8/20/2014 - Tulln to Vienna - The last ride of the trip

Today we left our riverfront hotel in Tulln on our last day of riding headed for Vienna.  Because we wanted to see the abbey in Klosterneuburg and ride down the island in the middle of the Danube for the lead in to Vienna, we had to do some backtracking which we didn't mind at all since that just meant that we got to do some extra riding.

We started the day along the South side of the river with an occasional drizzle a couple of times for the first 45 minutes with a temperature of about 63 F and no more rain the rest of the day.

In Klosterneuburg, when we bought our tickets for the guided tour of the Augustine Abbey, they informed us that the next tour wasn't going to start for another hour so we took the opportunity to eat our lunch that we had packed in the morning.

The baroque abbey and abbey church were beautiful, but we especially enjoyed seeing the original Verdun Altar.  Hard to believe the age and condition of some of the artifacts we are seeing here.

After the tour,  we pedaled back up the river near Korneuburg, the city of Pied Piper legend, and crossed to the North side of the Danube at the dam to continue back toward Vienna.

The path led us onto the island in the middle of the Danube, which is car free and great riding.  After riding about 10 km down the island, we came to the bridge that we wanted to use to cross the Danube and we entered the city around 6 pm.  The hotel was not easy to find,  but the Open Source Maps for Austria which was loaded on the Garmin bike GPS prior to the trip, provided street level turn by turn routing to the hotel.  The GPS once routed us on a one way street the wrong way (which we graciously declined) but overall it did a good job of getting us to the hotel.  Along the major streets in Vienna, there are dedicated bike lanes that are separated from cars.  On these major streets, the bike lanes are half of a wide sidewalk with the other half for pedestrians - both of which were clearly marked.  

Maneuvering a tandem in a city during rush hour over unfamiliar streets, an unfamiliar route, and on an unfamiliar bike path structure was a bit of a challenge.  For instance, there were separate turn lanes in the bike path and dedicated bike lane red lights.  The Venicians are serious about their biking.    

We had to have the bike back to the destination hotel by 8 pm with all of our equipment removed.  We made it to the hotel with ample time to remove our equipment from the bike.  While Sue checked us in and started shuttling our bike bag contents to the room, John removed the seats, pedals, and bike GPS.  

We were a little sad to be leaving our KHS Tamdemania behind, but at the same time glad that we were at the end safe without any problems (save the broken bike chain a few days back that the Euro Bikes tour company came out and fixed right away that night after we got into town).

We got all cleaned up and went out for some late dinner.  There was a good wood fired pizza oven place just up the street where we had a great dinner.  While translating the ingredients on the pizza menu, we noticed a theme.  Quite a few pizzas had corn on them.  I can't say I've ever seen that ingredient listed on a pizza menu before (and we've eaten a lot of pizza) but what the neck, we tried it and the pizza was very good.

Today we rode 71 km over the following route:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1PQcHyIo4PBVGtWUllZb2taNFE/edit?usp=docslist_api

Tomorrow starts a rest morning and 4 days of Vienna on foot and by train.

Stay tuned...

John and Sue

Augustine Abbey

Augustine Abbey church

Augustine Abbey church ceiling

Original abbey stained glass windows

Verdun Altar from 1181

Last dam crossing with another castle on Sue's right

About to cross the Danube into Vienna

End of the 409 km bike journey

8/19/2014 - Krems to Tulln - Grafenegg Palace

Today we left our modern hotel in Krems.  It had some great features like lights and A/C that didn't work unless the room key was inserted in a special wall reciprocal just inside the door.  It was a small room,  but very nice and the design made very efficient use of space.

When we departed this morning it was raining but thankfully not cold,   After a brief stop at the Steiner Gate, we rode through Krems and then traveled on an alternate route suggested in the tour book since it was to be a shorter day of riding. The tour took us through more vineyards and farmlands.  Corn in tassel,  red and green apples ready to pick,  pears, tomatoes, and sunflowers with their heads bowed from the weight made for a very scenic day.

The alternate route led us North of the river to Grafenegg , which was saved from decay in the 50's by a Duke and his wife.   The son,  now married to a Duchess, all live there and renovations continue.  The intricately carved, inlaid and painted wood throughout the house was very beautiful and 9 rooms are open to the public.   We ate our picnic lunch there before we left the grounds. Their cat really wanted us to share,  but that didn't happen.

While we toured the palace the rain cleared.   The route back took us to the river through woods and beautiful little towns.  We crossed the Danube at a dam open only to bikes, and rode on the South bank of the Danube the rest of the way to Tulln.

Along the way we stopped at a grocery for water mit gas for Sue and Coke for John.  At the grocery, Milka chocolate was in plentiful supply and on sale.  They had every variety, and I mean every variety, it seamed, that they made.  Our good friend Hanjo used to treat us with Milka chocolate, imported to the US from Germany when he came over from Germany and it had been quite some time since we last had any Milka chocolate.   Big celebration for the Fritz family!   Pannier full of chocolate.

In Tulln, our destination hotel was just meters away from the trail/river so that made it easy to find especially since it was right before a very prominent landmark like a bridge that crossed the river.  For dinner we found a great German restaurant.   That's not cheese on the side there with the sausage and mustard  John,  that's fresh ground horseradish!   After we cleared the sinuses we enjoyed a great meal!

We rode 54 km today along this route:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1PQcHyIo4PBbjBUMFJENEFCYWc/edit?usp=docslist_api

Steiner Gate in Krems

Grafenegg Palace

Grafenegg Palace courtyard

Grafenegg Palace entrance

Grafenegg Palace coat of arms ceiling

Gafenegg Palace

Gafenegg Palace

Gafenegg Palace library

The Real thing

One of the many fields of sunflowers

8/21/2014 - Rest day in Vienna

We used today as a rest day in Vienna.  We took the opportunity to sleep late and not have to have our packed bags down to the lobby by a set time.  We  had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel booked by the tour company and then we transferred from the tour hotel near City Center to our new hotel near the river and the Prater where we stayed for the remainder of our trip.

The trip to the new hotel took awhile because we had to figure out the train system.  It's very efficient,  but a little tricky figuring out which transportation pass would be the cheapest for our stay.  We decided on buying a weekly pass and were very close to pulling the trigger on two of them when Sue astutely noticed that the weekly passes go from Monday to Sunday and must be bought in advance of their use.  The first day of the pass we almost bought wouldn't be valid until after we left so that wasn't going to work.  We then decided on a three day pass.  We bought our tickets,  made our transfer, and found the Ibis Hotel where we are staying.

The public transportation system in Vienna consists of underground railways, above ground trams, and buses.  The passes we bought were good for all three.

After dropping our bags and having lunch, we headed back out to the Museum District where there was a market that went all the way down the boulevard in the middle of the street.  It had goods,  fruit and meat markets, and restaurants.   For dinner we had a big old gourmet cheeseburger and potato wedges.   Sue had been craving a burger for the last couple days of the ride and now that the ride was over she got her reward.

After dinner we took the above ground tram around the city and got the lay of the land.   On the way back to our room, we grabbed some dessert.  Now, it's laundry time.

Naschmarkt in Vienna

Vienna tram

8/18/2014 - Maria Taferl to Krems - A great day on the bike!

Today we cycled off the hilltop of Maria Taferl.  The climb yesterday up Maria Taferl wasn't quite as steep as I estimated the day before. To get ready for our trip, I reconfigured my Gamin bike GPS display data fields to be better suited to our trip so I removed the barometric altimeter field in exchange for one that more closely matched our expected flat lander riding that we would be doing.   Heading up the climb, yesterday, with 85 km's in our legs, a very light lunch, and a climb start time of 7:30 PM caused my butt inclinenometer to lose its calibration.  To get a more accurate incline assessment,  I set the GPS back to display percent grade this morning and then headed back down the way we had come up the night before.    The grade average was more like  6 - 9% with a few excursions into the low double digit percent grade.  The view from our room up there was terrific when we woke up and were greeted to a severe clear blue sky morning. This was definitely a great place to stay.

After traversing the switchbacks while descending back down to the Danube river valley, we remained on the North side of the Danube all the way to the Melk Dam where we crossed over to the South side of the river and then into Melk.  The dams are open to bicycles and provide a safe, free, and scenic river crossing. 

When we rode off the bicycle path in Melk, there was a lot of construction.  As part of the construction, they were paving a street with new cobble stones.  But even with all the construction, there were provisions made to get pedestrians and cyclists to the main square safely and efficiently.

The town square is very baroque and beautiful, with Melk Abbey, the jewel of the town, accessible by pedestrian steps and by bicycle off the road through a steiner gate.  The abbey had a dedicated bike parking area with wooden decking for the bike spaces along with lockable lockers above to store valuables. 

Inside we had never seen anything like the Abbey chuch.   Yellow and pink gold ornate decorations and statues everywhere, along with the most gorgeous ceiling frescos we had ever seen.   We waited for the English guided tour, which was excellent and gave us a chance to look around, take photos before the tour started,  and have our picnic lunch right off the grounds.   It was a Pepsi town though, so John was denied.

After crossing the river from Melk, we rode through the Wauchau wine region, which coincidentally was where our Reisling from last night was produced.   So of course we stopped and bought another bottle, which we are enjoying as we write this blog.  The vines covered every square inch of the hillsides,  some hanging over our heads on the path below.

Here is the path we took today:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1PQcHyIo4PBMVF0RVRTVTdkM28/edit?usp=docslist_api

59 km for the day.  Tomorrow it's on to Tulln after we see some of the sights in Krems.

Maria Teferl overlooking Danube River valley

New cobbles in Melk

Melk city center

Bike parking at the Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey Courtyard

Melk Abbey Royalty Reception Room.

Melk Abbey Church

Melk Abbey ceiling fresco

Melk Abbey

Wachau Region vineyards

 

The end of a great day of riding

8/17/2014 - Enns to Maria Taferl - Mountain Top Finish

Today we traveled from Enns to Maria Taferl,  as shown in the kml file.  John did a "butt dial" and accidentally turned off position recording Where's George app so we're not quite sure what might not have gotten recorded but a quick glance shows that most did get recorded.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1PQcHyIo4PBSi1JdWg0UWZtSHM/edit?usp=docslist_api

Before leaving town this morning,  we climbed the clock tower in Enns, built when the town was founded in 1212.  It had a single hotel room inside near the top.  The room was sound proofed so well that the bell ringing was no louder than down on the street.

On the way out of town, we stopped by a BP gas station and bought some bottled water mit gas.  While we were standing outside the gas station,  we saw the RailJet go screaming by. It was remarkable how noisy it sounded outside because the interior was so quiet when we rode it.

In beautiful weather, quite a contradiction from yesterday, we climbed out of the river valley to Wallsee, founded circa 1700's, to see the palace and beautiful square.

Then it was another 20 km to Grein to see Greinburg Palace, built in 1493.  We took the tour and saw the famous Christmas Alter, Hall of Knights, and Diamond vault. 

After the castle tour,  we cranked out another 35 km to Marbach where it was up, up, up for 3 km at a low double digit percent grade to the beautiful Hotel Rose.  From the top,  you could see the Swiss Alps stretched across the horizon to the South.  Reisling, roast beef with dumplings, red cabbage, and apple strudel really hit the spot. 

Hope you enjoy the pictures.  88 km today and a few hills, so we are turning in.

Sue and John

Enns city center

Enns clock tower view

Wallsee city center

Greinburg Palace

Greinburg Palace Diamond Vault

8/16/2014 - Eferding to Enns - Look ma, no chain!

We started the day at Eferding under threat of rain.  Forcasted high today was 62 F. Last year,  the high for the same day was 86 F. 

The crossing of the hydro electro generating dam complete with locks that allow boats and ships of all sizes to travel past the dam in both directions was the highlight of the day.  We had some unexpected but welcome sun, saw swans in gaggles in the river on a number of occasions, and passed through some beautiful wooded areas along the path.   We passed the Regatta Center with its rowing center and got to see the laser timing equipment used for judging races that is normally submerged in the water.

Shortly after that it began to rain, which wasn't bad, until we were pedaling along and the chain broke.   Definitely a showstopper!  Luckily,  there was an underpass and John had brought his multi tool, which had a chain tool.   He took out the broken link and used the old pin to temporarily  put the chain back together.   While not recommended as a permanent fix, the chain was back together in short order and it sure was better than any of the alternatives which included waiting for the bike rental company to dispatch someone to make a repair or to walk. Since we were not going to have cell phone coverage or data, prior to the trip John downloaded an Open Street Maps ( OSM) app and offline database to use for such an occasion.  The OSM app has all the roads and lots of points of interest much like portable GPS units have.  The OSM app showed that was a bike shop about 8 km up the trail in the next major town.  So, we pedaled with limited pedal force to prevent the temporary chain repair from breaking.  We arrived at the bike shop and were bummed to find out that it had closed 30 minutes before we got there, and they aren't open on Sunday (the next day).  Faced with a bad situation coupled with more bad news, we decided to use a lifeline and call a friend.  We called the tour company, conveyed our situation and requested that a new chain be delivered to the destination hotel that night.

We were on a tight schedule,  but Sue  really wanted to see the Postlingbergbahn, the steepest traction railway on Austria and perhaps take a ride.  We got a little turned around in the rain and ended up meeting the train on the mountain instead of at the main station.   They wouldn't take our bike on the train,  and we are running out of time to get to Enns, our stop for the night,  before the bike repair man came, so off we headed for Enns with only a brief visit in Linz. It was raining hard in Linz and all the things we were interested in no longer sounded great in the rain, so we headed out of Linz and set our sites on Enns, the final destination for the day.

After arriving at our intended destination of Enns and getting cleaned up we waited at the hotel until 7:30 but the bike repairman did not arrive.   So we asked the innkeeper to just let him in to work on the bike and went for dinner.   Spaghetti and meat sauce for Sue and Tortellini with garlic cream sauce for John, along with a big Italian salad.   Triple chocolate gelato for dessert.   Yum!

We went downstairs about 9:30 and the poor bike repairman was working away.   His wife was with him in the Euro Bike van.   John found out he came in off a boat that had a bike tour going on just to save our vacation.   What dedication!

Here is the link for the daily route: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1PQcHyIo4PBZ0NmeU9vVk9CYjQ/edit?usp=docslist_api

Enjoy the pictures and catch us tomorrow!

Sue and John

8/15/2014 - Passau to Eferding - Friday - Finally we get to ride

We left Passau today and headed to Eferding, Austria.  We crossed the river 3 times on bike ferrys that come right up to the path at the river. Since there are bike paths along both sides of the river and and many ferries to cross over the river,  this allows riders to see sites on both the North bank and South bank.  The ferries cost about 2 euros each way.

Along with the beautiful scenery,  the notable sites were The Schlogener Loop, where the river makes a 180 turn, and the only Trappist Monastery in Austria.

We took the ferry round trip to go to Engelhartzel, Austria and see the Trappist Monastery.   It was beautiful and ornate.

After taking the ferry to the South shore, on our 3rd ferry ride of the day,  we hiked about 30 minutes up to the Schlogener Loop overlook where the view was spectacular and John got some great photos.

Many castles, high on the hillsides, overlooked our route.

Here is a link to the route we took today,  as recorded by the Where's George app via a recently added (for this trip) .kml export function. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1PQcHyIo4PBUEFLZWlyZWdIdG8/edit?usp=docslist_api

We rode 79 km today and hiked 3 km straight up hill to see the Schlogem overlook. We treated ourselves to schnitzel for dinner and now are turning in.  Stay tuned!  6 more days of riding to go before we roll into Vienna.

Time to get our pedal on.

Sue on the ferry, far right.

The church at the Trappist Monastery.

The bend in the Danube at the Schlogener Loop.

An example of one part of the path right along the Danube.

One of the castles we saw high on hill.