Loneliness, rain and snail
My mood is down, I am riding again but by my self. The feeling of lonely is huge after spending a week at three. I was ready to go back with them !! Even the lake of Traunsee where I am riding near doesn’t give me motivation. Especially because I have a big storm on the top of me, I have to eat my lunch under a kid playground. I am riding, bringing my loneliness which is heavy as my bags, luckily is flat! And then, a guy in the street raises his thumb when he sees me, the first sign that makes me smile and makes me appreciate the moment. The landscape is changing too, the mountains disappear for the fields and lands. And I can see the sky starting to be dark again. Almost 6pm, it is time to find somewhere to stay tonight. I am looking at the houses, looking for someone in their garden. There, in the garden of a big farm, I can see a woman and her dog speaking with an old man. I ask her if it is possible to put my tent in her garden for the night. She offered even better : a big chicken house, no, it is a summer terrasse, with a shelter! It is how I met Tania, her dog Benji and her son. Quickly, she offers me to have dinner with them. I discovered the Austrians habits. Her husband will eat later, he has to take care of the pigs, 300 of them, it is a lot of work (and it smells a little bit). I am happy because for once, it is with the woman of the family who I speak with and who take me under her winds. Because most of the time, at the first time, the men are less afraid of me. And after a night with the snails (I think none of them came on top of me during the night, I hope), I take my breakfast with them, same meal than the evening, bread, cheese and ham. It was a wonderful meeting, who cheered me up when I needed it. And make me think that the adventure is worth living.
Let’s go to the Donau
And after a few detours, I am going to see the Donau, under the city of Linz. I was impatient because the Eurovelo 6 is a famous bicycle path for bicycle travellers which is all along the Donau from Germany to the black see. And because I am excited, this first day was very nice. I ride along the Donau on the right side to Wallsee. I rode a little bit with Cyna, an Austrian woman aged 65 years old who is divided between traveling around the world and her husband who is sick and the reason why has to stay at home. With a well health, she is enjoying riding around with her e-bike. In Wallsee, a little town along the Donau, I am stopping to take a sweet break. A Marillenkuchen, a handmade cake with almond and apricot, a local dessert. This cake was the beginning of an amazing meeting because the owners Hantz and Manuella offered me even more. They have a big garden at the back so they proposed me to put my tent over there for the night. Perfect ! The problem is that I didn’t put up my tent straight away. Between, there were an incalculable shooters of vodka/strawberry, liquor made by Hantz, very nice and refreshing. And when my glass of white wine was empty, Hantz put more. He offered me spatzle with cheese, delicious meal who helped me to sponge the alcohol as well. I spent a beautiful evening with locals people, all curious about my trip. Not everybody are speaking English but the magical of the meeting is working. Hantz, who likes rocks and alternative medicine, offered me necklace and told me than I have a good aura and there is a beautiful light surrounded me. I am touchée. And I feel that it résonnent with all these beautiful moments that I had the chance to live until now. And because it is 1am and my tent still not put up, Hantz suggest to me to sleep inside the bar! At least I am away from the mosquitoes. He is going home, I am the girl who look after the bar tonight, what a trust !
To go to Vienne, it is always straight…
After a good breakfast at the restaurant with Manuella and Hantz, I hit the road again. I still have about 190km to reach Vienna and I want to get there in two days. Needless to say, I’m not going to be idle. For a little change, I change banks to ride on the left one. Fortunately I pass through pretty little villages, it’s a little less monotonous. I thought there would be more people on this bike path. I meet a few people along the way, time to share a few kilometers together and chat as best we can. It re-energizes me and allows me to not always have my nose on that counter which doesn’t advance the kilometers very quickly in my opinion. I cross Melk, another shore, another atmosphere. Yes, the Benedictine abbey is magnificent, but with the cruise ships stopping there, it is also a release of octogenarians. Hop a few photos and I’m off again. And I soon arrived in the Wachau region, which many locals have spoken to me about. Indeed, the landscapes are changing. The vineyards, the orchards (apricot country), the villages, the beautiful estates, this setting is ideal for a bike ride! There are also more people. Enough to give me courage and go to a campsite in Krems, a little expensive but the opportunity to meet an American girl, Heather, adventurer and teacher around the world. 100km of cycling, fortunately on flat ground, but after a short night, rather proud of myself.
Let’s go, 80km to reach Vienna, fingers in the nose. Haha, as very often I get carried away. Because the wind decided otherwise. The first kilometers seemed long to me that day, I am on the banks of the Danube, long straight lines, to my left the river – yes I change banks to occupy myself and pass the dams – and to my right, the forest. I am a little bored. But little by little, the wind picks up. My morale soars with him. On flat ground, here I am doing 13km/h. It becomes interminably long. Fortunately Vienna is soon here. At the end of the river are the buildings, the people, the highways! The campsite is along the EV6, I just have to go… straight ahead. I am crossing the island of Vienne. I found the crowd again, it’s Saturday, the meeting place for the Viennese to have a picnic (the barbecue smells so good!!) and to swim. I “go for it”. I’m tired but happy to arrive! Like any campsite on the edge of a big city, this one is not very pleasant, and above all expensive, but is ideal for pitching my tent for two nights. And what better way to cheer yourself up than a beer and a pizza shared (and offered) by three Austrians Alex, Jürgen and Bernd who have just done in one week what I did in two. They come from Dornbirn, near Hohenems, where it all began in Austria. An unexpected and very pleasant evening spent with cycling (and walking!) enthusiasts talking.
Vienna, its palaces, its museums and it Kaiserschmarrn !!
An intense day awaits me in the Austrian capital. Firstly because it takes me 30 minutes to cycle just to get to the city center. Early departure, I can have breakfast there. A coffee and a savory croissant to energize before taking a guided tour of the city. I am a fan of “free walking tours”, a good way to get a first glimpse of the city, to learn anecdotes, to meet other travelers and to give whatever tip you want at the end. It’s in English, so it requires 2h30 of concentration. And as a bonus, we have rain! Fortunately I thought of my k-way. I learn more about the history of Vienna and Austria, the influence of the Habsburg family and its empire, Empress Sisi, local specialties, ending with its beautiful cathedral. Vienna is splendid. On every street corner, buildings, each more ostentatious than the last. I took advantage of my last Austrian lunch to eat a Goulash with Spatzle. To digest and have an appetite for a snack, I visited the Vienna museum which covers the entire history of the city (a very rich collection) and a temporary exhibition on the movement led by Klimt, Stuck, Liebermann, The Viennese Secession. After 2 hours of wandering, I finally deserve to taste the Kaiserschmarrn! Since then I have dreamed of it. It is a dessert that is often eaten in mountain refuges. I think I would have enjoyed it more after a big hike but delighted to be able to taste it here in Vienna. It’s a crumbled and caramelized pancake served with compote. So yummy. To end the day, I finished visiting the beautiful neighborhoods and the Prater where there is an old funfair. Slowed down by the rain, I ended up returning, soaked. And to end this Austrian adventure, I have dinner with a French couple also traveling by bike. They come from Budapest, the direction I am about to take. Exchanging our adventures, our anecdotes, our ways of traveling and especially chocolate, until the end, Austria brought me much more than I would have imagined!
