To Salzburg

September 13, 2021

It’s a short ride to Salzburg, and a fairly easy one as I assure Rachael when we set out. We are in no big rush, but there is an errand or two we’d like to attend to when we arrive in town so we make it out the door by perhaps 9:30. Once more the weather is fine, for the umpteenth day in a row.

Today’s is not a particularly hard ride on paper, but on the ground there’s more to it than we expected. Most of the work comes in the first eight miles as we climb to Traunstein, drop to the Traun River, and then climb back out again. If we’d bothered to look more closely at the ride profile we might have noticed the three spikes in it that translate into painful climbs of 13, 13, and 11 percent.

So what are we looking at here? A wind chime? A come-on for a fruit canning facility? And what does Bixnmacherai mean? It didn’t translate. An update: thanks to a Bill’s research, we know now that this a traditional Bavarian way to announce the birth of a daughter.

So here’s a first, for us at least. Have you ever seen anyone taking their pony for a walk by bicycle?

Climbing away from the Chiemgau, another beautiful region that merits a longer look.

Finally though we more or less top out, even though (as Rachael reminds me more than once) it’s not ALL downhill to Salzburg from the top. Close enough though, and we enjoy a wonderful rolling descent to Teisendorf, where we pull up at an appealing bakery with a few tables and chairs out front on the sidewalk and pause for a quick lunch.

Along the way we have a scare when a motorcyclist pulls up beside me as I’m riding and eventually manages to throw across the language barrier the information that the road ahead is closed and we need to take the next left turn as a detour route before he revs the bike and races off. This worries us of course, but when we see a few cars and other bikers coming our way from the direction of the alleged closure we decide to take our chances and bike through. And, in fact, there is no closure.

On the Via Julia again. We like this section considerably better than the crossing at the Isar.

Beautiful vistas at the high point of the day.

Beginning the gradual descent to the Salzach and the Austrian border.

We stopped for lunch at a bakery in pretty Teigendorf.

We take our seats and eats our treats, and then Rachael questions how much further we have to ride. I check the Garmin; and as long as I’ve got it out I check the name of this town (Teigendorf, as I’ve already told you; but I didn’t know that at the time). Teigendorf - the name clicks a switch inside and reminds me that this is the town at which Susan Carpenter, whom we have a dinner date with in Salzburg this evening, said that her route to the city would intersect with ours.

I am literally speaking the words to Rachael that we should keep an eye out for Susan on the off chance that we pass each other on the road, when she looks over my shoulder at Susan cycling up behind me. Really, this is literally true - I’m speaking those words to Rachael exactly as Susan bikes up. Unbelievable. On the list of serendipitous coincidences in our lives this one ranks up near the top.

Susan orders her own treats, pulls up a seat, and we get aquainted in real life - our second such CycleBlaze meetup in the space of five days. Presumably our last one for this tour though - we don’t know of any other CBers lurking down the road waiting to meet us but would be delighted to be proven wrong.

It’s great to finally meet up with another person we’ve been in touch with through the blog over the last few years. There’s of course much to talk about, and the gab fest continues through lunch and all the way to the outskirts of Salzburg where we separate to go about our business until dinner time - Susan goes to a bicycle store to have them look at her brake and shifter issues; and we go first to a shopping mall to see if they have the new GoPro 8 in stock (they don’t) to replace Rachael’s version 7 that is showing its age; and then to a bike shop near our hotel to see if they’ll look at our brakes and Rachael’s shifters ((they won’t - they’re booked solid for the next 8 days).

At 6 we pick up with Susan where we left off, sharing life histories and hopes for the future and eating probably more than is good for us. Did we really need large servings of both tiramisu and a crespelle, for example?

Why it’s Vivien George! I’d recognize her anywhere.

Vivien George shows off her big wheels to the Bike Fridays, but they have spines of steel and are not easily intimidated.

I love coincidences. This one will rank high on my list of favorites.

So many beautiful Bavarian homes we’ve passed. Might as well take a photo of one.

On the way to Salzburg. With plenty to talk about, the miles go fast. An assist from gravity doesn’t hurt either.

Video sound track: Two of a Mind, by Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond

The pedestrian bridge across the Salzach, with a castle and some domed pile in the background. It’s a wonder that the poor bridge hasn’t collapsed in the river from the weight of billions of love locks clasped to it.

Ending the end of the day at Ristorante Beccofino.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 33 miles, 1,600’; for the tour: 1,120 miles, 88,600’

Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 1,120 miles (1,802 km)

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Kathleen JonesHi to Susan!
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3 years ago

Suzanne GibsonI'm just a bit envious that I can't be there, too.
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonWe’ll, you and Janos were certainly here in spirit. We mentioned you enough.
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3 years ago

Scott FenwickWell Scott....more CB'ers? - Pat and I will be in Salzburg on September 18th and riding in the Salzkammergut starting Sept 21. We will be on our way to Hallstat and then south to Villach. In the plans is a ride through Slovenia. You and Racheal will likely be a bit in front of us but will keep an eye out for ya!
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Scott FenwickWhat? We’re never going to get any alone time at this rate. So you’re arriving in Salzburg on the 18th and leaving for the Salzkammergut on the 21st? Does that mean you’ll be in Salzburg on the 18th thru the 20th then?

As it happens, we could easily meet up then. We’re in Sankt Gilgen now, at the start of a four day loop through the northern lakes. We plan to be back in Salzburg for two nights on either the 18th-19th or 19th-20th, and will be there through at least the morning of the 20th when we have an appointment to have our bikes worked on. Drop me a line at scoandpdxatgmail and let’s whip up a plan.
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3 years ago