Euro Tour: Wörth an der Donau to Passau// My last day in Germany and probably the sunburniest

Straubing

My last full day in Germany turned out to be one of my favourite days. I was alongside the Danube most of the day so it was really peaceful and calm. The river looked exceptionally beautiful today. 

Euro Tour: Regensburg to Wörth an der Donau: Pimping my ride and hunting down chocolate

A roadside inner-tube vending machine

It was due to rain today and I had a work deadline so I only planned a short 30km jaunt.

It’s actually a very beautiful ride out of Regensburg. You are close to the Danube for a while and go through a nice bit of countryside when the river is out of sight. You also go past Walhalla, a reproduction of the Parthenon. It’s way up on a hill and looks very striking, if a little random. The cycle paths today were 

Euro Tour: Ingolstadt to Regensburg// Bike drying my hair and putting bikes on boats

Regensburg

I should probably do a post on the importance of rest days and say how you should refuel and reserve energy but I run around like a loon and try on dresses. I did, however, eat lots of vegetable because I felt like I was getting scurvy. I also had to do some actual work to justify carrying around a laptop and to pay for all this hostel high living. Seriously, being on tour is cheaper than being in London.

Euro Tour: Ulm to Ingolstadt// Bonking and trying on dresses

Der Schneider von Ulm by Johannes Pfeiffer 2012

I got told off at breakfast by a German lady in the hostel who said I was going too far and fast and not enjoying her beautiful country. She also proved that I had been hideously mispronouncing German place names and said I looked tired. THIS IS HOW I LOOK. I promised her i’d take a day off when I got to Ingolstadt and she said “Oh don’t bother stopping there.” 

I seriously can’t win.

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

I thought that after yesterday’s short ride I could bang out a longer one today so I headed straight for Stuttgart.

Euro Tour: Mannheim to Heidelberg// Mad respect for the human body and Germany shaped butt bruises

This is me finally feeling some sun, not wearing ugly waterproofs

Just a short one.

After being so epically broken yesterday, I woke up this morning feeling invincible. I am, as always, in complete awe of the human body and its ability to repair itself and regain strength. That being said I thought I’d use this beautiful sunny day as an excuse to listen to my body and take it easy.

Euro Tour: Sankt Goar to Mannheim// Never trusting Google Maps and very nearly dying

Ass not gas. Mannheim 

The short version is Google Maps hates me and thinks things that are so not roads are roads. The long version includes me pushing my bike through muddy vineyards pretty sure I was trespassing swearing loudly at the rain. FYI scarecrows are really scary when you are all alone in a massive dark rainy field and there is no sign of life or modernity and your mind starts thinking maybe you’ve fallen through a time portal. AND MY GOD THIS RAIN. Oh and then I nearly died.

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

Steeds, German Corner, Koblenz

Leaving Basecamp Bonn after doing the whole breakfast buffet rinsing, waterproofing procedure of electric taping sandwich bags over my socks and seethingly watching some Lycraed up dudes giving their parents their bags to drive ahead for them, I loaded up and made my way alongside the railway to meet the River Rhine.