Bikes on French trains - TGV/TER

Just a short cycle this morning - to Nantes station, the best part of half a mile I reckon. We've pre-booked our bikes for the journey to Roscoff, but that involves 2 changes, and taking a TGV from Rennes to Morlaix, and I seem to remember there being problems with bikes on TGVs....The TER is a regional train, and I've read that they accept bikes, so no problem there. The train from Nantes is equipped to take just 3 bikes, which you suspend from the front wheel, and there are 6 of us, but we all manage to crowd them on. The TGV however is not so easy - even the French people we travel with who are doing a tour of Brittany don't understand the system. We have only a few minutes to get to the right platform and the bikes don't fit easily in the lift, my bike must be longer than Clare's. She roars with laughter as the lift door opens to see me wedged in, bike almost upright in the confined space and I make my unceremonious exit. The TGV can take about 3 bikes as well, so it's a cosy ride in the back carriage with 6 bikes and a trailer. Glad we didn't decide to do this on a tandem as originally planned. We get to Roscoff, final glass of rose by the harbour, buy Kouign Aman for Izzie, her favourite, then board the ferry. Sunny start but then fog bound, in fact the ferry is even late arriving at Plymouth because of it, never known that before. Now, I see that there's a Eurovelo route that starts in Wales, and crosses at Plymouth to France, from where you can get to.....

Resting, Raw Meat and Retro Kitsch

Despite Simon's attempt at a cliffhanger, we are still in Nantes. Extraordinarily we and the bikes have both survived and both arses are intact (thanks to Assos shorts and Conotrane!) Like all weekend mornings when the alarm does not have to be set we both wake ridiculously early. It feels strange to go to breakfast in ordinary mufti clothes, not swathed in Lycra. We still have the bikers breakfast though. We had imagined our rest day in Nantes basking in sunshine but sadly the skies are grey. We walk to the Cathedral and chance upon the tourist bus that is just about to leave. We are virtually the only passenegers on board and bag the front seats at the top. We have an enjoyable hour long tour of the sights including the Erdre River basin and canals, and the Ile de Nantes. We add the birth place of Jules Verne to our list of celebrities. We then do the ramparts of the Chateau Ducs de Bretagne before lunch in a French bistro with a pig theme. A spot of shopping before moving hotels just across the bridge. I now have a large ceramic Tarte Tatin dish balanced across my panniers. We are on the 11th floor with impressive views of the city. Simon is on a quest for Fruits de Mer but one restaurant is closed for "exceptional reasons" and the other is complet. We end up in Chez Maman, an extraordinary restaurant that is filled with retro kitsch, all for sale. We are sorry that we cannot fit any chandeliers, stuffed stoats, or giant plastic Brio men into our panniers. Simon eats boulots and eel with strong garlic aioli (I may need a gas mask tonight) and I enjoy my first Steak Tartare. Miles cycled today: one. The road home tomorrow... 2400 miles in the saddle:

2,400 miles

Today is Sunday, the day of the Fete de Velo, which happens once a year. The route along the Loire is closed off to traffic and cyclists of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to ride along the banks of the river. A man with a small white van has attached to it the biggest trailer of bikes I've ever seen, I count 20 on it; it's three times the length of his van! He smiles at us sitting in the window seat of the restaurant with our piles of mini croissant, pain au chocolate, and pain au raisin, dressed in our lycra cycling gear. We set off against what the weather forecast has predicted will be 30 kph winds, and it certainly seems like it, the Loire is like a rough sea; white horses whipped up by the wind. We reach Nantes by mid afternoon, under leaden skies, and feel we have cycled into English summer weather. The EuroVelo 1 route goes through Nantes, on its way from Norway to Portugal. Now if we go back over the road bridge just after the second railway bridge and turn left, carry on along the South bank of the river we could pick it up and make our way to......(Montjean-sur-Loire to Nantes - 43 miles)

The end is in sight

We are the first to breakfast at 7.45 but we have a longer day ahead of us and we are keen to get a few miles under our belts before we tire. My legs feel fresher today, maybe it is because the end is in sight and we plan to reach our final destination of Nantes tomorrow. The route is really beautiful now and we spend most of the day very near the banks of the river. We seem to be leaving real Chateaux country and pass through several delightful towns perched on the river banks with beautiful houses and gardens full of flowers. We have coffee in the tranquil town of le Theureil. The Loire seems more wild and less inhabited further west and the erosion has left many sandbanks, now the home to flocks of birds. Another perfect picnic spot in the sun, but the Roquefort was a bit too strong for our liking today. Although we miss Germany for the bread, breakfasts and beer, France certainly comes up trumps for food in general. We have had some superb set menus for about £16, and our picnics are a far cry from the bread and tasteless cheese of Romania. The patisseries are way too tempting and even Simon has become partial to a coffee eclair or tarte tatin. We are now in the little known gem of Montjean sur Loire in a lovely Auberge with a room overlooking the river. We fear that coming home may be harder than we thought. (Saumur to Montjean-sur-Loire - 54 miles) And the sun is nearly setting on our adventure....

Where the seed was sown

It was a beautiful cloudless sky last night, full of stars, a freight train hooting loudly somewhere in the distance. We leave Villandry and cycle along very familiar territory: Brehemont, then chateau Usse and then the cycle route to Avoine, just after Chinon. This is where, a couple of years ago whilst staying in Chinon with the family, that we first came across the Loire a Velo route maps which led us to discover the Euro Velo 6 route and thought about the possibility of doing this long cycle ride. We linger for a long picnic lunch by the confluence of the Vienne and Loire at Candes Sur Martin, then on through the troglodytic villages of Parnay and Souzay Champigny. Nice temperature today and pleasantly sunny, not the oppressive humidity of yesterday, though strong head wind along the levee road. We stay in Saumur, and take a walk though its mediaeval centre, and up to the chateau and the panoramic view point. Great supper on the terrace of a fish restaurant as recommended by the owner of our Hotel. (Villandry to Saumur - 40 miles)

Picnic Interruptus

Rain overnight but a dry and very humid start to the day. The calm before the storm perhaps. We breakfast overlooking the Loire and discover that our host, Tim, grew up in Cullompton! We feel relaxed as we have only a short day ahead of us. We arrive in Tours in time for a leisurely cup of coffee in the old town and visit the Wilson Bridge where we were almost a year ago with the girls. We remember then, wondering if it would ever be possible that we could cycle here: and here we are! Finally we find another perfect picnic place: a nice clean table with benches in a quiet shady spot, and at lunch time. We enjoy a much sought after brown baguette with compte cheese, tomatoes and sardines and are feeling very pleased with ourselves when the heavens open and we have to rush for shelter under trees before our cherries and melon (quel dommage!) It passes quickly but is followed by a gale force wind, from the west of course and the rest of our journey is quite a battle. We arrive in Villandry rather windswept but feel we are returning to old haunts when we walk around our favourite Loire gardens. We were worried that our hotel and meal would be rather touristy but infact we are surrounded by French (albeit quite elderly) and the menu has no English translation. Simon remembers too late that what I have ordered is Eel. The French will eat anything that moves, however slowly. Actually it wasn't too bad and another thing to add to the list of experiences. (Amboise to Villandry 31 miles)

In vino veritas sed in aqua sapientia

The day starts with a typical French breakfast in a typical French hotel. A cool, almost autumnal feel as we head off early, the sun only recently risen it seems above the wheat and corn fields, but with the promise of being scorching later on. One of the many nuclear power stations that dot the Loire is manufacturing neat cumulus clouds from its cooling tower. We buy our picnic lunch provisions early from the local market in Beaugency just as it is being set up, fantastic looking cherries and apricots, and as near to brown bread as we can find. We stop at the perfect bar for coffee in Blois, an attractive lively town with great panoramic views from the Hotel de Ville, and then the perfect picnic spot for lunch just outside Chailes. Getting both of these right in one day is unusal. We pass beneath chateau Chaumont, and arrive at Amboise, where we stay within spitting distance of its chateau. Instead of wine we are greeted with a cool bottle of water by the English owner, and I am reminded of the Latin maxim that adorns the fountain in Bourbon Lancy that we saw the other day. (Beaugency to Amboise - 51 miles)

Le fin des grasses matinees

No more grasse matinees. Lovely though they seem, it is more exhausting arriving later at our destination so the alarm is re-set back to 6.30am in true boot camp style. The skies are grey once more and once the rain starts morale begins to ebb. However we manage to get provisions for our picnic with relative ease today, so all is not bad. We have learned never to pass an open boulangerie, as the others will always be closed. The rule of Sod dictates that throughout the morning we will pass idyllic picnic spots, tables and benches whereas come lunchtime when you want somewhere there is nothing for miles. So it is today! Never dispair however as today we do find the perfect coffee spot: facing the impressive double towered cathedral in Orleans and the sun comes out and we are able to bask in the warmth again. Orleans seems a very chic and lively place with a major Joan of Arc theme, of course. The route takes us through rural farming communities with lovely old tiled roofed buildings. We see a colony of terns on the banks of the Loire. We arrive in Beaugency with the oldest medieval bridge of the region, an abbey, several towers and more Joan of Arc memorabilia. Lovely little hotel in the old square and we are now reviving old memories with a bottle of Chinon Cabernet Franc from our local wine supplier (Spar!) (Sully-sur-Loire to Beaugency - 52 miles)

Au revoir canals, bonjour chateaux

Over the past week or so we have cycled along the Canal d'Alsace,the Canal du Rhone au Rhin, the Canal du Dheum, the Canal a la Loire and today the Canal de Briare. They have even canalised sections of the Saone and Doub rivers, so we are well and truly "canal-ed" out (the equivalent of being "schlossed out" in Germany). I think I know what the next experience is to be, as today we see the first of the impressive chateaux that are dotted along the Loire. Gien and Sully are unknown to us, and they sit timelessly and majestically above the plane tree lined old towns below. The delightful owner of the Hotel de la Loire, where we stayed last night, tells us about an Australian couple who are cycling from Zurich to Nantes, but who we have not met even though they are staying at the same hotel, and we wonder whether we will come across them today. After another grasse matinee (Clare is getting far too relaxed and thinks this is actually a holiday) we set off and sure enough we meet the Australians whilst having our picnic lunch. You (dear reader) will be reassured to know that they drink more beer than us, and were particulary impressed by the Bavarian selection. They had not, however, discovered Konig Ludwig Dunkel, but it seems Aussies only like blonde beer, so were not impressed by my description of its heady qualities. Not sure I agree with Clare's description of "winding down" as today was a full day in the saddle! (Sancerre to Sully-sur-Loire - 55 miles)

Winding down

We have been made very welcome by our host Nicolas and we feel well rested. We even allow ourselves a lie in, or Grasse Matinee in French, with breakfast at 8.30. Looking at the route ahead we think we will be able to get as far as Nantes fairly easily and still get home in good time. Infact we have decided to wind down a litle and reduce our daily distances so as to have more time to enjoy the treasures of the Loire. It is warm and sunny but we stay sensibly covered today as our backs are rather burned. We finally join the Loire proper and follow it for most of the day along Levee roads. We have our usual caffeine fix of a coke and a petit cafe in the charming town of La Charite-sur-Loire. The towns are becoming more and more attractive with beautiful shuttered houses adorned with climbing roses and Virginia creeper, and the verges are filled with a colourful variety of wildflowers. We have a rather swift picnic due to a swarm of midges before arriving in Saint Satur, on the Loire below Sancerre. We check into our hotel and decide to change and cycle, unloaded, up the vine covered hill to Sancerre. We feel rather naked without our lycra and get lost of course. Plus ca change! We arrive hot and sweaty, even before we climb up the tall tower to enjoy the 360 degree panoramic view. It is superb. We can see for miles: where we have come from, and where we have still to go. We eat at a local Auberge, bony Carp washed down with Pouilly Fume from across the river. (Challuy to Sancerre - 40 miles)

2000 miles and balls like a Charolais

Reminiscent of Romania this morning - long hot straight road and sun burning our backs. We are now between two discrete cycling areas: the Loire Verte and the Loire En Velo, consequently there are no signs and a section shown on the map is nothing more than a grassy stone track so we opt for the road instead and make rapid progress. We have reverted to an espresso and coke stop, a sign of the better weather, this time for once at a conveniently located Auberge. We see a Charolais bull with balls the size of the melons we bought for lunch; I think you'd struggle to fit those in lycra and do the Eurovelo 6. We stay at a Chambre d'Hote outside Nevers, a charming family run little chateau, have a swim in the outdoor pool and a delicious meal cooked for us by the owner, and have too much Poire William. We pass the 2000 mile mark today and feel pleased that we have managed to get so far. (Bourbon Lancy to Challuy/Nevers - 46 miles)

Bonjour la Loire

Happy Birthday Izzie! We sleep well but wake still not knowing where we are. At breakfast we ask the Harley Davidson driver next to us for directions. He says "booff, j'habite en Marseille". He doesn't seem to know where we are either! Finally we find someone who does, and we are back on track. Actually it is quite nice being a Comtesse one night and the wife of a trucker the next: both equally foreign and variety is the spice of life after all! The route today follows several canals but the sun is out and tops are off at an early hour. We are in Pays Charolais and the fields are filled with white cows instead of vines. We enjoy our first Citron Presse in the sunshine, not feeling the need for heavy pastries and coffee today. We picnic by the canal before seeing our first glimpses of the Loire. We arrive in Bourbon Lancy and find a delightful little hotel in the old square where we sit and blog in the beautifully peaceful courtyard garden with a bottle of chilled Rose. Bliss! We eat at a local restaurant in the mediaeval quarter that serves only snails and Charolais steak. Well, "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" so I have snails too. (Montceau Les Mines to Bourbon Lancy - 52 miles)

Route des Grands Crus - Thurday 14 June

Fuzzy headed this morning which I blame on the Marc de Bourgogne last night, which like most liqueurs seems a good idea at the time, but not afterwards. The snails were fantastic, all twelve of them, and they were in the same shells as the ones we'd seem bravely traversing the cycle route after rain. Enjoyable for me but the breath not so for Clare. We are on our Grand Crus diversion today, and after breakfast in the Countess's palace (I feel incongruous in cycle gear amidst the chandeliers and heavy oak panelled dining room)we head off through well known ( but can't afford to drink) vineyards: Meursalt,Puligny Montrachet,Chassagne Montrachet and so on. It's beautiful and sunny and the route twists and turns through the vineyards. Rather worryingly men in white plastic suits and gas masks are spraying the vines, looking as if there's been a nuclear incident, and it makes you wonder what chemicals go into the average bottle of plonk we consume. Our obsession with coffee stops continues; it's possible to buy a few bottles of grand crus, but not, it seems, coffee, so we abandon the search. It's been a long hot day and when we arrive at Montceau Les Mines, a hideous industrial town ( perhaps a clue in the name) we cannot find anywhere to stay, and it looks as if we might have to cycle another 30 miles or so to the next town. We get totally lost (for which I take full navigational responsibility) and have to ask in a pharmacy if there is anywhere to stay locally. The delightful pharmacist gives me elaborate directions which we somehow manage to follow to arrive at an Auberge, at an unknown location. It is frequented by boule playing men, and looks like another truckers' hostel. We drink beer before showering( a true sign of exhaustion) and then a couple of pichets of rose on the terrace before enjoying the menu du jour for 10 Euros. (Nuits St George to Montceau Les Mines - 62.5 miles)

Living like a Comtesse

We awake to grey skies and rain and contemplate staying put. However the forecast is not promising so we decide to press on. Our breakfast is expensive at 11 euros so we don't feel too guilty when we fill our napkins with extra croissants and rolls: making it three meals in one doesn't seem so bad. We cycle through the now wet but still very attractive cobbled streets of Dole passing the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. My sun visor (improvised from a cut off cap bought in Romania for 75p) which I thought I would never need again now comes in handy for keeping the rain off my face and out of my eyes. My legs feel tired today, and my bottom sore: could be psychological, or physical. The main EV6 route leads to Chalon Sur Saone along more canals and we feel we have seen enough locks to last a lifetime. It also looks like another big city to navigate through and has no known attraction for us (apart from being where Kate's sister lives, we think). The alternative route takes us to Nuits-Saint-Georges and the Burgundy vineyards which do have some attraction (funny that!) Our quest for coffee continues to be challenging as today everything is "ferme mercredi" and we don't find anything until 1pm (Andrew would not have coped well with this). We eat our croissants in a bus shelter. We see Spotted Orchids and eat Fraise du Bois from the verge. We arrive in Nuits-Saint-Georges and find a room in a Chambres d'Hote which turns out to be the manor house home of the Comtesse Demeure de Loisy. The house is extraordinary: filled with antiques and oil paintings, and has its own palm house. Simon even plays the Steinway Grand Piano. We drink the local red in our room and I feel as though I am living like a Comtesse. Simon has already spotted snails on the menu tonight. (Dole to Nuits St George - 41 miles)

EnJurance

It's probably only France where after rain you see men with plastic bags full of snails freshly picked from the roadside verges, and so it was this morning. We pass endless deserted villages looking for our coffee stop and it's not until midday that we eventually we find somewhere; it's a small restaurant in the middle of nowhere but somehow full of men from a building site in their work clothes sipping impossibly small glasses of rose and enjoying the menu du jour for 10 euros; a three course meal with wine and coffee. Much more civilised than a sandwich over the keyboard back at the office at home. We arrive at Dole, still in the Jura, in good time and enjoy a meal outside by the canal du Rhine/Rhone in another self styled little Venice. Going off piste tomorrow to try a route through Burgundy vineyards and to stay in Nuits St George or Beaune, and to sample some local wine and perhaps eat some of those snails. (Besancon to Dole - 38 miles)

Mating Frogs - Part 2

We are woken once again by the sound of mating frogs, although this time of a different variety. It also seems to last for several hours. Simon thinks it is a TV Porn channel, I am not convinced but think she is one hell of a lucky woman! There are no likely culprits at breakfast but it is 7 am and probably too early for them. We leave Montbeliard in the drizzle and have to shelter from several heavy showers. Our route today follows the canal and the River Doubs which carves a winding path through flat plains and steep sided gorges reminiscent of the dwindling Danube. We see hundreds of herons and even a beaver swimming across the water. The weather improves intermittently and we picnic by the river in the sunshine. After 60 miles I am interested to reach Besancon which I visited 36 years ago for an unhappy and silent week feeling very homesick on a French Exchange. I find that nothing looks familiar. We get the last room in a pleasant hotel on the edge of the old town which turns out to be a rustic apartment. We wander the streets admiring the now very French architecture with tall shuttered town houses and an impressive Citadel. Victor Hugo was born here in 1802. We shelter from torrential rain again, taking refuge with a beer. (Monbeliard to Besancon - 60.5 miles)

Canals and Locks - Sunday 10th June

We are staying in a typically French hotel, creaky staircase with swirly stair carpet, and miss our Austrian/German breakfast as all that is on offer is a basket of stale rolls and some black coffee. We soon pick up the mirror smooth cycle track next to the canal; you know the surface must be good for quite a while when cyclists on road bikes with pencil thin tyres zoom past. We make our way past 30 or so locks on this section and it's a beautiful sunny, windless day. The only place for coffee is a quintessentially French bar, full of elderly beret clad men drinking wine and beer at an early hour and the whole place thick with smoke. The owner comes round from the back of the bar to shake my hand - not sure why - I probably look an odd sight amongst present company. Clare is too frightened to come in so we sit outside and drink our tiny black coffees lapping up the sunshine. Our destination of Montbeliard is absolutely deserted, like ghost town, and finding somewhere to eat in the evening that isn't from a Doner kebab bar is a real challenge. Perhaps UK Sunday opening isn't so bad after all. (Mulhouse to Montbeliard - 39 miles)

And so to France - Saturday 9 June

We enjoy our last German breakfast overlooking the Rhine before a leisurely start. Cloudy but at least dry. We decide to take the northern route to Basel, although this is not signed as the official EV6 route. After yesterday's debacle I have lost faith in chief navigator and flatly refuse to follow any route that might have Black Forest in the name. I am intent on keeping the Rhine in my sights (how can you get lost following a massive river?) and we have to retrace our steps and cross some bridges several times before I am completely satisfied that we are on the correct route. Simon's map does not appear to be to scale and is pretty useless (which is just as well as he manages to drop it en route and is unable to find it again). He is now staring at a blank space on his map holder and is very much our of his comfort zone. I am happily pedalling with the river on my left and France in my sights. The weather improves and there is even some sunshine. We reach Basel, at first chic and attractive, then industrial, crossing through Switzerland, Germany and finally into France - our 10th country. Back on the EV6 route and new map in hand Simon is smiling again and feeling back in charge. The signage is, I have to admit, poor, so I am grateful. We leave the Rhine and follow the Canal du Rhone au Rhin: pleasant smooth track and blue waters, to Mulhouse. Now in Alsace, we arrive just before 6pm and find a room in a rather shabby but cheap French Hotel. On the top floor, once again. We have an Alsation supper: Gewürztraminer and meat. (Laufenburg to Mulhouse, FRANCE - 61 miles)

Germany - Switzerland - Germany - Switzerland

We follow the Rhine as it flows out of Lake Constance, a beautiful clear blue/green colour and we are soon at Stein am Rhine: the best preserved of mediaeval towns untouched by allied bombing. We have breakfast here and find out when we get the bill that we are in fact now in Switzerland as the bill is in CHF. There were some clues - preponderance of army knife shops and Lindt chocolate in the Patisserie but we cycled seemlessly into our ninth country. We then cycle back into Germany as the border snakes around in this part. It starts to rain torrentially and we take shelter, the off road sections now soft and hard work. We then visit the Rhine falls a few kilometres out of Schaffhausen, which are incredibly impressive. After an early lunch in Switzerland we set off in heavy rain and manage to miss a crucial EV sign. Rather than retrace our steps up a long hill we decide to improvise, but after prolonged pedalling we find ourselves high (unfortunately) up in the German Black Forest. We manage to pick up the South Black Forest Trail which leads eventually to the Rhine again. It's now getting quite late so the search is on for somewhere to stay. Our first choice of possible villages turns out to be a nasty industrial town, so we nip across to Switzerland where we have seen what looks to be a quaint little village. The only place to stay is a ghastly gasthof next to a busy railway line, so we press on to Laufenburg. On the Swiss side the hotels are either closed or full, so we cross the bridge to the German side and eventually find a fantastic place right on the Rhine, with fantastic views of the river. (Gaienhofen to Laufenberg - 65 miles)

Auf Weidersehen Donau - Thursday 7 June

Another German bank holiday - Corpus Christi, so a late breakfast. We are now only 20 miles from the source of the Danube as we say our farewell to the river we have been following for the last 1500 miles. We are without a map and have to rely on the road signs. I can see that Simon is feeling very twitchy and insecure at this prospect. We have a steep ascent out of Tuttlingen that takes us to the highest point of the Eurovelo route at 862 metres where there is even a ski lift! We have to admit that although our climb is arduous it would have been worse coming in the other direction and we have a magnificent descent. We arrive at Lake Constance, the "soul of Europe", and Mikael, a local, guides us to the centre of Radonfell. He takes our photograph in order to inspire his girlfriend as he is keen to do the Eurovelo route. We have a good coffee and delicious strawberry tart before travelling around the lake. The sun is now shining between the clouds and after our picnic lunch we even swim. Cold at first but very refreshing. We decide that we cannot bear another mediaeval town so we stop at Gaiehoven (we're not really sure where this is) and find a rather dusty and deserted pension for the night. We rest by the lake in the dwindling sunshine. Get soaked in the ensuing thunderstorm trying to find supper. (Tuttlingen to Gaienhofen - 34 miles)

The dwindling Danube

No bells, no disco, no early morning hoovering, so a quiet night. We leave Riedlingen at more or less our usual time and follow the ever dwindling Danube. It is now a shadow of its former majestic self; where once mighty cargo ships and cruise liners ploughed up and down it, it is now narrow and shallow, in fact you could wade across it quite easily in places if so inclined. The route twists and turns and there are many hills, with multiple chevrons marked on the map, a bit like a day's cycling in Devon along the upper reaches of the Dart perhaps. There are steep sided slabs of limestone on either side of the route with lots of castles perched precariously on top. We reach Tuttlingen quite late and note that we have now clocked up 1,500 miles and are strangely relieved to find that it is not another quaint mediaeval town, but just an ordinary unprepossessing sort of place. No heavy Bavarian or Swabian food tonight, but Greek, which is, well, typically Greek! Seems odd sipping ouzo and retsina in Swabia. We must find our own way down to Lake Constance tomorrow as there is a gap in the map series for the EV route. Fortunately I have come across a series of maps where we are staying that sets out multiple routes through Germany, including a "Spargel Route" near Heidelberg! We will try and pick up the Hohenzollern-radweg and see where we end up. (Riedlingen to Tuttlingen - 57 miles)

Pizza in a Toy Shop

After another night in heaven we come down to earth for another day in the saddle. We set off at our usual time and although the skies are clear it feels cold. When we discover it is 10 degrees we add layers and leggings again. A helpful biology teacher escorts us on a circuitous route out of Ulm. The Blau River flows into the Danube at Ulm and we have a pleasant trip following the River to its source at Blautopf which means "bowl of the Blau". Expecting to be underwhelmed, we are surprised to find that it really is a magnificent blue colour due to its limestone content and is most impressive. Our diversion takes us back to the Danube which is now becoming noticeably narrower and more shallow as we head towards its source. Simon treads in something nasty: could be goat or horse (nicht hund!) just as a poor local is offering to help us with directions. Suffice it to say his advice is swift and after a cleansing operation we are soon back on track again! We arrive in yet another mediaeval town with baroque and renaissance buildings and we are both struggling to remember its name. We book into a rather functional gasthof. The town seems inexplicably deserted and after searching for somewhere to eat we find ourselves in what appears to be a toy shop that serves pizza. We are almost the only people there and it feels like one of our Romanian experiences. A delightful Italian man makes us a great pizza in surreal surroundings. An early night as Simon has noticed a lot of off road chevrons on the map tomorrow... (Ulm to Riedlingen - 51 miles)

A night and day in Heaven

Our room in the apex of the crooked house is known as "the heavenly room", which well describes the celestial ascent to reach it along narrow twisting staircases. We are close to the many churches of Ulm, which chime every quarter of an hour, each one slightly out of sync with its neighbour. Heaven for campanologists but not for light sleepers; they still seemed to be at it at 5 am! A day off from cycling but we continue the celestial theme by climbing the 768 steps to the top of the steeple of Ulm cathedral, the tallest in the world apparently; a sweaty handed, vertiginous ascent, (the Led Zeppelin classic comes to mind), but with fantastic views from the top. Siesta later, with a spectacular storm raging outside. Authentic Swabian restaurant for supper, serving meat dishes such as "boiled ox with horseradish", "veal lung" and "calves kidney with sour sauce and dumplings". Fortunately Swabian specialities also include "lighter" noodle and pasta dishes which we opt for, washed down with "Konig Ludwig Dunkel" beer, a heady dark beer which in its draft form weighs in at an impressive 7% alcohol. A diversion tomorrow to the Blautopf, as recommended by a German cyclist we met the other day, the source of the river Blau, that flows pretty much underneath our hotel.

Dodging the downpours: Sunday 3 June

We allow ourselves a lie in this morning (until 7 o'clock!). Well, it is Sunday and we have a short day ahead of us. We head off at a leisurely pace and are soon overtaken by an octogenarian. He slows down to compliment me on the size of my panniers (at least I think that's what he said!) Unfortunately the weather changes and we are soon taking shelter again and putting on waterproofs and long leggings. It looks pretty set in and we set off in the rain. Morale is at a low ebb: I am looking forward to a day of rest reading my book, Simon is wondering which hot place we could get a flight to. After our coffee stop in Gunzberg, another colourful town filled with baroque and renaissance treasures, the skies start to clear and we feel more cheerful. The route leads us on unsurfaced tracks through woodlands smelling of wild garlic and with the rain dripping off the leaves we feel pretty much at home. We cross the Danube at least four times today and eventually arrive in Ulm, another attractive mediaeval town surrounded by a Roman Wall. We find a room in the 13th century Hotel Schiefes Haus which means Crooked House, and it certainly is! Our room is in the eaves and is incredibly long and thin: a bit like sleeping in a tent on a slope. It is full of character however and is certainly memorable. The outside is a delight and is on the list of "must see" tourist attractions so at least we can tick this one off quickly. We watch some live coverage of the Queen's Jubilee Pageant on German TV and are rather selfishly relieved to see that the weather in London is even worse than it is here. British morale seemed high however! After a snooze we eat delicious fresh trout from the Blau river accompanied by local housewine served in half pint tankards! (Dillingen to Ulm - 37 miles)

Spargel Schnitzel and Schnapps

The route from Ingolstadt takes us through beautiful rural Bavarian countryside very quickly; there is no industrial fringe to negotiate as with other bigger towns. We pass impressive hunting lodges and ride through villages with their May poles stil in place, decorated with the blue and white of the Bavarian flag, and emblems of local trades. The route is even quite hilly at times, with multiple chevrons marked on our map. The towns we pass through are consistently picturesque now, and have an almost Flemmish architectural style. Journey's end today is at Dillingen and we stay at a delightful family run Gasthaus in the centre of the old town, the only place that seems to be available and have the last of its four rooms. Spargel Schnitzel and schnapps for supper. (Ingolstadt to Dillingen - 61 miles)

Cycling and Cruising

We both admit to feeling rather weary today: nothing specific, just a cumulative fatigue, probably not unreasonable after 1300 miles I suppose. It doesn't help that the sky is grey and it is actually quite cold. We spend some time sheltering from heavy rainfall. The boys put on long leggings, I resist - ever optimistic. We are partially revived by our coffee and pastry stop that has now become customary. The river meanders through another gorge today and there is no road. The only way to see the splendours of the Weltenburg Gorge is by boat so the guidebook recommends a river cruise rather than sticking to the main road. We spend 40 minutes resting on a lovely boat eating our picnic and feel very smug until we realise that we have only skipped 5km of the route, so it hardly feels like cheating. Back on the route again we pass through fields of hops and asparagus and even see them digging up the precious white "spargel" beneath neat rows of tarpaulin. Andrew buys some fresh from a roadside stall to take home, and we enjoy some delicious strawberries before arriving in Ingolstadt after another long day. Andrew returns home tomorrow. We have enjoyed his conversation and good sense of humour. We will miss his communication and interpretation skills, and he has introduced us to the delights of spargel, heurigers and apricot schnapps. So it is back to just the two of us, and no more deadlines to meet. We may have a short detox, and then a rest day or two...or maybe not...(Reggensberg to Ingolstadt - 55 miles)