Euro Tour: Bad Urach to Ulm// Bike dancing & holding my breath through tunnels

Out of office

 Sorting bike out outside with a mountain view, just realised it was Monday and I’d forgotten to put my out of office on. I wanted to put ‘Gone Cycling’. There is some kind of Summer Camp at this hostel for gifted child musicians so I fixed my bike to the sound of music, in the mountains, very Julie Andrews but without the nazis or nuns but even more creepy, musically gifted children.

There were some pretty epic climbs today too. One was so steep people were walking their horses down it. When I got to the top I took a break. I was listening to music today because I thought I might need the boost but I probably didn’t because everything was particularly beautiful today.

A hill top celebratory dance session

Truppenübungsplatz in Münsingen is a massive park that is just an open flat space with paths, lots of which are blocked off with danger live ammunition signs (I assume that’s what they say). There are clear paths for miles, with butterflies everywhere. It’s so fricken Disney. I did a lot of no handed cycling practice (voguing). There are lots of retired german couples (it’s Monday so one assumes) wearing matching Lycra cycling here looking so goddamn cute. Not sure they were impressed with my singing.

I wanted a simple route so took the 28 which is basically an A road but was direct and down hill to Ulm for 35km so I thought i’d just nail it. Cars are so nice here, they give you lots of room and never beep. It was fine going down a main road but there was a tunnel in Blaubeuren where I got scared because it was so dark and I didn’t have lights so had to cycle crazy fast and luckily there were no cars behind me. When I got out, I realised I had been holding my breath.

Um is shadowed by the magnificent gothic church Ulm Minster that was the tallest building in the world from 1890 until 1901.

I think it would be rude to be in Einstein’s birthplace without mentioning his famous bike quote:

I arrived at the same time as a French grandmother, daughter and granddaughter who were adorably cycling through Germany together.

Another summer camp were staying at the Ulm hostel. Kids kept quiet asking me for fire. They must have had their lighters confiscated. 

I’d kill for a cigarette. It’s all getting a bit too wholesome.

Next stage: Ulm to Ingolstadt// Bonking and trying on dresses. 

Thighs Matters Euro Tour stages:

1 Brussels to Maastricht// Realising my hatred for Hall & Oats and seeing a really old wall

2 Maastricht to Bonn// Being glad there aren't bears in Germany anymore

3 Bonn to Sankt Goar// Hating wearing waterproof trousers with every fibre of my being.

4 Sankt Goar to Mannheim// Never trusting Google Maps and very nearly dying

5 Heidleberg to Stuttgart// Going into a tour-trance & being thankful for Pierce Brosnan

6 Stuttgart to Bad Urach// Legs Day

7 Bad Urach to Ulm// Bike dancing & holding my breath through tunnels

8 Ulm to Ingolstadt// Bonking and trying on dresses 
9 Ingolstadt to Regensburg// Bike drying my hair and putting bikes on boats
10 Regensburg to Wörth an der Donau: Pimping my ride and hunting down chocolate
11 Wörth an der Donau to Passau// My last day in Germany and probably the sunburniest 
12 The Austrian bit. Not the Australian bit as autocorrect likes to think
13 Vienna to Bratislava// Five things to do that are not 'go on a stag do'
14 Bratislava to Gyor // Not checking my feast days
15 Gyor to Esztergom// Being scared of dogs and referring to my bike and I as 'we'