1 Jul 2013

4. The Rivers.

From Budapest I go against the tour’s overall south-easterly direction with a westerly ‘detour’ to Austria, then briefly visit Germany again for Munich.

To avoid some of Budapest’s rush-hour cars and bicycles traffic I decided to cycle through the River Danube’s Margaret Island, where Elena and I had spent a few hours together.  It’s 2.5 kilometres length being quite a contrast to the main roads on either side of the river.  Unfortunately the main entrance mid-way along one of the bridges had a small gathering of policemen whom informed me entry was not permitted.  A few kilometres further down I came across my first dance with the Danube, not exactly much to deal with but it reiterated what some of the news stories had been saying and why the river had such fast flow.
Taking the main route out of town I headed for the town of Nyergesujfalu - just a bit further down from where I’d first seen the River Danube and crossed into Hungary at Esztergom.  My guidebook directed me through various riverside villages, although as with the River Elbe's cycle route, the Danube’s cycle route seemed to be out of sight of the river, but occasionally I’d get a glimpse of it, or in this case a glimpse of what the news stories had been about (this was a campsite).
Many villages had the army and locals on hand filling sandbags to line the roads and streets of any areas under significant threat. Roads cordoned off, although I had to only deviate from the guidebook route once for a 10 kilometre section. Railways stations had goods wagons unloading sand, shovels, men… anything you’d expect in such an emergency. I felt slightly guilty taking pictures but any help I would offer would prove a hindrance due to the language barrier.
No doubt sand was in short supply so these diggers were demolishing a small soil mound. Toward the end of the day I found a campsite that was presently unaffected so called it a day after 107 kilometres.


The following afternoon I met two fully loaded tourers.  A German couple on a two year tour to Australia, and then a few minutes later a lady tourer joined us. Julia was from Czech Republic and on a two week tour heading for friends in Germany. 
Unlike the German couple she was cycling the same direction as me so we rode together and decided to camp together.  Julia was using a Sat-Nav, something I had never preferred but I did see the benefits, just not enough to want one….yet!  We rode down vineyard tractor routes with the sun starting to dip, which always seems to give ideal lighting conditions for photographs.



The change from Hungary to Austria was so obvious.  Towns and villages meticulously clean and tidy, level pavements, perfect roads, everything organised and in its place – not that I’m knocking Hungary but just highlighting the immediately noticeable differences.
The German couple said there was a campground at the Austrian town of Neusiedl am See, next to the lake Neusiedler See where we would be crossing into.  Upon arriving at the campsite we were unable to find any reception or anyone else camping, it was totally deserted.  It was actually a caravan park and just about all the caravans had the side awning / gazebos attached.  Julia said to avoid pitching her tent she would simply sleep within one, and as most of them had reclining sun-lounger deckchairs would use one as her bed!!  I agreed, it made perfect sense and we would leave everything exactly as we found it no-one would be none the wiser.  To complement our free lodgings each of the plots had a tap with clean running water, perfect!

The following day Julia and I would split.  She wanted to avoid Vienna - although said she wanted to visit one day, just not on her bicycle tour - whereas I wanted to pass through and see some of it.  Not particularly wanting the following day off and only being 50 kilometres away I could spend the afternoon looking at some of its offerings and no doubt find a campsite along the river, providing its bank was flood-free!  

Stopping at a set of traffic lights a lady cyclist starts talking to me.  From my four panniers and top rack-bag it was obvious I was travelling for a while and she said her boyfriend and best mate had cycled from Vienna to Tehran a few years back and would be a pleasure to give me a place to stay for the night.  My first show of spontaneous hospitality…. I was liking Vienna!  I was really taken back at such kindness to a total stranger.  Cana (pronounced Chana) lived with Julian a few kilometres away.  Julian said his touring friend Viktor could not visit that night but could do the following, providing I was okay to take a day off.  This would prove useful as I could get more information on entering Iran, and to make matters easier Viktor's farther was actually Iranian.

Julian gave me an evening bicycle tour of Vienna, visiting the University, several huge churches and other grand tourist attractions.  Later we joined his girlfriend at a Pakistani restaurant, popular with travellers due to it being in the Vienna Lonely-Planet guide book as you can eat as much as you want and pay what you feel it’s worth.  If the food was a true likeness of Pakistan then I’ll be eating well when I go through there!
The following day I was advised to visit the Donau Park (Danube Park).  This is a large open park next to the river with a small gauge train running around / through it, ice-cream sellers, a swimming pool, a 250m tower with a top rotating restaurant.  The tower was a must for a birds-eye view of Vienna.

Here’s a few shots from the viewing platform on top of the tower;
Who's for the bungee?


The sky was clear, the sun glaring and views were excellent.  In the afternoon I bought some food from a nearby supermarket and just relaxed in the park people-watching.

In the evening Viktor, along with two more of their friends, came around and we had dinner, talking about mainly bicycle touring. (Cana + Julian are on the right)Julian decided he would ride the following day’s first 40 kilometres with me, although he was tempted he promised Cana he would return and not stay with me for the next 10 months!  For the first few kilometres we rode along the ‘Donau Island’.  This was created back in the 70’s when - to avoid repeated flooding within Vienna – the river had a parallel section dug out to effectively increase its width.  The removed earth was piled up to create an island some 30 kilometres long and is a haven for cyclists, joggers, roller blades etc, traffic-free and chilled.  
As we rode further out from Vienna and the island I could see the real damage the flooding had caused.  Low lying properties with gardens covered in sandy-silt, a clear water-level mark visible on tall hedges that surrounded people’s homes.  Ruined electrical goods and furniture from people’s homes stacked at the then end of roads and driveways.  The pathways, roads and cycle lanes had been cleared as these contribute a significant amount of income from the tourist trade.
Julian and I enjoyed a good day’s ride staying right next to the river….well, apart from one small diversion where the cycle lane had crumbled away with a 2 metre wide stream now gushing through so took a small deviation.  In the end he cycled the full 100 kilometres with me, the last 10 of them being threatened with thunder but we just made it to the shelter of a big bridge at Krems when the heavens opened for a torrential down-pour which proved rather cooling.  We hunted around the town for the campsite then said our fair-wells and Julian gave me a fox tail-like toy he had bought in Iran and had been hanging from his Brooks saddle, but would now hang from my Brooks and will hopefully be going back to (through) its homeland of Iran.

The following day the Austria that I know came into view. Quaint villages with gentle hills started to appear,

One thing that stayed though was the sandy / silt, albeit cleared to the side of the cycle lanes.

My destination for the night was the campsite at Walsee, but unfortunately closed due to floods but I was happy enough to pitch next to the river itself…. providing its level remained as-was!


I really was lucky I had missed the worst of the floods.  This photo was taken on land that was flat for miles around in all directions, but the water-mark on the distant trees was about 2 metres high, that’s a huge volume of water.
From stone we’ll make tractors?
…and bicycles!

This was at a bicycle stand in a town I went through…so what is it?…answers on a postcard.
“Water, water, I need water” A sun-dried fish on a crash barrier, a casualty of the floods.
The river here twisted and turned on a meandering ~ 30 kilometre section, ebbing its way past a 
campsite, with the narrow road / cycle lane following closely.  This was a very scenic and quiet section. 
Later on that day I needed to cross the river but now gone 7 p.m. the ferries had stopped.  Again with campsites closed I had to find my own spot.  Passing this open-fronted garden like shed / hut thought I’d check it out.  There was a house in the next field but with a few trees providing cover, although I’m sure they would understand and not care.  The inside was covered with a damp pile of the sand / silt yet ten seconds before I’d passed a large piece of tarpaulin hanging from a tree, obviously drifted down in the flood. Pulling it free from the tree it was nice and clean and proved excellent isolation from the wet sand.  My sleeping bag stayed clean and I stayed dry. 
Heading for the Austrian / German border town of Passau I passed this nice looking mermaid, nice until you see what accompanied her!.....
At Passau I saw these Swans with their five Cygnets.  As I walked down the steps they soon came over (along with the ducks taking second place).  The Cygnets were totally care-free and oblivious as far as distance between themselves and me, literally touching distance, but the parents - along with wanting (and getting) some bread - kept a very tight glance at me that spoke volumes, with the typical snorting - hiss noise a swan makes.

Passau is a very popular tourist city that is also known as the “City of Rivers” as the Danube is joined by the River Inn from the south and Ilz from the north.  The town had many pastel coloured buildings and art deco touches, a pedestrian area with bars, cafés, hotels and a shopping precinct.

This was my last day on the Danube, at the town of Deggendorf I would take a left-hand turn onto the River Isar, one of the main contributing rivers to the Danube for a two day journey into Munich.  This town sits on the north side of the Danube while across the bridge on the south side is the neighbouring town of Fishcerdorf.  As far as the problems the two were in stark contrast to one another, it was like the border between heaven and hell.  In Deggendorf I sat in the town centre and sipped on a cool beer to celebrate this turning point (or maybe it was just a poor excuse for a beer?!).  Half an hour later I’m wandering around the neighbouring town that resembled something like a war-zone. 
Cranes picking up peoples' ruined belongings, parked cars with doors open trying to air dry the inside, emergency services everywhere, TV camera crews walking around interviewing people.  The local campground was being used by the THW, this being a nationwide emergency services team, with one belonging to each county. They have helicopters, fire engines, medical equipment and basically integrate themselves with the other emergency services to help out. The Deggendorf campground was being used as their base but I was lucky enough to be allowed to stay there – keeping my distance from their operations.The following day access across the bridge to Fischerdorf was blocked by police, apparently the problem had escalated with road access no longer possible.  My only choice was continue further along the Danube to the next possible crossing then curve back around and just join the River Isar slightly further down.  The next bridge was about 18 kilometres along and after about 45 kilometres in total I joined the river at the town of Landau.
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The Isar had a good tarmac / paved cycle lane and a reasonable amount of sculptures; this one was a naturally gravity fed water pump, spraying down onto a large rock.

and waterfalls / hydro stations.

Also many clear-water streams trickling into it that proved ideal to take a break from the mid-day heat.  The campsite I stayed at that night had just been ‘hosed down’ from tarnishing the sand / silt had left.  The grass was good to pitch on so I was happy, and able to take a hot shower, not a cold strip-wash! 
The following day was a short 70km ride into Munich, entering along the ‘Englistcher Garten’ park next to the river. It’s a 910 acre garden / park space, one of the worlds largest urban public parks, making a pleasant way to enter the heart of the city, without the typical traffic issues.  I even found a city map laying on the path which made finding the proposed hostel (the Tent) that Cana had recommended even easier to find.

In Munich I decided to take a day off to get a real good look around. Firstly visiting the Olympic Park where there was a forthcoming BMX event and just making a huge jump, then later spending several hours inside the impressive Bayerische Motoren Werke [BMW] museum with everything from their original areoplane engines through to motorbikes and cars.  On Saturday night a group of us from the hostel went out on the town enjoying the Munich night-life, and beer!

So the next section is where I start using some lower gears as I head into the Austrian / Swiss Alps where some stunning scenery is to be found and a slight change of route occurs.
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Broken pencils are pointless.

What does a clock do when it's hungry?  It goes back four seconds.