"Little Switzerland"

Looking down from Dochin Castle

We were greeted by a brief thunderstorm this morning, but the rain cleared after breakfast, allowing us a walk up to the castle, via the "Long Walk", with its high stone sides.  No English guide (either human or written) was available for the castle, so we settled for the Rose Garden instead.  Walking back to the hotel we shopped for lunch supplies, and then an 11AM departure for the area north of Decin (including parts of Germany and the Czech Republic) called "Little Switzerland"--forests and rocky pinnacles, many hiking trails, and a river that offers boating excursions.  The back roads were lovely, and not as crowded as we had expected, given the weekend and good weather.  We took two nice walks, and noted a large number of hikers and bicyclists.  

Yet another picnic

We found an agreeable lunch spot--having searched for a roadside table for 30 minutes--and then continued on to explore the German part of this park, which lies east of Bad Schandau. Upon reentering CZ on our way back to Decin, we noticed again the large number of factories that look derelict.  If they are still active, they certainly need extensive reconstruction. 

Bautzen

Bautzen Rathaus

Out the door at 10 (i.e. we met our goal, for once) we lingered in Cottbus to look for for a Czech road atlas, but found none in either the large town bookstore or the local ADAC office. Then off to our first stop--Bautzen--about halfway to our destination of Decin.  We're not talking long distances here--just our usual pace (Rob says 99 miles today). Bautzen recently celebrated its 1000th birthday, and has retained much of its attractive center, including 17 towers and some fortifications along the Spree River.  This area of Germany shows a strong influence of the Sorb population, which has several cultural institutions headquartered here.  Signage is in both languages.

The Reichenturm--a very leaning tower

The main church, St. Peters, is the only Simultankirche in eastern Germany, meaning that it serves both Catholics and Protestants.  When the Reformation arrived in 1524, both congregations agreed to share the church.  The original church was destroyed by a fire in 1634 but the two sections are still separate in the current church.  We walked the town, admiring the many elaborate facades and towers. The day heated up, but we found a cool picnic spot near the church fountain.


At 3, it was time to depart for our ride to Decin in the Czech Republic.  The last section of road from Bad Schandau was along the Labe (= Elbe) River, very scenic. Decin looks inviting, though a bit rundown after Germany.  And prices have dropped. In our very attractive hotel we decided to spring an extra 10E for a 55E business class room, definitely a bargain. Temperatures remain high and the local scenic attractions beckon, so we may choose to stay here a second night rather than heading to Prague and the crowds.


And a milestone passed today: 60,000 miles on the Bonnie.  See the photos for Rob's comments.

Museum and Gardens

Ready for war

Our day was divided into three parts plus ride.  While Rob attended morning talks, I packed up and checked out of the hotel before spending two hours at the nearby museum complex.  Today, after brief stops in the Chinese and Japanese scroll area, I headed for the extensive Pacific Island collection. Much of this was collected from Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Hawaii, and other islands in the Pacific.  The masks were particularly interesting.  I've included several of the information plaques along with photos.  

One of several greenhouses at the Botanical Garden

After picking up some lunch supplies we headed for the nearby Botanical Garden where we ate and then walked, ending up in the large complex of greenhouses.  Finally we headed south on the bike, with a target city of Cottbus, which we knew nothing about except that it was in the direction of Prague and large enough to have hotel choices.  We found one that suited our needs and then walked the town, which is an interesting mix of elaborate brick or ornamented buildings (circa 1890s-1910), with more modern and less interesting buildings, and more graffiti than we have previously noticed in Germany. There is also a technical university here.  And a second local language--Sorbian.  Signs are in both.

But tonight is another soccer meet--Germany vs. Italy.  All the cafes have big TV screens and the locals are definitely up for it.  (Unfortunately, as I write this, the score is Italy 2, Germany 0.  Will update later if Germany improves.  This is a semi-final match.  Later: Italy won 2-1)

Dahlem and Berlin

After we enjoyed an overwhelming best-yet hotel breakfast buffet, Rob went off to the morning math talks and I discovered the Dahlem Museum complex across the street from the hotel.  The Museum of Asian Art and Ethnographic Museum showcase Berlin's considerable collections of Indian, American Indian, Australian and Pacific Island, South American, and other ethnic groups. The Indian collection, for example, is considered one of the best in the world outside India.  I certainly didn't make it through all the galleries in my 2 hours, and plan to return tomorrow morning.


The American Indian collection is outstanding.  I was surprised to see items collected by explorer Maximilian zu Wied and the painter Karl Bodmer who accompanied him on his travels up the Missouri in the 1830s.  We had discovered him while viewing an exhibition in Pierre, SD two years ago.  Tomorrow I will take the camera with me.

The Reichstag.  We'll see it another day.

There were no afternoon math talks so Rob and I, after a minimal lunch in our room, took the train into Berlin intending to tour the Reichstag.  We disembarked in Potsdamer Platz and noticed several pieces of the Wall with information on plans to turn the few remaining Wall areas into commemorative reminders of the years when the city was split.  We walked to the Reichstag, passing the Holocaust Memorial, and upon arriving discovered that without having secured timed tickets online, we would have a considerable wait to enter the building.  So we'll leave that until our next visit.

Another motorcycle museum!

We decided to save our legs and backs, and took a bus down the Unter den Linden--the classic street of Berlin--to Alexanderplatz where we discovered a Motorcycle Museum featuring GDR bikes.  We  didn't recognize any of the makes--mainly MZ and Simson--but enjoyed seeing what East Germany had provided as an inexpensive 2-wheel alternative to the Trabant.


The rain started as we left the museum so we perked ourselves up at a nearby McDonalds and headed back to Potsdamer Platz, managing to complete that distance as our pants and shoes got thoroughly wet, despite our umbrellas. We arrived back in Dahlem at 7 and I decided to dry out while Rob headed off to the math banquet.

For car buffs

Digging up bones near the Cathedral

Out the door at 10, we explored central Zwickau on foot for 90 minutes, stopping at the Cathedral and doing a meandering walk through the central town and along the river.  The area around the Cathedral is undergoing much underground reconstruction.  We noticed two archaeologists uncovering some bones while work continued around them.


Our main interest today was the August Horch Automobile Museum, housed in his original factory. Horch started the Horch Automobile Company in 1901, moving it to Zwichau in 1904.  He left the company after a dispute in 1909 and started another company, also named Horch.  When he was legally forced to drop that name, he renamed his new company Audi.  In 1932 both companies, along with DKW and Wanderer, joined to form Saxony's Auto Union. Did you know that in the early 1930s Zwickau produced 20% of German automobiles?

The first Audi

The long history of car design and manufacturing in Zwickau made this fascinating museum well worth the 2+ hours we spent here.  The audio guide supplemented the limited number of English plaques and greatly improved the museum experience.  Rob took lots of photos and perhaps will have time to add captions.


We ate a late lunch at McDonalds and took the autobahn (which we usually avoid, but time was pressing) 150 miles to Berlin. At 7 pm we settled into our upscale Seminaris CampusHotel at Berlin Frei University for two nights, so Rob can attend two days of math lectures.  

Cham to Zwichau

fountain in Cham

The weather was chilly and iffy, mostly cloudy but with the possibility of rain.  We wanted to give Cham the once over which didn't take too long.  We noted an interesting fountain in the square and have included a photo of it and its German description in case anyone can help us identify the subject. We also relocated the one stork's nest that we noticed last night.  It's the first we've seen on this trip.  

Zwickau Rathaus and Theater

Back onto those lovely green line roads for most of the day.  Our straight-northward road took us briefly into the Czech Republic, riding through the town of Cheb which looked moderately prosperous, then passing the impressive casino and spa complex at Frantiskovy Lazne (German: Franzensbad).  Minutes later, back into Germany and a stop in the unimpressive town of Bad Brambach for our 2PM picnic.  More back roads and a bit of rain as we headed for Zwickau, tonight's destination.  This city is the birthplace of the Audi, the Trabant, and Robert Schumann.  We've landed a reasonable rate for our Holiday Inn room (original price of 130E was knocked down to a 99E offer -- breakfast included -- when we suggested that we would decline breakfast.) and walked the area before I returned to the room and Rob continued walking and met a downpour.  We hope to visit the Cathedral and August-Horch-Museum (inventor of the Audi) tomorrow.  Volkswagon has a presence here too, and apparently has boosted the economy of this ex-GDR city.

A Day on the Bike

last view of the Alps as we headed north

We headed north, with mountain scenery for the first few hours of our day.  These became hills eventually but retained scenic interest.  Farms interspersed with wooded areas and some lakes as we passed from Austria to Germany and back again.  This was a sunny Sunday and the locals were out  bicycling, walking, and sunbathing.  But our back roads were generally free of heavy traffic.  

We passed by the interesting looking Burghausen with its castle on the hill, and stopped for our picnic in Braunau, overlooking the Inns.  Green-line roads abound and Rob took as many as he could justify while trying to make some progress.  As you can tell from our direction, our plans have changed.  Instead of making a counter-clockwise loop through Hungary, Slovakia, and then the Czech Republic, we are going to move clockwise, visiting Prague and vicinity first and whatever we can squeeze in of Slovakia and Hungary in addition. We are also considering heading for Berlin--yes, not on the original agenda--for a math conference later this week. The decision will be made tomorrow.

We decided to stop at 7 in the town of Cham and hunted for a hotel.  Only one appeared (two other possibilities were closed) and that was the **** Randsbergerhof.  No choice but to accept a four star hotel, so for 99E ($125) we are enjoying the amenities that we usually don't aspire to.  We took a brief walk along the Regen River before settling in.  Fine riding weather all day, though it did cloud up in the afternoon.

Triumphs in Neukirchen

Heading up the mountain

This will be our last day in Zell am See.  I think we've covered the area quite well, though one could clearly spend a month finding new roads to ride and trails to hike.  It's been an excellent base for this scenic part of Austria.  We started the day by walking the town, pedestrian center, and lakefront.  We watched a game similar to Bocce Balls, but using discs with a post handle instead of the balls.  The rules seemed to be similar--sliding your disc nearest the goal and knocking opponents out of the way.


Two cable cars start in town.  We had taken one earlier in the week and took the second today--still free with our tourist pass.  No rain this morning but the peaks were hidden by clouds so we were taking a chance on visibility.  Indeed the top remained cloudy throughout our hour walk--known as the Panorama walk (but not today). 

watching the rainy bike parade

Since we were still in the area, of course we had to visit the Triumph Motorcycle gathering in Neukirchen, the town where we had noticed the Triumph banners on Monday.  This is the 7th annual Triumph meeting, and the largest in Europe apparently--20,000 people expected. Most of the bikes were from Austria, Germany, and Italy, with a small contingent from GB and a couple from the Czech Republic.  It was generally a sedate crowd, though as the bands started and the beer got consumed, we assume things took a more lively turn.  But with rain starting, we had to depart at 6.  We did make one further attempt to fix our bike's "rain" problem (see our Picasa photos) and perhaps it worked, though the rain was not hard enough to really test it.

Gorge, Museum, and Ride

Sigmund-Thun Gorge

First an update on last night's bike problem. It turned out not to be an empty tank, as we discovered when we filled up this morning and Rob calculated that there had been sufficient gas remaining (3 liters or so) when the engine died. So apparently it's our old die-in-the rain problem, where some engine part gets wet and needs to dry out before we can restart the bike. Rob is stumped. So maybe the solution is to avoid rain, which we barely succeeded in doing this evening.  More on that later.


The weather report suggested a 60% chance of rain, but the morning seemed relatively clear, so we decided to visit a nearby gorge that our pension host recommended.  So back to Kaprun and a walk through the Sigmund-Thun gorge.  Very impressive with heavy water flow and dramatic drops.  At the top of the gorge we chose to walk around the reservoir and then returned to the entry point, which was also the Kaprun electricity plant.  We looked at the exhibits (all in German) and the powerhouse.  This is plant which produces power from the reservoirs that we toured two days ago.  All are connected.

Rob remembers coveting one of these

After a quick Spar Market stop we rode into town for our picnic and then to our number 2 activity for today-- Votter's Vehicle Museum, located in a basement extension to his hotel in Kaprun.  The collection covered historic cars, motorcycles, and various other vehicles.  It highlighted Austrian made vehicles but included other European makes. 


Back to Zee am See for a brief stop to pick up our laundry and take a break.  Then off to explore more local valleys.  Rob had selected a fine 100 mile loop ride beginning with a surprisingly fine dead end valley.  Fine weather for most of the ride but the dark clouds gathered and we barely made it back to the hotel at 8:15 before the deluge arrived.

Grossglockner Alpine Road

The number one attraction in this area is the Grossglockner Alpine Road, built between 1930 and 1935, which travels, via many twists and turns, to the Pasterze glacier, with the Glockner summit (3798m) rising behind.  We took our cool weather gear but unfortunately not all our rain gear with us.

Pasterze glacier

The road is quite fantastic for motorcycles and we saw a good number, though probably not what an August weekend would produce.  Many of the bikes were Triumphs, though mostly the sporty Tiger model, not the staid Bonneville that we ride. Of course they were here for the weekend Triumph gathering nearby.


The views actually outdid the road in impressiveness.  Clouds started to gather but the peaks stayed clear for most of the day.  Every hairpin turn opened another fine vista.  We reached the glacier overlook at 1:30, walked and viewed a bit, ate our picnic, and spent an hour at various exhibitions in the National Park building.  These included a history of the building of the road, snow clearing, and a number of vehicle races that use the road annually--historic cars, motorcycles, vespa scooters, bicycles, in-line skaters (downhill only), and even tractors. 

filling the tank--gas was the solution

After departing the glacier, Rob wanted to take a look further south down the valley, which delayed our return ascent and descent of the Alpine Road.  By the time we started up the clouds were threatening, and rain hit before we reached the summit.  A very wet ride, but manageable until the engine died.  This phenomenon has been a problem with this bike in wet weather.  We twice had to stop and wait until the bike would restart.  Finally, 5k from our Zell am See target, the bike died and would not restart.  Luckily we were able to roll under an overpass since the rain (and a bit of lightning and thunder) continued, heavily at times. Could the problem this time be a lack of gas? Should I go on?


Rob finally decided that an empty tank was a possibility.  The GPS showed a station 600 meters away, so off he walked  in the rain.  Half an hour later he turned up in a taxi.  The gas station had no power and therefore could not pump gas.  But they called him a taxi which then took him to another station; he returned with the gas, started the bike, and bike and taxi (taking no chances now) were off to Pension Andrea, arriving at 8:30. 


Late as it was, Rob was inclined to walk to the lake and experience the advertised evening of authentic Austrian music.  I couldn't bring myself to join him in the rain, but will include photos of the event. (Later:  He just returned, reporting that the only occupants at the bar were four band members and two staff. Performance cancelled due to rain)

A snow day on Kitzsteinhorn

Top of the Kitzsteinhorn

Those wonderful tourist passes provided by our pension hosts gave us two mountain trips today.  Kaprun, the town next to Zell am See, is the access point for ski lifts up to Kitzsteinhorn (3203 m), known for its summer ski opportunities.  Our passes got us free rides on the three-leg lifts to the top.  The price would have been 30E each!


At the top of leg two we were already into snow, and many visitors just stopped there and played in it. Lots of Muslim families seemed to enjoy this area.  We went on to the top where many ski lifts to various slopes were available and some skiing was in evidence. It was a fine sunny, though somewhat hazy, day so the vast mountain ranges don't show clearly in our photos.  We had brought along light jackets but were in shorts since it was in the mid-80s below.  Just enough not to mind the cold at the summit.  After spending some time on the outdoor viewing platforms we looked at a brief movie on the Hohe Tauern National Park, and Rob walked the long tunnel into the mountain, with exhibits along the way.  When I felt that 0 degree celsius (32 F) tunnel air, I opted out.

lower reservoir on our tour

Back down by 1:30 and a short ride to today's second activity.  First a picnic on a somewhat convenient ledge.  Then the 30 minute bus trip (cost 19E but free with our passes) up to the two reservoirs that feed the Glockner Kaprun power station.  Half of that 30 minutes was spent in tunnels.  The reservoirs are actually on the eastern side of the Kitzsteinhorn, but not visible from the viewing stations.  We caught the last bus up (3:15) and the last one down (4:45), giving us 45 minutes to walk across the dam and back.


Rob had planned another late afternoon ride but the weather was somewhat threatening so we headed back to our hotel and will walk this evening if rain holds off.

Two cool hikes

Rob attempting the "children's" activity on our hike

There are so many hikes available in this area, let alone fine biking roads, that we of course will need to stay another night in the comfortable Pension Andrea.  This morning the hostess (the owners are a Dutch couple) gave us two tourist cards which cover or partially pay the entrance fees for most of the local attractions including the cable car lifts.  We don't know what the financial arrangement is, but many hotels give out these cards.  They sure are saving us a bundle.

The weather has heated up, so our two hikes today reflected a need to stay cool.  First, we took the local cable car, the barn being just  two blocks away, up the mountain for a very pleasant and mostly level hike.  This particular hike seems to be child-oriented and included a number of climbing and other attractions--most too difficult for us, actually.  See the photos for more information.

Walking the gorge

Back down to town, a market stop, and lunch in the room.  It was nearing 2PM and we were too hungry to walk to the lake for a more scenic venue.

Hike No.2 required a 45 minute ride to the Liechtensteinklamm Gorge.  Very cool here!  Not a bad gorge either.  It was nearly 6 when we left and, taking the long road home via a valley or two, we didn't arrive in Zell am See until after 8.  We picked up some beer and headed to the lake for a bit of relaxation.  We have noted that this tourist town seems to have a substantial Muslim community.  They were much in evidence in the park next to the lake.  Many of the women wear just head scarves but others are in full black coverage. An interesting change from our 2002 visit.

Zillertal Alps

Schlegeis Reservoir and Mr. Riffler (3231m)

From Mayrhofen two roads extend up into two valleys.  Last night we rode the shorter one to Tux, noting numerous hotels and pensions for hikers and skiers.  Throughout this area of the Zillertal Alps, cable cars take skiers and summer hikers and bikers to the upper reaches of the mountain slopes.

Today we headed up the second valley to the Schlegeis Reservoir.  We stopped first at the little town of Ginzling (Lonely Planet calls this "authentic", and it did seem unrelated to tourists) to walk for an hour past farms and wildflowers.  On to the dam and reservoir, and a long hike along the shore to the far end.  Rob managed it all and I stopped 2/3 of the way. The day had warmed up, but plenty of hikers joined us on the trail.  Some showed definite signs of sunburn.  

Kimml Waterfalls

A late picnic with our meager fixings (the herring in mustard sauce hit the spot though), Rob's quick walk across the dam, and then departure back to Mayrhofen  and on to Zell am See for the night.  We did stop to admire the Kimml waterfall from a distance--more spectacular than the photo shows.  We recall Zell am See from a previous trip in 2002, and particularly for leaving behind our jackets in the hotel.  We discovered this error when we reached the .,.Glacier and it forced us to return to Z a S and take an unexpected route back to our flight in Vienna.  That trip of course was by car.  One doesn't leave a motorcycle jacket behind.  Rob also remembers jogging around the lake--quite a feat then and not a possibility now in his post-jogging years. But we did get in enough walking today to feel that we can still manage that pleasure for a few more years.

Innsbruck and beyond

Will we get caught up on our blog tonight?  We had a poor internet connection last night, so no photos loaded, and we are even more behind on captioning them.

St. James Cathedral, Innsbruck, from the tower

We slept late despite the nearby church bells that started at 7.  We managed to get down to breakfast at 9:40, thankful that a 10 am cutoff is the norm on our travels so far. (To USA motels: Are you listening?) Then we rode to Innsbruck, which coincidentally we visited exactly 52 weeks ago in very similar circumstances, then traveling southward to Croatia, today traveling eastward to Hungary. We parked next to the river in the same spot as last year, and took the same enjoyable walk along the Inns River and through the botanical garden before reaching the main tourist stops.  Last year we visited the excellent Tyrolian Folk Museum, so today we opted just to walk, except for a climb to the top of a tower for city views.

Wilten Abbey Church, just south of Innsbruck

After a late picnic in the botanical garden and an unsuccessful attempt to visit the rail museum (see photos) we headed east and south to Mayrhofen, having 30 minutes earlier identified a sweet lodging option there during a (yet another) McDonalds stop.  Then of course an evening ride up a valley and into the mountains to Hintertux for more fine views. Some sprinkles dissuaded us from riding up into the second local valley -- we're saving that for tomorrow.

Austrian Alps

After our supermarket stop we headed south, pausing in Fussen to take a brief look at the Lech River "waterfall" (weir-created and a mere 30 foot drop, but scenically situated) which we had missed yesterday. Then continued on into Austria. It was a splendid warm sunny day, perfect for riding, so we spent most of the day on the bike. Lots of other bikers were enjoying the sun and fine back roads too.

moving the hay into rows

Nearly all the alpine farms we passed were bringing in the hay. It seems to have been cut recently, and we see it everywhere being turned over to dry (several times, over several days?), and then raked (by hand or machine) into rows, which the tractor machines scoop up. Lots of hay being transported along roads everywhere, frustrating the many impatient drivers (who always it seems have local plates).

For today's grand exploration we headed up the long Pitztal valley all the way to the end of the road in Mittelberg.  There a hiking trail continued even further upward, we thought toward a glacier, as a sign seemed to suggest.  After our picnic on a rock we walked the trail 2 km to a cafe, but no glacier appeared.  Probably long since retreated.  But the ride and walk were worth the effort even without a glacier-siting. (Tonight I read in our downloaded Michelin Guide that one in fact reaches the glacier by taking the Pitzexpress funicular underground for 3.7km to its foot.  That would have been one amazing trip).

walking to the non-existant glacier

We were headed for Innsbruck tonight, but some lodging research (conducted at yet another McDonalds stop) suggested that hotel prices there were somewhat inflated, so we decided to stay in Telfs where we were, 30km short of our target. The hotel selection here is very limited, however, and we don't know if our 96 euro choice is a savings.  A very pleasant room though, right in the heart of town.

I sit on our balcony enjoying the pink evening light on the mountains to the left and right. After taking a solo ride into the local mountains, Rob now is out watching the very-nearby Saturday night town festival.  I wonder if its noise will continue into the wee hours.

PS. Crummy internet tonight and last night. Will try to get caught up on photos tomorrow (Sunday) night.

Alpine roads

A strange figure flanking the altar at St. Mang's

Schwangau seemed to be a good base from which to take an Alpine loop that Rob had in mind, and to visit yet another Ludwig II castle--Linderhof Palace.  So we booked a second  night and spent the morning in nearby Fussen, which to our pleasant surprise turned out to be much more than just a tourist hotel city.  Towering over the town and the river Lech is St. Mang's Basilica.  We walked the historic old town, checked out a lovely wooded local park, took a walk along the river, visited two very ornate baroque churches, and finally tore ourselves away at 1 pm for the ride to Linderhof Palace.

Linderhof Palace

This little "jewel box" of a residence is where Ludwig II actually spent most of his time.  Unlike the huge Neuschwanstein, Linderhof contains just 8 very elaborate baroque-style royal rooms, but no guest rooms.  On display was lots of Meissen porcelain which he collected, along with many varieties of marble, ornate crystal chandeliers, and much gold ornamentation.  The grounds include parterre gardens and fountains and a large grotto (we missed that tour, unfortunately) and a charming Moroccan chapel.  We managed to squeeze in a 3 pm picnic between the palace tour and walking the grounds, and departed at 4:30 to continue our Alpine loop ride.


25 kilometers along, yet another McDonalds stop in Garmische. Rob said he needed a navigation stop. Well, he did indeed chose some fine roads to explore.  Perhaps he'll post a map photo.  The sun shone all day and it warmed up into the 80s. A perfect day and ride, just 115 miles, returning to Schwangau at 8:15. May we have many more like it.

Hohenschwangau Castle

Germany won last night's soccer match against The Netherlands 2-1.  Cheers went up from all the nearby cafes.  I tried to pick up the game on TV but couldn't get any reception.  Rob later discovered that the hotel was using our TV cable--sent out our window--to their outdoor cafe below.

entrance to Hohenschwangau Castle

We walked the town this morning but didn't make any stops except for lunch supplies, after noting that the city museum didn't open until 11 am.  By then we were off on a few busy and many not-so-busy roads toward Fussen, with a picnic stop overlooking Nesselwang.  Fussen is the site of two famous castles--Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.  Since we had visited the first (and more famous, built by Ludwig II of Bavaria) several years ago, we opted this time to tour the second, built by Ludwig's father, Maximilian II, in the mid 19th century.   We had time for a pre-tour walk along the lake. Due to a staffing problem, the 5PM English tour turned out to be conducted via audio cassettes.  The castle is relatively interesting but not as dramatic as Neuschwanstein.  

evening walk

We headed for nearby Schwangau for lodging and were successful in finding a quiet hotel on the edge of this small town (avoiding  all the tour bus hotels), with a view of both castles and the mountains from our balcony.  An evening walk along the shore of the Forggensee finished off a lovely day.  The sun kept us company throughout, though  wetter weather is promised in the near future.

The long road to Ravensburg

Sigmaringen Castle entrance

Slightly better weather today, with periods of sun and rain alternating all day.  The first wet spell caught us unprepared so we were a bit damp by the time we found an overhang and suited up.  Of course Rob needed to ride all the green-line roads in the area.  By the time I recognized one town as being a "repeat" we were done and ready to head towards Fussen, our target for tonight.  Didn't make it.

At 1:30, after passing some interesting rock cliffs, we stopped in Sigmaringen looking for an indoor eating option and found a Chinese restaurant which satisfied our needs.  The town boasts the castle which was the seat of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen branch of that family.  We decided not to delay our day's progress by taking the guided tour (rde: offered only in German, so we're in the non-German tourist boonies. Love it.). The castle is also historically interesting for being the seat of the French Vichy government-in-exile at the end of the war.  The town was taken by the French army in April 1945. Our photo of the entrance does not do justice to this impressive castle.


 Headed east (finally!) we caught a brief view of the Alps when the clouds cleared.  Another late afternoon stop at a McDonalds for cappuccinos and a shared McFlurry (getting to be a "bad" habit, but it wakes us up).  Upon leaving, the weather looked like it was deteriorating once again so we opted to stay here in Ravensburg. A good choice it turns out, for the town has a charming central pedestrian area (as so many German towns do, and they work!), with a good number of interesting-looking churches, towers, markets, etc., some of which we'll try to explore before departing tomorrow.


Tonight many of the outdoor cafe TVs are showing the soccer matches, and from our open window we hear the cheers and groans from all over town. Maybe we need to inform ourselves about this German mania, which has been increasing this past week.

Rain!

Pigs in the rain

Rain greeted us this morning and kept us company all day.  After deciding at breakfast to stay another night in Tuttingen, we discovered that our hotel was fully booked for tonight.  Using a map of hotels in town we walked from one to the next, finding them all full.  Guess those surgical instrument buyers are a busy lot.  Finally we lucked out--a very pleasant room for 89E, and a garage for our bike as well.  

lunch in the room

We spent most of the day reading and napping, with a river walk -- in the rain of course -- in the evening.  Slightly better weather forecast for tomorrow and some sun on Thursday before the next storm hits.  Perhaps we can make some tracks through Austria towards Hungary and find a more interesting city to wait out the next storm in.




rde adds: What a way to spend a birthday -- Judy's 70th no less. (Trivia aside: she shares this day with GHWB#41, 18 years older, as we learned at his library in Texas in 2009.) Neither of us was up for a celebratory dinner tonight, since lunch was very ample and the weather stinks. But she knows she has a rain check.

German Clock Museum

Astronomical clock from 1774

Next door to our hotel was the German Clock Museum, which entertained and enlightened us for more than two hours this morning.  Featuring an in-depth history of Black Forest clocks, nevertheless the museum's many displays span timepiece history from its inception in the middle ages right up to the present. 


At 2 the weather was cold and drizzly, so we headed indoors, opting for a tuna pizza and a lamb kabob plate, which we figured at 9 euros ($11) total would be just right. Turns out that it was way more food than we needed (e.g. the pizza was over 12"), so we left half of it uneaten.  At 3 pm we finally hopped on the Bonnie and headed for our last local stop just north of town at the source of the Danube (see Rob's final photo comment last night). Actually there's some question about this attribution -- see today's photos.


Finally heading out of Furtwangen, we had sun but then rain, some of it heavy (luckily that was only while we were waking up ourselves with coffee at the McDonalds in Titisee-Neustadt).  After a mere 75 miles of travel we decided at 6 pm to secure lodging in the town of Tuttlingen (rde: The superior hotel wanted $140, so we chose instead the perfectly comfortable inferior one for $90).  We noted some light industry on our way into town and later discovered (according to Wikipedia --do we believe?) that 50% of the world surgical instruments are manufactured here!


We took an evening walk through town and along the (still small) Danube.  Tomorrow perhaps we'll visit the city of Ulm, which we missed last year due to rain and time constraints.

Black Forest Open Air Museum

1612 farmhouse

We arrived the nearby Open Air Museum in Gutach about 10:30 and spent three hours in this marvelous and very informative complex.  Opened in 1964, it displays the rural life of the Black Forest over the past 400 years.  The centerpiece is the large farm house and attached barn built at this site in 1612.  Like many such homesteads, it is situated on a hillside with living quarters facing the valley and the backside built against the hill, providing easy access to the upper level barn where animal stalls were located. Outbuildings include the storehouse and bakery and distillery (see photos for more information).  


Detailed signage was in German, French and English, and our extensive guidebook filled in the gaps.  Several additional farm buildings, two sawmills, and other related structures each housing various exhibits, kept us busy and engaged.  The Black Forest area was remote and unsettled until the early 1600s except for occasional monasteries.  Farming was difficult in the hilly and thickly forested landscape, and lumbering supplemented incomes.  Inheritance laws required that farms be kept intact in order to remain a profitable size.  Interestingly, farms were passed down to the youngest son or eldest unmarried daughter.

Rob's evening walk along the Danube (see his photo caption)

We managed to hold off eating until 2, and found a convenient table for our picnic.  Then 2 hours of local twisty and always scenic roads, ending up at 5 pm in Hausach, almost where we started.  I was nodding off by then so Rob kindly (maybe to avoid my falling off the bike) stopped for coffee.  Had he earlier noticed the adjacent model train museum?


Then on to Furtwangen where we have found another pleasant hotel.  Rob is out walking while I write the blog.  Apparently the town is famous for the musical clocks made here from 1857 to 1896 by the Emilian Wehrle factory.  Those clocks are  prized by collectors today. There is a university here and a clock museum which we hope to visit tomorrow.

Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle

Blue sky and clouds, so we spent a fair part of the day on the bike, thoroughly enjoying the wonderful green-line roads which surround us.  Our one tourist target, suggested by a fellow-motorcyclist back at Stefan's in Heidelberg (would we have missed it otherwise?), was the hilltop Hohenzollern Castle, with its commanding views of the countryside.  This royal family of German kings is first mentioned in the literature in 1061and remained in power through nine centuries, ending with Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918.  The castle--the third on the site-- was built between 1860-1867 and was lived in only briefly.  

The only way we could eat before taking the 2 pm English tour was to brave the cafe food. Lacking a dictionary we ended up with a slab of ham "meatloaf" and some curried bits of ?. At least we recognized and enjoyed the pommes frites. (check photos for visuals) The excellent castle tour covered five furnished rooms and a brief history of the family.  

More hours of pleasant riding, punctuated by a McDonalds coffee stop (cappuccino, no less), brought us to the small town of Hornberg in the heart of the Black Forest, near the open air museum that we plan to visit tomorrow.  After securing our bargain room in the town's best hotel, we departed again for a 90 minute evening ride (can't get enough of this countryside), winding up at 7:40 at the nearby town of Gutach.  By chance we had seen posted a notice of a choral performance there, and managed to slip into the church in time to catch most of the 75 minutes of wonderful music. Another perfect day. A mere 134 miles was just right. Rob says he's tempted to stay in Germany for the next six weeks!

Freudenstadt and environs

Hot Dog! Sausages galore. Smelled wonderful, but we passed.

Rain this morning so we hung out in the room until 11 when it lessened, and then walked the 2K into town.  The huge Market Place is known as the largest in Germany, though it is intersected by a road which makes the  attribution somewhat questionable.  Lots of food and clothing  stalls, but nothing tempted us.  The Marktplatz was built by Duke Friedrich I of Wurttemberg in 1599.  His intended castle never materialized but he did build the Protestant Stadtkirch with its interesting perpendicular naves.  Unfortunately the church was bombed to bits in 1945, but it has been very nicely rebuilt.  At 1:30 the rain and chill sent us indoors for a Thai lunch (see photo proof for those of you who know Rob's antipathy to restaurants).


At 3:30, with improving weather, we headed out on the Bonnie to experience the Black Forest, taking some lovely back roads north to Baden-Baden, where we spent an hour walking the town and park.  We then headed south on the famous Schwarzwald-Hochstrasse (Black Forest High Road) which runs along the tops of hills, with views of the thick forests and  occasional towns in the valley.

Rob wanted a photo of us in front of the famous Oberwolfach Math Institute.

Rob had another detour in mind.  The math institute at Oberwolfach is just 30K from Freudenstadt.  Yesterday he checked their schedule and noted that Knot Theory was this week's topic.  So we stopped by for an hour's catch up with long-time math friends, departing at 7:15 for our final scenic (and increasingly chilly) ride "home" to Freudenstadt.