An holiday different from the usual!

Una vacanza diversa dal solito
An holiday different from the usual!
I've already tried in my life, for three times, the experience of traveling a land using a bike, and every time I chose the Netherlands because it's the land of cyclists for excellence, and because it's territory is virtually flat. The last time I bring whit me my girlfriend, Tiziana, which use her bike everyday and made it her main means of transportation, useful, indispensable and for her, irreplaceable.
In spring we thought where we could spend "2009's holiday" and we decided that, after a "relaxing" September to the sea last year, it was time to get on bicycle again and explore a different country and its bike paths.
Finally, the choice was for Australia that, although at the beginning give the idea of steep climbs, steep descents and a lot of effort, is considered as the paradise of cycling because you have the opportunity to travel hundreds of miles along the course of its rivers, without any special preparation.
Well, we have chosen to start the classic, the longest and perhaps the most famous of the European cycle, the Donauradweg , limiting his Austrian section, starting from Passau in Germany, the confluence of three rivers, the Inn, the Ilz and of course the Danube , and ends in Vienna after about 350 km.
This path is visited each year by thousands of cyclists, and is the most famous stretch of over 1200 km in total ranging from Donauseschingen Germany, passing through Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, and then dive into the Black Sea in Romania.
 

Less programming, letting you rock from the Danube

La ciclovia del Danubio
This are the days of our lives
We didn't want an organized holiday with pre-defined stages, which among other things, many tour operators offer, but it was our intention to let ourselves be carried away by events, by the river and from what we would find along the route. A way to get away from everyday life of Milan and its stringent times, by people hurrying to the office every morning or getting angry in the traffic.
We booked a room at Passau on the first night and one in Vienna for the last, rented bikes and took the round trip tickets from Orio al Serio airport to Bratislava.
It was the day's events and what the Danube has given us to organize everything, including rain and sun, we allowed ourselves only a cycling book (very well made), written by Alberto Fiorin suggests that the best side of the river to go, shows two variants (which we tested) and many useful information, including the main places and monuments to visit.
For the overnight stay, we did not worry too much: the path of the Danube offers hundreds of solutions, from private rooms to pensions (Gasthaus) along the river or close to it, the cost ranges from EUR 20 to EUR 35 on average, of course including the abundant and ever-present Breakfast, Frühstück!
Yes, because in Austria as in many European countries, breakfast is plentiful, including jams, yogurt, fruit, cereals, chocolate, ham, salami, cheese, eggs, orange juice etc etc.
One of the (few) problems was the language: in some cities, young people and the waiters can speak English, but old ladies who rent rooms in their beautiful homes in the villages along the river, doesn't speak English but only Austrian which is a very sort of German accent, chanting, to be understood that at times was a little difficult ... Well, the final solution was to use gestures and drawings!
One aspect that instead we have a little underestimated was the rain: when you go on vacation you always hoped for the sun, but in Austria there isn't the same climate of Italy and is not unusual to see summer showers several times a day or days completely dull. Thanks God, we could test the (not) impermeability of our k-way on the first night while visiting Passau on foot: the next day we just buy a more suitable sling!
Well .... then ... START RIDING!
Boomshine

La guida di Alberto Fiorn
The guidebook of Alberto Fiorin

The guidebook of A. Fiorin



Friends that have ours passion
Vienna-Budapest