Day 20

06/09/2011 – Day 20

Wӧrth to Hӧfkirchen – 91km

As forecast the day started fine and sunny. We were up and breakfasted by 8:30 and on the road before 9am, which is a record I think. Finding the way out of town was a different matter with a number of wrong turns before we found the right route.

Once back on the route we followed the motorway for about 6km before turning back to the peace of the river, following it almost all the way to Straubing.

Faced with the choice of going into the town or bypassing it we decided after much thought to go in and try to find a café. It was the right thing to do as the town is charming if a bit small. The town centre really consists of one street but it has a clock tower in the middle that makes you wonder if the idea for Disney’s magic kingdom came from here.

Leaving the town is easy and we were back in the good quality paved roads all the way to Bogen where it involved another detour into the town which you can really do without as there is not much to see. Looking for lunch once again we found most places closed!

In the guide there is a restaurant advertised in Walterndorf so we decided to try there. Following the directions took us to a farmyard where a partially hidden sign told us the restaurant was straight through. And there it was, no very inviting, just a door in the corner but the welcome was first class. For a week day the menu was limited but the food was good and cheap. As usual we went for the main course here and coffee at the next stop.

While we had lunch I checked my email and guess what? Easyjet now say they do not refund taxi fares, which is not what they said while I was recording them. They also say that they will not pay the whole of my claim and I should talk to my insurance company about it. Basically they are saying F*** you, they don’t care!

The weather was too good to miss and we flew along the route to Deggendorf as it was clear of almost all other traffic being a weekday, the river always to our right to keep us company. Officially we were supposed to go straight through the suburbs without stopping but it was coffee time so what else can you do? Again it was worth the visit, a large central square with cafés and restaurants galore, and a welcome break from a long hot day in the saddle.

By now we had done 60km and were thinking about calling it a day, but that meant Passau would still be a day away, if we pushed on for a bit more we could make Austria tomorrow so on we went. But 20km later we were starting to flag, a combination of the heat and pace finally taking its toll. The route took as into the village of Winzer where major work is being done on the main road. Just as we came out of the chaos we found a café on the right. Apart from the traffic noise, this is a busy road for such a small village, it was another pleasant place to stop and once again the bad language skills made no difference.

Due to the noise we decided that we would push on the next town we are due to go through and try to find something there, only another 10km, only! So dropping the pace from the 20km/h we had been keeping up all day we slowly dragged ourselves to Hӧfkirchen. Strangely enough the first place we try is closed (do you see a pattern here, most of Germany appears to be closed!). But we stopped at the bakery to ask and she sent us down the road to a guesthouse. While a bit pricy it is comfortable and has internet (at last) although it does not make its way up to the room.

Once again, to save money, we shop at the local supermarket and buy bread, cheese, ham and wine. It sounds basic but it is half the price of a restaurant meal for one of us. After a long day it is good to get a shower and go to bed early.