Saturday - Awesome valleys; 14 August 2010

Greetings to all, it has been a truly picturesque (malerish) day. Pardon my German but I am trying learn, so I will use a few words with some translation. That will help me on my trip as I can use tonight's words with the locals tomorrow. Of course they will correct my pronunciation (Aussprache). Which is a good thing. Do you know you can click on the pictures for a larger view. If you see one you like please click on it. This is a passage way carved out of rock near Gutenstein in the Donau Nature Park. Most of the day was spent traveling in the Nature Park.

I left Tuttlingen about 8:30 to make it to Scheer (about 65 km) by 2:30. Funny thing about all of those good plans and intention. I had my first fall with a knee abrasion. I now have a nice bandaid. Unforunately it is plain, I wish I had a decorative one, you know Hello Kitty or such. My chain came off the sprocket and I was cliped into my pedals. Boom, down went Bob. There also was a head wind most of the day.

The trip started off level with lots of people on bicycles going both ways (not that there is any thing wrong with that). I have learned to spot the English speaking riders. They have front saddle bags and or front rack. The Germans do not have front racks as they tend to use a modified mountain bike with shocks for touring. I thought that was an interesting observation. I talked with a lot of people today, the most interesting was two couples from Itlay (shown on the left). We played leap frog on our bicycles. It was nice having a familiar face or two from about 30 km. 

The landscape was totally awesome. I took many pictures. Way too many to post here. The valley had many rock clifts on both sides. It was about 35 km long. It had a long of up hill and down hill. I got passed by many old ladies and small children. I had no shame.

After the narrow valley, the road leveled as a couple from Australia told me it would. The major last hill was at Nickhof, the location of a Closter. The Radweg went straight through it. It also offered rooms in  the monastery for tavelers to stay for the night.

 As I came to the larger cities, all along the river people were camping and canoeing. They kept calling me a Hummel. Very strange indeed. Sometimes it was accompanied by laughter.

I finally arrived at my destination The Donaublick Hotel in Scheer. It is a very nice place and the people are wonderful. I had a great meal of roast lamb, with greenbeans wrapped in bacon, fried mash potato patties, and a cauliflower heart with a cream sauce.

Of course I had a beer or two, Paulander Dunkle Wiesenbier. It was probably the best meal I have ever had traveling. Tomorrow is forcast for 100% rain all day. I do not know what I plan to do. Till then.