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
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