Day one on the Donau Radweg (bike path)- I kinda knew what it was like, but it was more like what it was than I thought it would be. Huh? I'm not sure what I just said. Lots of it seems to be farm roads that are either really well graded gravel, or more commonly are old farm roads (or completely new trails) that are well manicured hardtop asphalt. Through the fields, along the river, through forest, over an occasional hill, but generally unrelentingly slightly downhill (and in the afternoon, into the upriver winds). When we hit a town, the route wanders through town, but rarely do we face significant traffic. Plenty of ads for coffee, beer, bakeries along the trail - serving the cyclists seems to be a significant business. Even saw a church for the "Radwegfahrers" (something like that) - bicycle tourists, I think.
We rode into some larger towns and found nice pedestrian malls, fountains for kids to play in, a driving school for kids (6-7 year olds in pedal cars on marked roadways with stop signs, stoplights, police officers - all seemed to be great good fun). Found an "art noveau" church with ornate early 1900's (I think) art, statuary, marble columns, brilliant color mixtures. Another church was very busy baroque/rococo, something ornate.
An old castle on top of a cliff that is now the most exotic Youth Hostel that I've ever seen.
Limestone cliffs, caves, and sinkholes - karst topography similar to, but less spectacular than, southern China. The most really cool feature is that the Danube River completely disappears into a series of sinkholes and the riverbed is completely dry (for about half the year, as it is now) for about 12 km, and then reappears. Magic.
I continue to try my 40 year old German, generally to laughter followed quickly by demonstrations that all Germans speak far better English than I speak German. A simple German question is usually replied to in English. So sad.
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