eviedykes2018

Au an der Donau to Grein – 29km

Only 14 degrees today! When we arrived at Au an der Donau at gone 7pm two days ago it was 27 degrees. A shorter day by far, that started after breakfast in the campsite ‘pool’, another lovely natural pool, but which must have had its source from elsewhere. It was so refreshing it left me tingling with cold. Too cold and deep for Evie, she practiced her sitting!

We set off in the rain, but it didn’t last too long, nor was it too heavy.

First thing of interest was at Machland; a fish ladder, considered Europe’s largest. They’ve even built an impressive viewing tower to look down on it.

…. and a massive man-eating fish!

After a while the cycle path left the Danube and headed inland. We were thirsty and in Mitterkirchen, a small little village, was an amazing restaurant called Radlerbauerhof, Familie Moser. I thoroughly recommend a visit if you are passing through this village.

Evie got to play in the pumpkins!

We got to drink homemade award winning cider and wine! And eat very tasty homemade soup.

It turned out they had a shop and were also a hotel. Somewhere I would happily return to stay. And that they made a large number of different wines, schnapps, brandies and even a whiskey!

Sadly it was time to leave again. So we cycled off through now very agricultural land, fields filled with corn and sugarbeet.

Before we knew it we were back by the Danube and in woods

Then the scenery changed again and the river got narrower, we were definitely going downhill (it’s the hardest gear I’ve needed to use yet!). It’s has also become more woody again. Sadly no sun to bring out the colour in the trees but pretty nonetheless.

Then suddenly…. we turned a corner and there was Grein in front of us. Even from a distance you could see it was a pretty town.

But it did have a short sharp hill just to get into it!

Having struggled up the hill to our lovely guesthouse, a lady who speaks no English welcomed us into her home. I was glad of my (somewhat terrible) German. I think she would have played with Evie all evening if we had hung around!

It wasn’t till we went to walk back into Grein I realised that the hill up really was quite steep, so I needn’t have berated myself for not being able to cycle up it!

We went up to the Schloss, but were to late to look around. The view was good though!

I knew Grein was old, but not quite how old. First documented in 1147, with major renovations in 1642, after a great fire had consumed most of the city.

We had an interesting hour looking around, in part because we accidentally visited two places at the same time as an American tour group off a Danube cruise was being shown around.

The Old Rathaus, from 1563, converted into a Municipal Theatre in 1791 was very interesting.

It was very quaint inside

Bit of particular interest were its original ‘locking seats’ – you owned a seat and locked it up so no-one else could use it

A loo with a view, so if you needed the toilet during a performance you could peep through the curtain to continue watching!!

And the fact that there was a prison cell attached to the theatre, but there was a peephole through, so the prisoners could watch the performances!! It is even said that folk brought them brandy and food to keep them quiet!

And the theatre is still in use today, but we didn’t get the chance to see a performance.

On into Grein church, with beautiful vaulted ceilings

We were lucky in that the American group, and therefore us to, got a short organ recital, which was very nice to listen to.

Then out for dinner, which is becoming ever more entertaining with Evie!

Tonight, she was after my wine big style!!

From there an amble back up the hill, in the rain. I had not taken out the bundle bean as I wasn’t expecting rain again, so ended up in mums waterproof worn backwards!

And the all essential evening play!

Enns – Austria’s oldest town – 24/08/18

When organising this trip I spotted that we would be passing close to Austria’s oldest town, Enns. We were not going to pass through it directly from the North bank, but I did want to visit it.

From the north bank you can catch a little ferry from Mauthausen that runs back and forth all day long. From the far bank it is only 6km to Enns, and beats cycling along a road with traffic.

Unfortunately I was expecting too much. Don’t get me wrong, the buildings were very impressive and well maintained. And it had a massive clock tower in the middle. But for me it was ruined by the number of cars driving through and parked in the square and the number of advertising flags hanging from buildings.

We enjoyed a late lunch anyway in the square. Evie enjoyed a play on a little rocking horse in a bank (random!), and then we had a wander around the back streets to make sure we weren’t missing something more special.

With very dark clouds appearing in the sky, we cycled the 6km back to the ferry and enjoyed a ride back over. Which just left time for an ice-cream on the front in Mauthausen and a bike back to our accommodation for the night.

Mauthausen – 24/08/18

So from a postcard we saw in an exhibit today, Mauthausen used to be a holiday destination from which people sent postcards.

It has a beautiful front running along the river bank and a gorgeous old town to match. But it has a darker side to, up a slight hill (or a massive hill when towing a trailer and a baby), is the site of a concentration camp. This was in operation at the same time that people were sending their postcards, in which they complained about the nearby smell.

Some 190,000 people were ‘processed’ through the camp. It was a ‘working’ camp, where the prisoners were put to work in a quarry or in nearby factories, but most died within 4-6 weeks of arrival. The conditions there were brutal and appalling. You first come across many memorials, put there by the countries whose people ended their lives at Mauthausen.

There was a lot, but not all, of the buildings left, and some of the sites are now mass graves.

It was a sombering experience, walking through not only the huts where prisoners slept, but through the crematoriums and gas chamber. A room with a very modern exhibit displaying 81,000 known names of people that died there and in satellite camps.

If you go, definitely pay the €3 for the audio guide, as it was very informative. It took about two hours to absorb, and I was glad that Evie slept through most of it.

Feeling a bit subdued, we cycled back down the shorter but steeper route into the town of Mauthausen. We headed to the river to catch a little ferry for the next part of our day…

Mühldorf to Au an der Donau, 51km – 23/08/18

I promise I won’t generally write about hotels, but Hotel Schloss Mühldorf was a pretty special place, and because of this we struggled to leave!!

We started the day with a swim in what was actually a pond but made to look like a swimming pool. And it’s water filtration was a reed bed. In fact all but it’s shape was very natural and just delightful.

Even the grey cat was pondering a swim!

From there to breakfast….. I’m not sure I have ever seen such a beautiful breakfast buffet!

Well, we stayed long enough but could have stayed for hours more!

One final stroke of grey cat….

….. and, at nearly 11am, it was time to leave.

Evie was asleep within 100m of cycling off after the excitement of the morning. That was the upside to leaving so late. The downside was it was hot hot hot again.

Our first place we cycled through was Goldwörth, where they tried to pan gold somewhat unsuccessfully. We peddled along pretty lanes surrounded by agricultural crops until we met up with the official route again.

This section of the Danube is very wide and is surrounded by much flatter woodland. We even saw the bees that made the mornings woodland honey! Well the hives were very jolly and in woodland anyway.

Inspiration! Came across a family from Canada who are away cycle touring and camping for two months! It can be done. And they had two children, a 6 month old and a 2 year old. All they had were pannier laden bikes and a laden trailer. They were even carrying a balance bike for the 2 year old. Their secret, only to aim at about 30km a day in one hour stints.

The main town of note was Ottensheim, with its lovely main square. Had Evie not still been sleeping then it would have been a fabulous place to stop and relax over a drink. It’s church was surprising. Looked super old on the outside and then modern on the inside.

The next stage of the journey was not so nice, we continued on the north bank as there was a cycle path off the road, so there was no risk from traffic, but it wasn’t pretty as we cycled through Linz suburbia. The South path though was on the road, even if prettier, not recommended when towing a child.

We thought that we would go and see The old part of Linz, so cycled into its Hauptplatze. It was nice, full of cafes. But we were hot, we had a packed lunch, so the shores of the Danube were calling louder! And somehow Evie was still asleep.

At this point we were back to Costa del Danube, with the pebbly shores full of sunbathers and people enjoying swimming safely downstream before getting out, walking back upstream and repeating the whole thing.

Even Evie had a bit of time in the very shallowest parts of the shallows. She wasn’t so sure of the waves from passing boats but did enjoy splashing and playing with pebbles. Without knowing it I’m sure she also enjoyed cooling down!

Highly reluctant to leave, but we still had nearly 30km to cycle in the unrelenting sun. Thankfully the break had tired Evie out and she slept again, but we were running out of energy.

Still, trying to see the positives, there were lots of beautiful swans, and the distance to our end point was getting closer, even if it didn’t feel like it.

Evie woke at an appropriate moment, and we found ourselves in a ‘Texan’ bar, where we parked our bikes in the ‘Harley’ spaces! The music was great so Evie had a dance. Then there was even some live music. Evie got into the swing off it, desperate to join everyone else drinking from beer glasses! Sadly we had to leave the fun behind, and Evie was NOT happy to go!!

This made the last miles very hard, and seem even longer than they were already feeling. Typically, she fell back to sleep just as we were arriving at Au an der Donau! But that was a good thing as it took us a while to find our accommodation and get sorted…..

Looking forward to a day around here tomorrow.

Passau to Mühldorf 22/08/18 – 67km is a long way with a baby!

Day one of the cycle tour part of this trip, on new heavy bikes, fully laden with panniers and a trailer loaded with Evie…. and stuff.

So first thoughts…. it was too far in one day.

Second…. we set off far too late! That won’t surprise some of you.

Third…. Evie was a star. She slept most of the day

So our first stop this morning was in Passau, at the church of St Nikoli, as yesterday we were told of this very peaceful 1000 yr old crypt that was there.

We ruined that peace! Evie was tired, hungry and needed a change. So I saw it for all of about 1 minute, but it was worth the visit.

And then we were off! And what a glorious morning it was to!

Our final trip through Passau down the Inns, then out and away. We probably got our best view yet of the confluence of the Inns and the Danube.

I didn’t know quite what I was expecting. But I wasn’t expecting a fairly main road to run alongside us for so long. However, it felt very safe as there was a barrier between the road and the cycle path. I also wasn’t expecting to be literally next to the Danube the whole way, that was a pleasant surprise.

Evie fell to sleep before we even left Passau. It was roasting hot, with no shade, but we decided that we just had to keep going whilst she slept. Luckily she woke literally as a Resthaus came into view, as drinks were welcome by all of us. We got a rest, and she got a wriggle!! I also decided to completely soak her romper and hat in cold water to keep her cool as we continued on.

We passed through a couple of lovely small towns, with beautiful old buildings.

And then onwards, back past the lock and the power station before heading through pretty countryside.

Evie Bean did of course sleep through the important border control!

We kept going as long as we could, or at least as long as I could before a lack of energy and too much heat got to me. A lunch stop, another wriggle for her and a dunk in the Danube fully clothes, shoes and all, for me to cool down.

Onwards through lanes of trees, the road by the side of us had now disappeared.

We then got to a big bend in the river where we needed to get a little ferry across to Schlogen on the south bank of the river.

Evie slept through the excitement of a boat trip but woke up just as we arrived at Schlogen.

We knew we still had about 30km to go, time was ticking, an Evie did not want to be in the trailer any more… after a few stops and cuddles, she did fall back to sleep again. And she missed the beauty of the wooded hillsides, which are already turning autumnal. The scenery was just stunning for mile after mile.

There was a point in the river where you could see all the way around the bend on the other side. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

Then we saw the Neuhaus castle high upon the opposite bank, one of the largest castle complexes in the region. Certainly it looked impressive from below.

Despite the gorgeousness of it all, the energy was low again. Boosted by some flapjack, we pedalled onwards, but my legs were tired and I was looking forward to getting to Aschach for some food. Lucky for us all I think, Evie stayed asleep until we did finally get there.

Aschach was smaller that expected, but it had some lovely old buildings. It also had a good dinner and some good cuddle and clambering time for Evie. Her new thing today that she enjoyed were some very strongly flavoured mushrooms!

Final push, less than 7km to Mühldorf, where we are staying tonight.

And that final push was worth it. We are staying at a castle…. it’s pretty cool. And it has an outdoor swimming pond!!

Much fewer miles tomorrow…. will be no bad thing. We got away with it today somehow, but I wouldn’t fancy repeating it. And that’s just with Evie, never mind the legs!

A final day in Passau

We started our day today by going to the bike hire shop to pick up our bikes and the Chariot. It’s going to be quite a ride on these European style sit up bikes, although I quite like the upright position.

Fahrrad-Klinik has good reviews and so far so good with their service. They promise the tyres are very puncture resistant to the point of insisting you don’t need a pump or repair kit, so let’s hope this is also true!

This Chariot is quite different to the one back home, so it took quite a bit of fettling and two attempts to get the car seat in a position and stable enough that I was happy with. Good job there was a cafe next to the bike shop!

From here we went onto the Cathedral, where at 12pm daily there is a 30 min organ concert for €5. Passau cathedral has the biggest organ in Europe with a crazy number of organ pipes, over 17,000! So it makes so good noise.

Evie loved it….

….. and then fell to sleep. But this did mean I could really sit and appreciate the surroundings! As well as a very impressive organ, were equally impressive walls ceilings, and a door lock (bigger than my head!).

We trialled the bikes again around the bumpy streets of Passau

And then Evie slept whilst I did some work! Possibly not the most effective way of working ever???

Out for the evening. Possibly THE BEST CURRY EVER, that I have ever tasted, at an Indian restaurant called Marahaja. Evie even guzzled a few grains of rice and curry sauce. And grabbed great handfuls of rice. Messy mealtimes are afoot big style I think.

She also liked to pick the flowers… but they did make her even prettier!

Tomorrow the cycling begins in earnest…. next chapter of this trip….. we are all excited!

Passau – cruising down the river on a sunny afternoon

Another amazing breakfast to start the day, although this morning Evie is more interested to practice her standing than she is to try food.

We headed out to the head of Passau peninsula, to see where the rivers Inns, a glacial river, and Danube (not glacial) converge. Quite a stark contrast when looking down on it.

We then boarded another boat, as we had decided that the best way to avoid the heat but still see things was to go on a 5 hr river cruise. This was really reasonable at €18 and it was a beautiful boat journey, passing through woodland and agricultural areas and past small villages. Have us an idea of what is to come when we start cycling.

Leaving Passau we saw the convergence more clearly. Another interesting point was a big lock that the boat entered, due to a change in river heights due, I think, to a hydropower station.

Took quite a while to get through…. twice.

We took a picnic with us, but when we saw other people’s food come out and saw the prices (cheaper than most land restaurants), we decided to save the picnic for later and treat ourselves to food on the boat.

Evie’s interest in food continued, and today she discovered strongly flavoured courgette and red pepper! Can’t say I blame her, it was scrummy.

We took in some more gorgeous views….

Before treating ourselves to ice-chocolates…. must not make a habit of this! Enjoyed this as we headed back towards Passau.

The boat trip over, but as well as being relaxing and enjoyable in its own right, it served its important purpose of keeping Evie Bean out of the heat of the day (because it certainly is hot here in the afternoons).

So we decided that by now a leg stretch was in order and ascended the many steps up to the castle, to gain a view over Passau.

Even with Evie in a front sling, keeping a steady pace, this was fine. And it was worth it. The views from the top were spectacular. So many different coloured building and roofs. And the cathedral just towers high above the rest (the the other buildings are not small!).

The descent was pretty special to.

And probably one of the best nappy change spots yet…

We also caught the sun setting making it all very pretty, and turning us into golden girls!

Back to the peninsula park for our picnic.

I had to test the waters with my toes. And I’m not sure if I was surprised or not, but the Inns was notably more refreshing (cold) than the Danube. I would say there are degrees in difference.

From there, a stroll back in the beautiful light and past time to get Evie to bed. What an amazing day we have all had…. and, thankfully, no toilet incidences tonight to finish the story!

Passau by night

It was far too hot this afternoon for mooching with a baby, and a sleep was long overdue as well. But what that meant was that we saw Passau in a pleasant evening heat & light.

Still hot when we did go out, we dived into the closest church, St Paul’s, which looked pretty plain on the outside, but was beautifully ornate inside

But first dinner, where we enjoyed a view of the river. Evie is now very much at the point where, given the opportunity, her hands would be in my dinner the whole time, and she is definitely enjoying trying lots of tastes.

Evie must have been thirsty as she grabbed for the glass and, on offering, drank quite a bit of water. Most people have a tippee cup, we have a normal glass!

We strolled around, along the Danube, then crossed over through very narrow cobbled streets, to bring us out on the bank of the river Inns, whilst Evie Bean fell into a deep sleep in the sling.

The buildings began to get beautifully lit up, definitely a place to explore by night.

What better way to finish the day than with an Eis Schokolade….

…… and then feeling your sleeping baby wee all down your leg ! Time for a bath & change!

Regensburg to Passau- the journey continues

We managed a relaxing swim in the river after breakfast this morning. Needed a relax after the shock of being asked to pay 20 Euro for the use of the cot for two nights. Am hoping this is not going to be a common additional cost!

Then back to the hotel and into a taxi, which for a quiet Sunday morning, the taxi driver had notable road rage! She humphed at every red traffic light and the other bad drivers!

The train station was more lumping bags up & down… I must surely be getting stronger ! Something strange was going on, lots of men in lederhosen and women in traditional wear.

Upon asking Evie’s new friends, we found our they were going to Straubing beer festival, Barvaria’s 2nd largest beer festival.

After the excitement of interesting dress and lots of stimulation she decided on a power nap towards the end of the journey, in time for a change of trains and platforms.

From one to the next she is awake and jolly again! Managing the journey exceedingly well.

Finally arriving in Passau, we continued to learn our lesson and in the blistering heat got a taxi 500m down the road to our hotel.

It is hot hot hot. Evie Bean is chilling out, trying to decide how best to spend her time here!

Rambling around Regensburg – a UNESCO world heritage site

Our hotel, Hotel Lux, is full of antiquities, including the breakfast bar.

Evie goes European with cucumber to munch on for breakfast this morning

Its a hot day here so back to the room and sunscreen for all before heading out. Grandma also pulls out a present for Evie Bean, a baby rucksack. Still a little small for it yet and not easily combined with the sling, but I think she likes it and it will no doubt go on many adventures with her.

a now familiar walk over the bridge but nice reflections in the river.

After working out our travel plans to get to Passau tomorrow, we went up the old tower for a view of the rooftops.

We continued on into Regensburg old town to walk the streets and enjoy a sit in a cafe where Evie decides the onwards route.

She wants to visit Regensburg cathedral! I never failed to be impressed by cathedrals and this is one magnificent both outside, with its intricate carvings, and inside with its high vaulted ceilings. For a hot day with a baby, it’s also cool within.

From Regensburg cathedral to the banks of the river for a picnic lunch and…. a swim!! Brief but refreshing, this was much enjoyed.

We had booked a boat tour for 3pm. I now wished it had been 4pm so we could have enjoyed the river for longer. But onto the boat it was, with now one very tired and upset Evie, who promptly fell to sleep!

We did a 50 min boat tour, so really just saw the river banks. If I had another day here I think I would have done a longer one as the pictures of the gorge look beautiful, and there is only so long that I can ramble around a town on my feet, even less so on a hot day with Evie on my front. Still, Evie woke in a good mood and was then mesmerised by the ripples on the water from the wake of the boat. This kept her happy for the duration of the journey, as well as making friends with a little German girl, who wasn’t quite sure about the strength of Evie’s grip!

Back into Regensburg for another wonder, we went into the Rathaus (town hall), which had the most amazing acoustics. As I sung a few notes Evie was entranced!

A little more wandering and we came across another church that although a plain building was magnificent on the inside. Apparently there used to be a church for every day of the year here in Regensburg. There certainly are a lot! And then a little bit of Rome.

Back to the hotel where I did a bit of work whilst Grandma took Evie on an adventure across the road to another cafe.

The day wouldn’t end without dinner, which we had in a restaurant just across the road from the hotel, and very scrumptious food it had to (Meier – Ein Lokal). But then (this is a blog about a baby remember), I smelt it before I felt it, but she had already dealt it. Thankfully now just across the road, I left mum to pay and went to clear up the mess. Let’s just say it was a bath for two, and all of both our clothes needed hand washing. Let’s hope they are dry by the morning!