marina's International liebensmittel shop, and sent a message back home to Marina. Pushed on to Passau and after the drabness of the earlier cycle, the route into town from Windorf was nothing short of magical. The light was amazing and the Danube flowing freely and I just kept bursting into song as I flew along. Passau lies at the confluence of three rivers and the road layout was very confusing and it took me ages to get to the Ilzstadt Camping Ground. I had covered a decent distance, buoyed up by the fantastic final part of the cycle and went up to the campsite restaurant where I bumped into Bram again. We sank a few beers and I left all my huge battery charging overnight. I woke up in the middle of the night to go pick it up and someone had stolen it. I was absolutely furious, not least as there is an unwritten expectation that you can leave your gadgets safely. Very unsettling to think that some of the regular camping community would be a thief, but upon reflection, I am pretty sure it was an opportunistic thief from outside that had been visiting the pizzeria. I definitely spotted a couple of dodgy looking types earlier in the evening.

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.

Well this has been a terrifically unexciting day of cycling. Simon left for work early and I set off about half an hour later. I stopped off via the main square of Marianplatz which I remembered from my interrailing days over 40 years ago as having some very touristy bells that rang on the hour and did something special. The square was packed with tourists at just before the hour clock, all of us looking up in expectation at the church tower for the magic to begin. It was OK, I guess. Took the train back to Ingolstadt to continue on from where I left off yesterday. 32KM of flat, uninteresting landscape with the usual endless stretches of corn fields with a few peaceful stretches of Danube and a some woodland to break the monotony. I guess everyday can't be fireworks and champagne, right. A few confusing signs along the way and I practice some mindfulness mediation to get me through. I arrived at my campsite for the night at a rather peculiar place called Bad Gögging. A pretty expensive place with an exceptional shower block, which is what you pay for I guess. Reminded me of a scene in The Shining. Pitched my tent by the main road but overlooking a small pond which was pretty pleasant, although again my thoughts turn to mosquitos. I have a real urge for a glass of cold white wine, but nowhere to find or keep it and I can't make myself understood with the lady at reception to ask if I could put a bottle in there for later. My neighbours were a French couple that are going in the opposite direction to me and have already been on the road for 3 months. Healthy dinner of wholemeal pasta with smoked salmon and crème fraiche, which would have been a ton easier and cheaper at a restaurant. As the sun descended, the place looked very inviting. Nothing to see, do or go anywhere so I just hole up in tent and read until the light fades and then, sleep.

The rain hammered down last night, biblical in its ferocity and just so fantastic. I am absolutely loving the whole camping thing and the more elemental the weather, the more of a rush and get from it. It certainly makes a huge difference having such a top notch tent and I remained as dry as a bone throughout the deluge. It will mean a bit of a soppy wet start the next day, but so what. One thing I now realise is that the key to keeping condensation and a drenched flysheet dry is to keep it open throughout the night which allows the air to flow. Simple, although given the downpour last night, everything was still pretty well drenched when I started to pack up. But I have a well oiled system now that allows me to keep all my other gear dry and separate from that which was soaked, so all good. The campsite looked so lovely as I got up, I thought the evening light was unbeatable but there is nothing more wonderful than a hot sunny morning after a super wet night before, the smell of petrichor was a sheer joy. My neighbour, who was called Brum (definitely not the right spelling, but sounds about right) went for a quick dip in the lake although I was not tempted. Another cycle tourist, who appeared from nowhere late last night, was busy laying his tent out to dry and we got chatting. We were taking different routes and I never got his name, but he had terrific energy about him. Another thing I now realise, the cycle touring community is an energetic, lively, welcoming and wonderful one. I have been neglecting my tyre pressure and even though I had my bike looked over in Stuttgart, I could sense that my tyres were in need of a pump. Maybe its an air pressure thing with hot weather and rain that requires additional pumping. There was a bike shop in town but it didn't open until 9.30, so I shot off into town and installed myself in a cafe and had a massive pretzel with coffee. The town of Donauworth was yet another pastel coloured, chocolate box extravaganza, not such a bad place to wait for the shop to open. Tyres sorted, and I was off; next stop Ingolstadt. Flat and uneventful ride, endless fields of corn. As always, I got a little bit lost but as I was looking for directions a kindly, elderly man on a bike stopped to clarify that the river bifurcates and pointed me in the right direction. Tons of lagoons which of course meant a feast for mosquitos who have really taken a shine to my exotic English blood. You gotta move fast and once you stop, the plague descends. No amount of deet will do it. As I shot along, I had some choice tunes on the speaker which kept me company. I followed the path along a dam and stopped to call home to Ingrid, just to share the moment with a friend, really. And then as I followed a curve on the river, BOOM!, the magnificent Residenzschloss Palace came into view. I had arrived at the town of Neuburg an der Donau and again, I was blown away by how damn pretty it all looked. I think my parents had actually visited this are on their honeymoon and it was breathtakingly beautiful. As it was lunchtime and I was peckish (I'm always peckish), it seemed like the perfect place to stop and have a beer and bite to eat. I stopped at a café square overlooking Hofkircde Church and as I was sitting there, Brum turned up which was just perfect timing. A great lunch and then afterwards, we took a look around the church and lit a candle for missing loved ones, in my case my mum. Sadly we didn't get to see the stunning ceiling frescos of Schlosskapelle church as it was closed for works. We parted company at that point as I was aiming for Ingolstadt, home of Audi (I feel like I am doing a tour of all the major car manufacturing plants in Germany) and he was aiming further south. Conditions were perfect as I cycled though sun dappled woodland, past the very Bavarian Grünau hunting lodge and lots of long, well paved tree lined paths. I had a good friend Simon who lived in Munich, which was only a train ride away, so I sent him and an email, text message and another one to his sister in the UK to say I was in the hood and could I pop over. I haven't seen him for a couple of years and I realised it was very last minute, so wasn't holding out much hope but within about 20 minutes, he called me and said to come over. Fantastic! I love it when a last minute plan comes together. A couple of hours or so later, there I was at Munich train station with Simon waiting to greet me. We went back to his place where I met his lovely girlfriend and we decided to crack off to a local bierkeller where we gorged on lots of meaty stuff with sauerkraut and massive beers served by the most buxom, blond haired and super lovely waitress complete with a richly coloured voluminous dirndl and a delicious twinkle in her bright blue eyes and blond platted hair. You could not have asked for anything more perfect, and you just knew that she could quite easily have held 8 steiners in both hands without batting an eyelid. So happy to spend time with such a good old friend, so last minute, so utterly and completely wonderful. This trip really is turning into the trip of an absolute lifetime. I notice that my post about Blenheim has gone down very well and I suddenly realise that I have mistakenly posted it to my regular Facebook account and very few people realised that I had embarked on this trip in the first place. I had rather enjoyed not letting everyone know, to be honest. If felt like a really positive thing, to disconnect with social media and life in general, but now the cat was out of the bag. No problemo. Lots of bells ringing, but as a campanology afficionado, Simon explained that whilst it sounded great, it was nothing compared to the complexity of bell ringing in the UK. You live and learn, eh!

Fantastic, a thunderstorm early this morning. Not huge, but enough to enjoy the sound of rain on canvas and the odd fork of lightening and rumble of thunder. Not sure if it woke me up or I was awake anyway. Two girls in the tent next to me. Honestly, a whole massive field and they decided to pitch next to me, but they were laughing so much and having a great time that it really didn't bother me at all. I started getting up around 6.00AM and the flysheet was, of course, sodden. I was on the road by 8.00AM and the time I got to Gunzburg, the clouds got ominously ominous and I thought I heard a rumble or two. But joy of joys, in front of me were the golden arches of McDonalds and I stopped for breakfast and battery recharge (literally). McDonalds is not my usual restaurant of choice by any means, but sometimes you just want a frothy cappuccino and bacon sandwich. I think I may have mentioned this before, but the WiFi is always so good there that I now actively look out for a McD around breakfast time. I waited for about half an hour for the storm to break and added a huge slab of chocolate cheesecake to my bacon sarnie, why not eh! Another thing that is so great about cycle touring is that you can eat anything. The storm didn't materialise but whilst perusing the google maps, I realised I was not following the Danube, so I doubled back on myself, via an Intersport where I bought cycling glasses (important after having some bug flew into me yesterday which was painful) and then I bought some hard core face masks. Bavaria is a place you don't mess around when it comes to facemasks and my cute little fabric ones just don't cut the mustard. Next stop was the achingly picturesque medieval town of Lauingen, entering via an enchanting tower gateway. It was straight out of a fairy tale with stunning fachwerkhaus (half-timbered houses), an impressive town hall and the famous Schimmelturm tower from 1478 with painted depictions of events and people related to the town. One of the most important people was a Albertus Magnus, a scholar in the 1200s who navigated the tricky task of combining the teachings of Aristotle with the beliefs of the Christians. He went onto become a saint and there is a statue of him in front of the town hall. I stopped off in one of the welcoming café terraces to bosh a slice of prinzregententorte, a layered chocolate cake that was a signature thing of the area (did I mention that you can basically eat with impunity when you are covering several thousand miles on a bike). I really love how these buildings are painted in such gorgeous pastel colours and as I was taking some pictures, a local guy on a bike stopped and explained that they were built by a v famous architect. At least I think that is what he said. I was feeling good and really wanted to get some distance under my belt as I set off for Donauworth which was 40 KM away. Not spectacular views it has to be said, just endless cornfields but I was super happy to find myself in the village of Blindheim. At first sight, not that inspiring but I suddenly realised that this was the German name for Blenheim, which of course peaked my interest as it was the sight of the famous Battle of Blenheim fought as part of the War of Spanish Succession in which our very own Duke of Marlborough fought. The result of this victory included not only securing Vienna and establishing the Treaty of the Hague, but also gave Marlborough the right to build my second most favourite stately home of Blenheim Palace back home in Oxfordshire. Incidentally the only palace that has never had royalty living there (Chatsworth House is my most favourite stately home, in case you are wondering). I found the rather non descript monument to the battle situated right by route #16, and made a short video which I uploaded to my Hamills of London Tours page. I always find it a bit odd when visiting battlefields that are so calm and tranquil now, but the scene of such devastation at the time. Covered in corn, farmers say that they still come across the odd bone or two when ploughing the fields in preparation for the growing season. I pushed onto my next campsite for the evening, the Kanu-Club Camping ground on the outskirts of Donauworth. It was situated on the banks of the Wörnitz, a tributary to the Danube and a good spot for eel fishing apparently, or so a group of hairy bikers told me who had all set up camp there for a long weekend break that obviously had continued on into the week (it was a Monday). They were a really friendly bunch who were all good mates and laughed uproariously throughout the evening. I set up my stove, had my dinner and as I was finishing up, a very fit, well equipped guy on a bike turned up and set up next to me. I was very impressed at all his kit with modifications on the handlebars to hold maps and it turns out that he was just on a short week long trip and had the whole cycle touring thing taped. Including notorious and delicious looking food, it has to be said. Put my miserable lentil and tuna dinner to shame. Really am going to have to rethink this whole eating thing.

After these wonderful few days, I was really looking forward to getting back on the road again - refreshed, revitalised and with a tuned up bike to boot. My plan was to return to Ulm by train and cycle to a rather lovely sounding campsite in Leipheim. It was a sunny and hot Sunday and there had been a train strike, so wasn't sure what to expect. But I left with the most expertly packed panniers, so easy when you are dry and inside. Getting to the train station was easy but getting a train was not. For the first time, I got into an angry altercation with a train guard, which I found a bit unsettling when you are being shouted at angrily in German and made me think of WW II movies. I missed the first train, so I took the second and took some pics of a rather large chimney with the word Dick down it, I'll never fully grow up when it comes to childish toilet humour. Due to the strike, I had to stop off at a grim little town called Goppingen and then take a replacement bus to Ulm, but timings were not great and I decided to just cycle from there towards the campsite which was only 60LM away after all. Not a nice route, following a motorway all the way, but still preferable than hanging around and changing onto buses. I noticed a huge cross high on a hill, which I think was The Birkenkopf, an artificial hill built from the ruins and rubble from World War II. After a couple of hours and some pretty intense climbs where I had to walk the bike, the clouds started getting ominously dark and accompanied with rumbles of thunder. I took refuge in a bus shelter and kept dry as a the rain hit, texting Alan to compare 'getting caught in the rain' stories. Memories of the awful day when I got caught out at Kaiserstuhl came to mind, which I did not want to repeat so I checked out local accommodation and found an OK sounding hotel and set off. It seemed like forever with threat of a massive downpour and I was a tad worried when I saw flashes of forked lightning in the distance and then the clouds lifted and the sunshine blasted through, dazzling and as bright as could be. So I pushed on through to the campsite after all and got there just as the reception was closing, which would have meant me ending up with a free night accommodation I guess as I was going nowhere else that night. The campsite had loads of amenities including a couple of lakes and a farm, which would have been great for a swim but at least there was a passable restaurant where I devoured some flat sausage and chips kind of thing washed down by beers. Felt a bit lonely but nothing too bad and rang some friends back home. That night was a torrential downpour which did wake me up, and I loved it. Wow, nothing beats the sound of rain smashing into your canvas. Prior to this, I was so happy that the hole in the tent had been fixed as conditions were perfect for the mossies and I would have been ravaged alive.

Wow, this apartment is gorgeous. We are in the middle of a mini heat wave and it is as cool as can be. The garden is shady, serene and as tranquil as can be although later on there is a huge family gathering nearby but it sounds very welcoming. They all shout hello and welcome in English as I pass by; it feels great. Today was all about exploring Stuttgart with Irina which I find out is home to Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Bosch. That's why there are so many of them driving around. First stop was to the market on Konigstrasse and then for a plate of maultaschen served in the traditional way with potato salad and cheesy pasta / macaroni at Alte Kanslei in Schillerplatz with the Kings House to our right. Quick look at the Altes Schloss or Old Castle and then over the road to the cultural quarter based around Schlossplatz with its Neues Schloss, fountains, museums and central column statue, the equivalent of Nelson's Column back in London. Stopped off for an ice cream that looked like spaghetti (but that is where the similarity ended) and cappuccino. One quick look at a camping shop (rude not too) and home, via Market Halle which is a huge foodie market. That evening we met up with a friend of Irina's at a jazz music gig. Jazz is something that can really annoy me, but this turned out to be fantastic. The venue was perfect, an outside garden belonging to a church full of lovely people, with a cool vibe. It wasn't so much the music, but the perfect weather and the overall situation that was perfect. The concert was a new initiative called Cultural Bio that the vicar, a very un-vicarish lady said (I think) was all about opening up the garden of the vicarage in times of Covid for those that didn't have an outside space so people could meet. Just a great day with a good friend in wonderful surroundings. I will always have great memories of Stuttgart.