Passau - Aschach: A revelation
Tuesday April 5, 2011, 68 km - Total so far: 68 km
Munich train station: We're ready to board and thankful that we can roll our bikes onto the train, no steps.
Easy peasy - we took the train to Passau, only three hours from Munich, cycled from the train station to the bike path without casting a glance at Passau's charming historical center, had lunch in a pizzeria on the river bank -- Bayrisch Venedig or Bavarian Venice I think it was called - and started rolling. Although the path stayed close to the Danube, in the beginning we were also close to the road with lots of noise from the traffic, but soon the road and bike path parted and we had wonderful views of the river. We also had a terrific tailwind, ironic considering that we were now with motors and not yearning for a tailwinds as in times past. I can't recall ever before having a tailwind for five days straight, but we did on this trip.
Leaving Passau on the Danube Bike Path
Looking back to Passau from the north bank of the Danube
The Danube mermaid, waiting to lure unsuspecting cyclists off the beaten bike path.
Crossing into Austria it's a pretty laid back border.
The Danube is sometimes blue.
We rode along the north bank, crossed the border into Austria and took the ferry to Innzell on the south bank. This was one of the few bicycle ferries operating in April. We had actually intended to take the ferry that followed the complete bend in the river and returned us to the left bank further downstream, but it wasn't running yet. We didn't want to wait until May so we continued on the right bank.
The path along the left bank stops and we cross to the right side of the Danube.
Our ferryman
To call the ferry, you ring the gong with a little hammer hanging there for that purpose.
Some kilometers further we saw another ferry and according to our map the bike path would continue on the other side - as we had more or less planned. More or less, since our planned route was arbitrary. However, the ferryman assured us there would be no path on the other side.
We thanked him for the information and waved good-bye. 'Arrivedere' he called after us, at least that's what I understood. Oh, he's Italian I figured and shouted 'arrivedere' in return as we cycled away. Afterwards Janos told me he had said 'habe die Ehre', a charming Austrian salutation, literally meaning something like 'it was my pleasure'.
We thanked him for the information and waved good-bye. 'Arrivedere' he called after us, at least that's what I understood. Oh, he's Italian I figured and shouted 'arrivedere' in return as we cycled away. Afterwards Janos told me he had said 'habe die Ehre', a charming Austrian salutation, literally meaning something like 'it was my pleasure'.
Scenic ride on the way to Aschach
In Aschach we took a room in Hotel Nemo, 58 € including breakfast, and ate in the simple hotel restaurant, again Italian. With all the Italian restaurants along the route, no wonder I was expecting to hear Italian.
We had started cycling around 1 p.m. and after covering 68 km were ensconced in our hotel before dark, still feeling good - no, exuberant. The e-bikes were great, a revelation as Janos put it. I cycled with the lowest level of electric support the whole time and had not even used 1/3 of the battery. If we felt like it we could have continued much further.
We had started cycling around 1 p.m. and after covering 68 km were ensconced in our hotel before dark, still feeling good - no, exuberant. The e-bikes were great, a revelation as Janos put it. I cycled with the lowest level of electric support the whole time and had not even used 1/3 of the battery. If we felt like it we could have continued much further.
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