Eurovelo 6 - Sigmaringen to Ulm, Germany.

When I started writing this Eurovelo 6 blog, my initial plan was to finish cycling in Basel, and meet my beautiful wife in Paris, followed by a week in Morocco and a visit to her ancestral family village in Sicily. But, we didn�t plan on Cathie getting sick back home in Australia the week before she was supposed to fly out. Doctor�s orders leave her at home in a chilly Katoomba winter, being cared for by our son Joe, and me biding my time in Europe, hoping she�ll be able to make it for at least six weeks of our planned three months. Which is why I�ve been cycling along Lake Constance and into Germany. 

    It�s perhaps appropriate that my last day riding east is also my longest at one hundred and ten kilometres. The Danube meanders sluggishly through a wide valley of farms and a series of small villages with plain houses surrounding a stocky white-painted church. In the square of each town, the traditional maypole has been erected. I�m too late for the fete that takes place, either on May 1st or at the Pentecost, but the decorations give each village a jaunty, �we�ve just had a party� appeal. Near the maypole there�s usually a temporary statue of a stork, often painted in outlandishly bright colours, or in one case, wearing a top hat and tails. If I was a self-respecting stork, I wouldn�t be nesting in that village. 

    But, there is an early migrant nesting in Zell when I ride through. Judging by this rooftop, storks not only bring good luck but also a lovely frosting of bird droppings to colour the tiles. 

   After fifty kilometres, the valley narrows and the path climbs significantly. At the top, I have a lovely view of cropland and more white churches. 

   As it's my last day heading east, it starts to rain and keeps raining until I reach Ulm, my destination. The Ulm Munster cathedral is a monster, with the tallest steeple in the world. The square in front of the church is empty, all the cafes pushed well back so visitors can take in the enormity of it�s loft. It�s neither elegant or particularly attractive, but I love the Gothic spires, the massive organ inside, reputedly once played by Mozart and underneath the organ, the haunting sculpture of Jeremiah.

   Next to the church is the Rathaus with a series of vivid paintings adorning each outer wall, accompanied by a story, which unfortunately I can�t translate. In each painting someone is pointing a finger at someone else. Methinks, there�s a cautionary tale being told. Regardless, it�s a lovely way to accentuate a town hall. 

   Ulm, like many cities with a river flowing through them, has a �Venice quarter�. My hotel manager implored me to check it out. It�s not the enchanted city, but it is lovely, particularly the 16th Century small hotel, built over the stream, which looks in danger of sinking. It�s called, appropriately, Schiefes Haus (the crooked house). To stay a night in this hotel only costs twice a much as every other lodging in the area. I wonder if the bed has a lean as well?

   Tomorrow I begin a series of train journeys west, necessary because some idiot didn�t book a reservation for his bicycle on a fast train. So, with a stopover in Strasbourg, I'll be riding the local trains most of the way to Paris. From there, I'll drive south, with my bicycle in the back, to Provence and the French Alps. After following rivers for the past month, I�m now going to tackle one or two mountains, while waiting and hoping my beautiful wife will be given the okay by doctors to fly over and meet me. 

   

    As it's my last night in Germany, let me write a few things about German food. Heavy, winter-friendly, cream-added, salt-enriched, processed meat... 

   Okay, now I've got that out of my system. Germans offer wonderful breakfasts - muesli, yoghurt, a huge choice of bread and rolls, three types of cheese, eggs, salami, ham, tomato, cakes, juice and coffee. Sometimes, I just wanted to stay in the dining room all day, but I knew I had to exercise to compensate for tomorrow's breakfast.

   They also have lovely strudels, of course and the beer is fantastic. Is beer a food? Anyway, as I've mentioned previously, it's cheaper than water and offered in huge jugs. I always feel like a Viking holding one of those mugs.

   But, the two best meals I had were in a Turkish restaurant and a Greek restaurant respectively. I guess you could say the same about Australia; that the influx of migrants has dramatically improved our restaurant options. However, what many Germans eat is just too meaty and is too reliant on cream in the sauce, for me. 

   Next trip, I'll stick to the three B's. Breakfast, bread and beer!

I have recently published my first eBook, about my bicycle journey across France, including a number of Tour de France mountain climbs.

baguettes and bicycles is a travel adventure, a restaurant safari and a guidebook for those who enjoy slow food, easy cycling... and fast descents!

To purchase this book for $2.99, go to my Amazon page, here.