Andre on his awesome dual tandem with his daughter off towards the Danube!
Day 22: Into Vienna!
Thursday July 18 - Day 22 - 55 miles - Total 875 miles
We got a pretty good early start this morning and even after breakfast, showers etc, we were still out of the campsite by 9am. We cycled along the northern bank of the Danube, intending to switch over to the South bank at the next bridge. The problem was that the signage was awful at this point and although we were on the riverbank path, the only way up to the bridge was a set of stairs about 10 flights up the side of the bridge. Attempting to avoid that level of harrowing experiences, we followed a path that looked like it would take us up to the main road... it didn't... so then we went back to the main path and followed that... we were told that it stopped just a bit further down (long before the next bridge or any way to get back up... so we went back to the main path again... we took another detoured path which did finally get up to where we were going but with two huge loops going the wrong way and a traffic jam of touring cyclists all confused by the lack of decent signage... In total, we had gone 6 miles thus far this morning and only 1 of those miles was going in the right direction. Gahh! Such is the life of the touring cyclist!
For the rest of the day, we followed the Danube at an average of 11mph, which by the way is incredibly fast compared to all days prior and not too bad when you are hauling over 50lbs of gear each!
We stopped to have a picnic lunch and we caught up the the Dutch family. Also throughout the day we had to deal with the effects of having many cyclists from all over the world on one path... (Note: this is a bit of a tirade) It's like being on the road, different rules apply on bicycle etiquette depending on where you come from. For example, think of a bike path as a two lane road (one lane going either direction. If you want to pass someone in your lane, you have to wait until there are no oncoming vehicles and then pass to the left. On a bike, however, the rules aren't quite as fixed, so sometimes you can ride two abreast, or not totally over on your side if the lane is clear... So, it is usually good practice to give the person you are trying to pass a heads up that you are there, either by ringing your bell or saying "on your left" (in whatever language you choose of course). This seems like common sense, so the other person doesn't swerve or get surprised, or so they can just have a moment to get out of the way. This piece of cycling etiquette does not seem to have reached the European continent. Other cyclists rarely give any indication that they are about to pass you and if they do it is milliseconds before they are right on your rear tire. They zoom past, without a word, startling the cyclist they just passed and keep on going. Bruce and I, being on fairly large and laden bikes, don't like to be surprised. Also, if any of these smaller/lighter bikes were to hit us, they would be the one in the ditch with a broken bike or a skinned knee. When this does happen (which it did a lot today), we usually ring our bells or shout a bit "On your left would be nice!" after the offending cyclist, especially when it is an electric bike... We try our best to be aware and respectful of other cyclists on the path, especially because they are obviously of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ability levels. We hope that this small piece of etiquette will come over here but we doubt it... small annoyance that makes a big difference in the day.
We met a nice husband and wife from Canada on the path and we cycling with them for a while. We were the first North Americans that they had met on their travels since starting in Zurich, so they were quite chatty. They had lived for a while in Holland (jealous!) and this was their 30th wedding anniversary tour. They had done a European cycling tour shortly before their wedding in the early 1980's.
We had a quick cheese and bread lunch stop. Quick, because the riverbank can be a quite a buggy place and they descend quickly when you stop for too long! Onwards!
We got to the outskirts of Vienna pretty quickly thereafter and the path got a little busier and confusing in places. We did work it out, but the lack of signage (and confirmation signage) was a tad frustrating. Sometimes the path would split into three and you had to make a decision. If there was a sign it would have been great. Better though is a sign just after you make the choice to tell you that you made the correct one - confirmation signage - it is a good thing!
Since we had been speeding along today reached the riverfront in Vienna around 3pm! Bruce had booked us two nights at the Hilton again, as a treat! The hotel was right on the riverfront with great views across the river. We appeared at the hotel desk a little bedraggled and not the usual sort of Hilton guest. However they were very professional and gave us an upgrade, as they probably felt sorry for us. Our bikes were put in a locked storage shed with the Christmas sleigh and reindeer and we went off to wash the road grime off of us.
After showers, whirlpools and saunas were completed we felt much more human and ready to be tourists in Vienna tomorrow!
The World is Ours!
Thursday July 18 - Day 22 - 55 miles - Total 875 miles
We got a pretty good early start this morning and even after breakfast, showers etc, we were still out of the campsite by 9am. We cycled along the northern bank of the Danube, intending to switch over to the South bank at the next bridge. The problem was that the signage was awful at this point and although we were on the riverbank path, the only way up to the bridge was a set of stairs about 10 flights up the side of the bridge. Attempting to avoid that level of harrowing experiences, we followed a path that looked like it would take us up to the main road... it didn't... so then we went back to the main path and followed that... we were told that it stopped just a bit further down (long before the next bridge or any way to get back up... so we went back to the main path again... we took another detoured path which did finally get up to where we were going but with two huge loops going the wrong way and a traffic jam of touring cyclists all confused by the lack of decent signage... In total, we had gone 6 miles thus far this morning and only 1 of those miles was going in the right direction. Gahh! Such is the life of the touring cyclist!
For the rest of the day, we followed the Danube at an average of 11mph, which by the way is incredibly fast compared to all days prior and not too bad when you are hauling over 50lbs of gear each!
We stopped to have a picnic lunch and we caught up the the Dutch family. Also throughout the day we had to deal with the effects of having many cyclists from all over the world on one path... (Note: this is a bit of a tirade) It's like being on the road, different rules apply on bicycle etiquette depending on where you come from. For example, think of a bike path as a two lane road (one lane going either direction. If you want to pass someone in your lane, you have to wait until there are no oncoming vehicles and then pass to the left. On a bike, however, the rules aren't quite as fixed, so sometimes you can ride two abreast, or not totally over on your side if the lane is clear... So, it is usually good practice to give the person you are trying to pass a heads up that you are there, either by ringing your bell or saying "on your left" (in whatever language you choose of course). This seems like common sense, so the other person doesn't swerve or get surprised, or so they can just have a moment to get out of the way. This piece of cycling etiquette does not seem to have reached the European continent. Other cyclists rarely give any indication that they are about to pass you and if they do it is milliseconds before they are right on your rear tire. They zoom past, without a word, startling the cyclist they just passed and keep on going. Bruce and I, being on fairly large and laden bikes, don't like to be surprised. Also, if any of these smaller/lighter bikes were to hit us, they would be the one in the ditch with a broken bike or a skinned knee. When this does happen (which it did a lot today), we usually ring our bells or shout a bit "On your left would be nice!" after the offending cyclist, especially when it is an electric bike... We try our best to be aware and respectful of other cyclists on the path, especially because they are obviously of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ability levels. We hope that this small piece of etiquette will come over here but we doubt it... small annoyance that makes a big difference in the day.
We met a nice husband and wife from Canada on the path and we cycling with them for a while. We were the first North Americans that they had met on their travels since starting in Zurich, so they were quite chatty. They had lived for a while in Holland (jealous!) and this was their 30th wedding anniversary tour. They had done a European cycling tour shortly before their wedding in the early 1980's.
We had a quick cheese and bread lunch stop. Quick, because the riverbank can be a quite a buggy place and they descend quickly when you stop for too long! Onwards!
We got to the outskirts of Vienna pretty quickly thereafter and the path got a little busier and confusing in places. We did work it out, but the lack of signage (and confirmation signage) was a tad frustrating. Sometimes the path would split into three and you had to make a decision. If there was a sign it would have been great. Better though is a sign just after you make the choice to tell you that you made the correct one - confirmation signage - it is a good thing!
Since we had been speeding along today reached the riverfront in Vienna around 3pm! Bruce had booked us two nights at the Hilton again, as a treat! The hotel was right on the riverfront with great views across the river. We appeared at the hotel desk a little bedraggled and not the usual sort of Hilton guest. However they were very professional and gave us an upgrade, as they probably felt sorry for us. Our bikes were put in a locked storage shed with the Christmas sleigh and reindeer and we went off to wash the road grime off of us.
After showers, whirlpools and saunas were completed we felt much more human and ready to be tourists in Vienna tomorrow!
The World is Ours!
Yup 1985... both the year I was born and the number of Kilometers to the Black Sea. We wont be following the Danube the whole way but this gives you an idea of how far we need to go.
Stayin' at the Hilton!
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