Day 10

27/08/2011 – Day 10

Hausen to Munderkingen – 83km



We wake to a sky of dark rolling clouds and strong winds. Breakfast is waiting for us in the dining room and what a spread! There are eggs under little knitted chickens, rolls, cheese, meat, jams, coffee, enough for an army not the four of us who stayed that night.

During breakfast the sky starts to clear and we set off without waterproofs, trusting to it not raining again. The route is wet and full of dirty puddles, not having mudguards results in the bikes getting covered in mud, and us, but this is good for later on the trip when the last thing we need is new looking bikes.

The river continues down the gorge which means the sun does not get to the bottom where we are until late in the morning, so the first half of the day is cold and damp, with the constant threat of more rain.

When we finally turn off the track onto real tarmac we pass a couple we had passed several times yesterday. Going by their appearance they had camped last night and were going to be wet for a long time to come.

Just as we get used to the hard surface the route takes us off road again through a gateway into what looks like a private drive then through a second one into a village. We are surrounded by old cars randomly parked in the village.

Exploring the village we find a small shop and decide to buy a picnic lunch. The shop is not big but has everything we need. M buys some bread and manages to talk the owner into cutting a loaf in half and slicing it for us. She then goes on to explain about what is going on in the village today and we must visit the church etc. oblivious to the fact we are struggling to understand.

Once the provisions are packed on the bikes we set off to find the route out and come across a small café full of cyclists. Something I remembered from the last time I was here was the cake cafés, where they serve coffee and cake all day. This was one of those. Ordering the coffee was easy, but when I asked for cake she started too real off a whole list of them. At this point I am trying to translate to M what she is saying but soon get lost; the only solution is for her to surprise us and that is the next problem, she does not understand the word ‘surprise’. So I cover my eyes with one hand and hold the other out as if offering a plate. Her face lights up as she understands the idea, tells me she has just the thing and rushes off. Minutes later she is back with the coffee, a slice of black cherry cake and a slice of apricot cake, both looking very yummy! The only solution here is for us to eat half and then swap over, this way we both get to taste them. The black cherry is to die for, but just imagine the calories in it!

While we are having the cake we are passed by all the people we have passed in the last hour. It is something that we are getting use to now, rushing past small groups only to stop for a coffee and then they pass us. I wonder if they stop at all during the morning.

We are starting to recognise them now, the two family groups, two old guys with a trailer, and several couples, all loaded to the ears with panniers and most of them wearing waterproofs this morning.

As the morning progresses the weather improves and warms up. Not wearing waterproofs was the right thing to do, but there is always that black cloud lurking behind us.

Something we have noticed and cannot quite understand is that this is the tourist season when everyone is on holiday and travelling, eating out and looking for somewhere to stay but so are the hotel/bar owners! The number of times we stop for coffee or food only to find a sign on the door saying they are closed for the next two weeks is it me or is this a strange concept? The people providing the holiday service are on holiday!

This is how we come to have lunch in a Kebab shop in Mengen. We had been looking for somewhere to eat for about an hour but everything we found was closed, as time was getting on and this was the last time we would be in a town for the next few kilometres we decided to stop. As we walked in we got the impression that this may not be such a good idea, the whole place gave the impression of being the poor end of town. M started to worry about the bikes being safe outside just locked to each other and nothing else. The other customers did nothing to reassure us. But first impressions can be wrong, the food was good if a bit slow but it was the lunch time rush and there was only one guy serving.

The bad news was that while we were eating that rain cloud caught up with us. Coming out we found the bikes wet but the rain had stopped. Setting off again we had just been passed by a family group of parents with three young children, all cycling. We have seen them several times now and wonder how far they are going, but it will be a great story for the kids when they go back to school, instead of lying on the beech like everyone else they can say they have cycled the Danube (well, a bit of it at least).

The afternoon is spent trying to stay one step ahead of the rain and purely by chance we stop for coffee just as it catches us. The café owner thought we were a bit strange as we sat outside under the parasol as the rain poured down around us, but cycling is hot work and I am soaked and hot every time we stop. As the rain stops two very wet women cycle up to the café, as we get up and go they take our places under the parasol.

Finally I admit defeat and put my waterproof jacket on. The rest of the afternoon is going to be wet, a steady drizzle as we cycle through fields of corn. Most of the time we are in the countryside, skirting the towns and villages, it is good cycling country and we keep up a good speed.

At Rechtenstein we re-cross the river and come to a junction where 5 roads come together. These small junctions tend to not have any priority and the rule is give way to the right. As I come across the bridge a car is coming from my right and I want to go straight across so I turn to go behind it.

Disaster! My front wheel drops into an old set of tram lines and stops dead, I cannot get my feet out of the toe clips in time and crash to the floor, hip first. Instantly I am surrounded by people rushing to help. Winded and in pain I lie there checking out the damage. Helping me to my feet the people are concerned about me but I reassure them and they go on their way.

My hip hurts like hell, my elbow is grazed and my shoulder hurts. My first concern is did I damage the bike? Serious damage to the bike could strand us again in the middle of nowhere.

Getting back on the bike we decide to stop at the next town, Munderkingen. It is just a few kilometres away and big enough to have a few hotels to choose from. Cycling slowly we reach it without too much pain. Cycling hurts but not too much, however, walking is agony!

Turning into the town centre the road is blocked by a barrier so we go down a back street and come up to the back of a hotel. Fortunately they have a room and we book in and unpack. This hotel is part of a ‘Bett & Bike’ scheme, hotels specialising in cyclists. This means they are prepared for storing bikes safely and for catering to the needs of the long distance traveller.

As it turned out this was the best place to stop, it was beer fest weekend. The town centre was closed to traffic and full of beer and food stalls. There was even the traditional brass band playing outside the town hall. As it is M’s first time in Germany it was a classic introduction to the beer fest.

I asked someone what the beer fest was for and he told us he had no idea, it was summer, hot and sunny, and the town had a fest this weekend every year. OK, I’ll go along with that pass me a beer!

The rain that had been chasing us disappeared, the sun came out and the party began. It was a great evening even though I was in pain. We decided to take a day off tomorrow to see how my hip was and to get the full experience of the town.

The music went on well into the night with a good R&B group replacing the brass band. The beer flowed and people partied like there was no tomorrow.