Route: Graz - Vienna - Passau - Vienna - Poysdorf

On the clock: 2820 kms

After a very quick transit through lovely Slovenia I found myself back in Austria, this time at the Eastern end of the county. It was a tough 19% climb up to the border then a fun descent down. I asked a passing cyclist the best way to get to Graz, some 60 kms away and the lady kindly accompanied me to the Murradweg cycle path. I was happy to discover that this route following the river Mur was signposted all the way to Graz and was flat! I had a lovely ride in the sunshine along the river and through country lanes, hardly touching a road at all. After 70 kms or so I got chatting to another cyclist who was also on his way to Graz. We did the last 10 kms together and in town he escorted me right to the front door of my Warm Showers host in the city centre. All in all, the day had been pretty seamless.

Sevi

Sevi was out but had left me keys to get into his apartment on the 7^th floor. By the time he got back I was fed and showered. He had just finished the “Race around Austria” and regularly competed in other big events often clocking up over 350 kms/day. He was planning a cycle touring trip to Oz in October and I told him about my bike travels there. I had a look around Graz the following day and found it to be a really relaxed, friendly place. I climbed up to the BergSchloss for a better look of the city and had a nap and an ice cream in the sun. In the evening, I made pizza for dinner and Sevi and I ate together before he went off to stay the night with his girlfriend, leaving me the house to myself.

Graz

Next morning it was chucking it down. My alarm went off at 6 but unsurprisingly I took one look out the window and rolled over on my side. I woke again at 8 to more rain but resigned myself to just having to get on with it. It was my plan to do the 210 km ride from Graz to Vienna in one day, beating my previous longest day of 180 kms. The miserable weather however dampened my enthusiasm for such an undertaking and I set off at 9.30am, hoping to get at least most of the way to Vienna by nightfall.

Leaving Graz was miserable. After 10 kms I was soaked to the skin and freezing cold. I followed the R2 cycle path to Bruck an der Mur, stopping midway to shelter from the rain and change my clothes in a tiny train station waiting room. I devoured my sandwiches before setting off in the not quite so heavy rain. I arrived in Bruck and der Mur then started following signs for the Murztalradweg(R5) towards Murzzuschlag. The ride took me through some beautiful countyside and again was all off road however it was hard to feel positive in such cold, miserable weather. It was Sunday and I hardly saw a soul on the cycle path. I plodded on, slowly ticking off the kms to Vienna. By the the time I reached Murzuschlag I had done over 100 kms and still had a few hours of light. So after a bite to eat, I carried on, beginning to feel a faint glimmer of hope that I could in fact reach Vienna that night.

It was almost nightfall by the time I reached Wiener Neustadt. With 160 kms on the clock, I decided to call it a day. The heavens opened and before long I was soaked to the skin again. I had a choice: wild camp in this disgusting weather or jump on a train for the remaining 50 kms and spend the night in a warm bed at my friends house. I bought my ticket then set up camp on the train station platform making some soup on the stove to warm me up. As I watched the pavements turn to rivers in what was now a torrential downpour I felt confident that I’d made a good choice.

On the train I got chatting with Alexander, another cyclist who had like me, aborted the remainder of his ride to Vienna in favour of the train. Arriving in Vienna, Alexander then escorted me to Louise and Markus’s house, going at least 10 kms out of his way. It was such a big help. Vienna is a massive, sprawling city and pretty difficult to navigate  in the daytime let alone on a rainy night. Many, many thanks Alexander.

It took a few rings of the buzzer before a bleary-eyed Markus and Louise came out to greet me. It had been over a year since we’d seen each other. I was so happy to see them and despite having been rudely awoken on a school night, they were happy to see me too. After some tea and a fry up, I flopped into bed, happy not to be sleeping in a waterlogged ditch. I had another 3 days before I was due to fly back home, just enough time to get a feel for Vienna. I was glad to be coming back as 3 days together definitely wasn’t enough.

Pretend pointing.

Dream on Markus

Who's he?

I said “see you soon” to Louise, Markus and my bike and jumped on the bus to Bratislava airport. I would be returning  to Scotland for Michala and Andy’s wedding and a quick visit to friends and family. I won’t bang on too much about what was the wedding of the century as this is, after all, a travel blog but let’s just say, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Louise and I spent the following day getting our bikes and gear ready for our Danube trip. We would take the train from Vienna to Passau then cycle the 320 or so kilometres back to Vienna on the Donauradweg(Danube cycle path). By 5 o’clock we were packed which left us just enough time to catch 3 euro cocktail happy hour at the bar round the corner.

 Meeting Louise outside her work on the day of my return, I felt like I’d never been away. It was an unexpected scorcher of a day so we took our noodle box lunch to Prater park for a quick sunbathe. Returning back to the flat, we jumped on our bikes and headed down to the Danube for a swim. As we were fairly near to the FKK(nudist) part of the river, it didn’t seem to out of place that a few naked guys were wandering around. However we were a little surprised to notice that one of them had started masturbating furiously on the cycle path just behind us. Louise and I got a total fit of the giggles and could do nothing but laugh hysterically at the spectacle. We then noticed a guy on a road bike and lycra peeking out from behind another bush. He was at it too: one hand holding his bike and the other hand..... Whilst all this was going on, another guy came creeping round the bushes for a look. Had we accidentely stumbled across the filming of a new reality TV show called “Extremist masturbators”? It was time for us to go.

I met Louise outside work again with my fully loaded bike in tow. She had brought her bike to work so we were able to head directly to the train station. We arrived in Passau and made our way down to the Danube. It was a wet, horrible evening but we tried not to let it get us down. It was around 6 in the evening, just an hour and a half before nightfall.  We had to get out of town in that time and find a suitable place to set up camp for the night. After 16 kms we pulled in down a dirt track and found a great little spot by the river. We got cooking our pasta just as the last light was fading, thankful that the rain had stopped long enough to let us get set up. We sat by the moonlit river watching the huge, brightly lit passenger and cargo ships go past. They created some huge waves and we had to hold our breath the first couple of times thinking that they were going to wash us away. They didn’t. We watched an episode of Peep Show on the laptop before settling down for the night.

Rain battered the tent most of the night but my little Vango Soul 200 did us proud, keeping the rain out. It was a tight squeeze: technically a 2 man tent but realistically a 1 man tent with plenty space for gear so ideal for me on my own. With 2 of us, it was simply a tent for sleeping.

And she's off

Piss wet through already. Cycle touring is fun!

We woke next morning at 8,30am which is usually unheard of when wild camping. I’m usually up and away by 6.30 when I’m on my own. It was a miserable, wet morning. We had some tea then packed up the sodden tent. Back out on the cycle path we cycled in the rain another 10 kms before stopping for breakfast at a visitor centre. The sun came out for 5 minutes or so then disappeared behind thick cloud again. The rain had stopped at least. I was surprised by how few cyclists were on the path as I thought September would still be a popular month for cycling. In Summer, this part of the Danube is heaving.

As soon as the weather lifted, so did our spirits and before long we were zooming along having a great time. At around 45 kms we stopped for a lunch of instant noodles cooked on the stove. We carried on, cranking up our mp3’s for a while to help us get some miles in. 

Ferry across the Danube

Is this a duck I see before me?

After about 80 kms we arrived in the city of Linz. What a lovely city, much friendlier than Vienna. It was so nice to have a cycling companion again, mainly of course for the company and the shared experiences but also practically speaking as one of you can always stay and look after the bikes. We watched overhead as the skies turned black: we were in for a soaking. As we headed back over the bridge to the cycle path, it started. We got our raincoats on and carried on. Having bypassed a fantastic stretch of the river where wild camp spots would have been plentiful, we found ourselves cycling through a built-up area of shops and retail outlets with no access to the river. Darkness was falling: we had to get camped soon. By the time, we had made our way out of the unexpected urban sprawl, it was 7.30pm and night had fallen. We put our lights on and carried on into the night. At 112 kms we arrived at the campsite in Au to find the gate locked and so set the tent up on a nice stretch of riverbank across the road. I congratulated Louise on her heroic efforts on the bike that day and we sat down to a glass(plastic cup) of wine and some tortelloni.

Keen as mustard

Louise hits 100 kms

It was a very early rise for us the next morning as we were camped on land where it specifically said “no camping”. We didn't have many other options however after such a late finish. As soon as the tent was away though we could relax and enjoy a leisurely morning by the river. It looked like we were in for some good weather. Unsurprisingly, Louise had the onset of pretty serious saddle soreness and I hoped she would be fit for the day ahead.

A hobo, Linz

The weather was glorious so after 30 kms we stopped for a quick snooze in the sun. Louise really wasn’t comfy on the bike. We tried putting the seat forward and lowering the handlebars which didn’t make much of a difference. Like a trooper though she got her sorry ass back on the saddle and kept pedalling. On a positive note, the cycling was fantastic: winding country roads, flower-filled meadows and all the while the Danube sparkling in the sun. Whatsmore, the wind was giving us a free lift to Vienna!! Sunshine and a tailwind: you just can’t ask for more.

We zoomed along at a great speed, often doing a 30 km/h average and stopped after 55 kms for a lunch of soup and pasta. It also seemed like a good moment to have a liddle whaaaaan(French accent) with our lunch. At around 85 kms we reached the town of  Melk, popping into Hofer(Aldi with a silly name) for some provisions for Sunday. You see in Austria, the Sabbath still has some meaning and not only are all the shops closed but it is against the law to make any noise. Ssshh!

Panniers stuffed with all sorts of nice treats for the days ahead, we cycled on another 5 kms to Schonbuhel where we treated ourselves to a night in the campsite. It was a nice enough place but not great value for money. However, any campsite would by comparison be cheaper for me as I was now splitting the cost with someone. Louise treated herself to not one but two 50 cent showers: one for washing her stinky body and the second for pure pleasure. Dinner that night was a belter: spinach Knodeln and instant mash potato. Now if that’s not fine dining I don’t know what is. We gobbled it all up like a couple of hungry badgers then got into the world’s tiniest two man tent for a third night, settling down for a few episodes of Peep Show on the laptop.

"What do you call a duck on drugs?" A quackhead.

Accidental hip-hop look

Next morning was Sunday so we decided to take it easy and enjoy a relaxed morning. After several teas and coffees and breakfast on the banks of the Danube, we slowly got packed up. By 11 am we were ready to set off. Louise was on Markus’s bike which was not set up properly for her and just a little too big. This wouldn’t matter so much on an afternoon ride but after 200 kms starts to become a serious problem. I knew how saddle soreness felt and it’s no joke. Regardless, she mounted the instrument of torture, gritted her teeth and carried on without complaint.

The previous days tail wind had gone but thankfully the weather stayed dry for us the whole day. We crossed over the Danube for a look at the town of Krems only to find a marathon underway. The place was mobbed so we made our way back over to the other side of the river. At 40 kms we stopped for lunch. This time we had a bench each for a snooze so had a good kip for an hour or so. By this point we were around 80 kms from Vienna and Louise had resigned herself to camping out another night.

Winemaking in the Wachau

We pushed on, stopping a few times to buy fruit for sustenance from little road side stalls. The mp3 players were cranked up and the heads were down. Our next stop would be Tulln at about 80 kms which turned out to be nearer 90 kms after we took our first wrong turn. Sat on a bench near Tulln we scoffed a banana and I tentatively asked Louise if she thought the end was in sight enough to push on and finish the ride that evening. She still wasn’t convinced but I could see a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. Both of us wanted to finish that night so we could have a full day off relaxing in the house.

We cycled another 10 kms which brought us around 30 kms from Vienna. The sun was setting behind us over the Danube. It was at this point that Louise decided she would be sleeping in her own bed that night and from that point there was no turning back. By the time we reached a sign that said Vienna 25 kms, night had fallen. We got our bike lights and hi-viz jackets on and pedalled into the darkness. I actually love night cycling if it’s on a cycle path.

The next sign we reached said Vienna 8 kms. We had broken the back of it. Reaching 100 kms, we had the compulsory ringing of the bike bells which I also do religiously even on my own. Clicking 113 kms, Louise had broken her longest day record. Before long, we started to see the familiar skyscape of Vienna’s city centre buildings.

Louise lives very close to the Danube so we were able to follow the river right to the house. I asked Louise if she could have envisaged herself cycling 131 kms that morning. Her answer was no. But that is exactly what she had done. Arriving at the house, I gave her a big hug. I was so proud of her. Getting on a bike with no training or cycle touring experience and cycling 350 kms in 3 days was a fantastic achievement. It had been so nice to have some company and share my experience with someone again .Louise was a great travel companion and I hope we will ride again some more now that she(maybe) has the cycle touring bug. I’ll probably wait till she can walk again before suggesting another trip though!

As soon as we got in the house, Markus made the hungry travellers some dinner and tea which was gratefully hoovered up in no time. Then it was shower and bed. I spent another week in Vienna before setting off North to the Czech Republic. Saying goodbye to Louise was hard as we had spent so much time together over the last few weeks. I knew I was going to miss her.

A night at the opera

 It was a 60 km ride to the Czech border into, I soon realised, a ferocious headwind. I had a soul destroying day ahead of me fighting against the elements and losing. It was at this point that I realised that my trip was naturally coming to an end. With Winter comes a natural desire to build a nest and baton down the hatches for a while. I noticed the shift in my psyche very clearly and knew that Berlin, 700 kms away would be my final destination, for this year anyway. I eventually made it on to Brunner Strasse(the number 7 main road)  after 50 kms or so then followed it North for as long as I could. As I approached Poysdorf however it became insanely busy. The volume of traffic coupled with dangerously high winds made it impossible to cycle on this road safely so I made my way onto my only escape route: a dirt farm track leading to who knew where. I couldn’t believe my luck however when it led me straight onto the Euro Velo 9 cycle path which I had been looking for, unsuccessfully, all day.

The route took me through wine country, a beautiful ride. The wind blowing in my face however left me unable to appreciate any of the beauty around me. A passing cyclist going the other way gave me a cycle map of the area and told me that route 91 would take me straight to Mikulov, just over the border. He clearly pitied the poor fool who had resigned herself to an unwinnable battle against Mother Nature and wished me luck as he sped off with the wind at his back.  I carried on averaging around 12 kms/h without seeing another soul most of the day. What should have been a 4 hour ride had taken me the entire day. Night was falling as I cycled, exhausted into the Czech Republic