Munich and car crashes.

Well so much for keeping this Blog up-to-date. So it's mid June.
My car has once again been crashed into and I'm waiting for it to
come back from the stroppy garage. £1100 to repair the bodywork
and they are getting hysterical because I need the courtesy car
another day! Don't they know I've got a holiday to plan! Iain has
come out of Hospital, my friend arrives back from the States this
week and I fly out to Munich just afterwards. Marko from Finland
has just spent a long weekend with me, It took a weekend to
recover. So I am so ready for a weekend in Munchen. German
food, Germans speaking English only the way Germans can.
Clean transport, clean air, low crime. I love it all. I'll be visiting
Nuremberg as well. That's been on the list for a long time and
I'm excited about visiting such an historic German city.
I'll have a good travelling partner with me as well, Phil the
Ex-pat who speaks fluent German.

I've started planning my next Bike ride for this year. 500
miles from Germany to Hungary. Flights, bikes and hotels
are booked already. I'll be using this blog to document each day.

Accident video here.
(link may expire, exe file,self playing and virus checked)

So, 8 Months later.......

It's 8 months since my trip, I swore I'd keep this blog going and
update it at least each week! Not a good job. I'm not going to add
all the stuff that has happened. There has been too much, some
things however: A car crash in September when Mr. Old Man
kindly, did not pay attention to the road (I think he was arguing
with his wife) and drove into the back of me.

His wife hit her head on the dashboard, guess he taught HER
a lesson. I eneded up with whiplash and a bad back and shoulder
which I am still being treated for by my Osteopath/trainier.
My poor little car went up to heaven and I had to get another
one, which I did. Micra MK II, that was ready and waiting thanks
to a freind. I'll get a bigger car next time I upgrade.
I have been training with Keith since December and this week
intend on doing 2 x Circiut Training and 2x Spinning a week.

Mortgage, I'm getting one and buying my place. At last.
I've booked my flight to Munich today for the first part of
the holiday and Marko says he wants to do the bike ride as
well. I think he is too much of a fatty but will we see. It could
be great fun doing the bike ride with him. Iain is halfway
through chemo and comes out of hospital for a break today.

So far this year I've been to Cologone, Dusseldorf and Munich.

Resting in Vienna

I've started to feel almost human again, Daniel has been great
company and kept me entertained and fed, bless him! I'm taking
the bike back to the hotel and met Debbie my bike buddy in town
and we had cake and coffee. It was lovely to see her again and she
had a nice hotel next to the UN building thanks to Daniel stepping
in and arranging it for her. I'm ready to go home. I miss some of
the serenity and the exercise but I'm ready to be back at home.

This has been without any doubt one of the best things I have
ever done in my life. I really didn't think it would go as well and
that there would lots of problems. There were a few and I dealt
with them all, even with my broken German. Being alone, planning
it alone and being totally responsible to myself for the whole trip
has shown I can do pretty much anything I want to.

I'll be doing this again next year, but will double the journey to go
on into Budapest. 500 miles through Germany, Austria ,Bratislava
and then into Hungary.

Should be good . . . . . .

Kirk.

Krems to Vienna

I didn´t sleep well again last night. I think it must be the new

location each night. I feel VERY groggy again today and it´s
pouring down. I had breakfast planed the route to Vienna and
had a chat with the pension owner. He said I could stay there
until mid-day, after he handed me the weather forecast he
has just printed out. I paid, went back up to the room and slept
for another hour. It was still pouring down when I woke up.
I left anyway and started towards Vienna. Four hours of riding
in the rain. Blergh! The sun came out about 2pm. The iPod really
kept me going in the rain but I felt much better once the sun
was out. I stoped after 40km, found a nice place just off the bike
path and had lunch (chicken and Salad), coffee and Spezi.

Then back on the road (erm, path) again. After about another
20KM I was lost, very annoying as I knew I was only an hour
or so away from Veinna now. While scracting my head another
cyclist stoped nearby loking lost. I asked in German the way to
Wein. "errr, you mean Vienna mate?" he replied. A Londoner.
We found the way and got chatting. He had lived in Austria for
14 years and was just trying the bike path for the first time.
We talked and rode for 30 mins and he just confirmed what I
already thought about the benifits of living in Austria/Germany.

I'd made it to Klosterneuburg, this was where I had to leave the
hired bike and pick up my luggage.

I could now see some of the Vienna skyline. The Donauturm,
The huge Hundertwasser heating station. I didn't have the huge
feeling of accomplishment I thought I might have. Just relief.
It had been a long day, I was hungry and looking foward to some
company and dinner. I'd decided to leave my luggage untill
tommorow. Daniel met me at the U-bahn and we made our way
into town. I had something to eat and slept and slept. I crashed
to be honest. Physically and emotionally. I felt a bit depressed.
It was over! 4 months of planning and training had finnished.
I didn't expect to feel like this but even being in Vienna with
Daniel didn't make me feel better.

Maybe I'll feel OK after a long nights sleep?

( Krems to Vienna photos )

Melk to Krems

It has rained all night, i´ve been a bit woried it was going to
be raining still this morning. It´s wet, looks like it´s going to pour
down at any minute but so far ok. I felt really groggy this morning.
My arse is a lot better thanks to the gel seat cover but my legs are
very sore. I felt nervous again this morning about setting off. I had
breakfast, tidied up and left. I wore the weather-proof and set off.

Well, once I found where I was going on the map it was no problem.
I can say without a doughbt this is the most beautiful part of the
journey so far. Rob had txt me to say the same thing. Wachau is
the region I am now travlling through. Stunning! I even managed
to stop off in Willendorf, where the statue of the 25.000 year old
venus was found and take a quick picture. Then carried on. 45km
(28 miles) I´ll be covering today and now that feels quite easy now!
( video )
I put the Ipod on after the first 25km and the classical music made
it even more lovely, I slowed down and enjoyed it just as the sun
started to come out. I HAVE to do this again next year.
I found my way into Krems, poped into the Tourist Info both
and found another great room (very close to the only internet cafe).
Made the girls in the office laugh with impressions of regional
accents from the UK (they asked!) and met the owner. Got settled
in, showered, out and then some grub. Now I´m sitting here in the
internet place updating this. Chated to friends and uploaded the pics
and vid´s. Now I´m going for something to eat and a SLEEP! Debbie
txt me to say she was fine and loved the hotel. We will meet in
Vienna on Sunday hopefully. It´s 8pm here now. Shop is closing.

Ended up having chinese, was the only place that understood English!

( Melk to Krems photos )

Grien to Melk

Had a decent(ish) nights sleep. I don´t think I´ll ever get
used to the bloody pillows they use here though. Had a
decent breakfast, the Frau at the Pension was very nice
and gave me everything I wanted. I set off to meet Debbie
down at the river to take the Ferry to the other side to carry
on our journey. ( video ) Before I got to her I spotted a bike
shop and bought an additional gel seat cover for the bike.
My arse is bloody killing me! I hope it helps....

About half-way though the bike decided to start making a
high-pitched squeak, WD40 didn´t stop it so had to put up
with it the rest of the way. I had trouble keeping up with Debbie
and decided just to go at my own (less fit) pace. She waited for me
when we got to the Donnau Tourist Information office to find my
next room for the night. We both had a good news. Daniel called
say he has sorted her out a room in Vienna, 5 Stars for €41 a night
which is about 30 quid. I got a nice private flat for 20 quid a night
and we took off again towards Melk. Herr Beager the flat owner
met me at the iron bridge into Melk as promised. Debbie and I
said our goodbye´s and I went to look at the flat. Great place.
Got in, showered and then up to the Abbey for a few hours
before coming down to use the local internet cafe to do some
updates. I started to feel a bit sick from being so hungry
and left to find a decent place to eat.

Well I think I managed to find the most hostile waitress in the
the world and belive it not I did nothing to provoke her!
The food was very nice but what a miserable cow, rolling her
eyes and banging the food down. Was very tasty grub but
no tip for Ms nasty. I´m very worried about the weather, right
now it´s pouring down and the word from Vienna is it´s not
going to stop sometime soon. So looks like the rain-proof will
get a test after all. This Flat is lovely at least but the TV is all
German. I ended up watching 28 weeks later on the iPod.

( Grien to Melk photos )