September 22, 2019: Valtice to Wilfersdorf, Austria

September 22, 2019

Headwinds to 46 km/h

Hotel: Tour-Motel, € 62 (dumbest hotel concept ever)

OVERNIGHT I thought and re-thought about what route to take today. It would be kind of cool to head southwest and spend a bit of time in Slovakia before heading to Wilfersdorf (since the place was already booked). I checked the weather network to find that winds would be gusting into the thirties or forties of km/h from the southeast - which was the direction we would have to head. After much consideration, it was decided that we would forego Slovakia and continue on the Greenway route as originally planned.

Thinking that the distance of just over 30 km would not be that tough, we kind of dawdled in the morning (my fault) then headed over to the Coop grocery store after checking out and loading the bikes. We wanted to spend our last heavy coins and have a few things for the road. I think it was past 9 am when we finally got rolling. It was kind of breezy but not that bad, though there was a really long climb back up the hill we had come along into the city yesterday. However, we soon forked off from yesterday's path and at the 2.4 km mark were at the signposted but unguarded border crossing to Austria. Interestingly, just before the border was a building I had noticed yesterday. It looked very Soviet in that it was boxy, drab and by now, abandoned and dilapidated. Now that we were at the border I realized it must have been the guard post or lodging for the border patrols back in the Cold War era. It would have been interesting to have had some history on the building and even seen inside. This stuff fascinates me.

For a day that I thought would be flat, the route was unrelentingly rolling. Both mapping apps I checked showed 'flat' but I guess because the route was long enough, the actual ups and downs disappeared so seemed level. Let me just say that they were not. That plus a direct headwind that intensified all day until it was gusting up to 49 km/h made for a tough day despite the short distance. It is not that I was zonked physically - my legs were strong, my lungs were fine. It was more of a mind thing. I was emotionally tired from crawling up some really steep hills, even walking at times, and on some downhills having to pedal to overcome the wind.

To break up the day we easily found a geocache. We wanted to do some others but they were not on the actual route and we were not about to wander all over the place to find them.

In one area, the Greenway turned up a narrow road which had a bunch of hobbit-looking doors that led into the hillside. I guessed correctly that they were wine cellars. An Austrian couple at one of the cellars was sitting at a table outside. She said that usually there is wine available inside and you just deposit money into a dish on the honour system and enjoy a glass of wine. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there was no wine available. The cellar was pretty neat though in the way it was all brick-lined and led back into the hill about ten to fifteen metres.

Where the road to Wilfersdorf was just over twenty kilometres, the Greenway meandered it out to almost double that. This meant at times we were straight into the wind and occasionally with the wind. When we were about six kilometres from the town, we stopped and discussed whether we should take the road (5.5 km) or the Greenway (6.5 km) to the hotel. We determined that since we were here to do the Greenway, we should continue that way since it was likely a prettier route anyway, and almost the same distance. As it turned out, those final km were almost all sheltered from the wind so it did not take long to get into town.

The town seemed pleasant enough but both of us were tired and just wanted to get to the motel so we kept on, right to the outer edge of town kind of in an industrial area across the road from an OBV gas station and nothing else. You see, this place is some type of self-serve motel where you type in your reservation number at a computer screen in a kiosk and out drops the key to your room. That is, if it works. It didn't. I tried a few times but nothing happened. The notes in the kiosk instruct you to phone a number if there is a problem. Of course, as some may know, I have no phone which is why I message places in advance and say we need a secure lockup for the bikes and I don't have a phone.

Luckily, that same OBV station and store across the road had an employee who was tickled pink to help a stranded couple of Canadians. She called the number for us and the guy said we had to type in the number they had sent - then he hung up. Of course, being not a 100% idiot, that is what I had done. So, we called him back, he went to check, then found that they had sent me the wrong code. All I can say is, thank goodness for the OBV Angel who happily chatted away with us and helped us out. With the correct code, the key dropped out - to a room on the top floor though it appears the place is empty otherwise. Grrr. So we locked the bikes in storage, carried our bags up the stairs with our weary legs and popped into the bunker-style motel into what was an ok room, looking a lot like a modern university dorm room.

Wilfersdorf has nothing and we are nowhere in Wilfersdorf, so all we really had the energy to do was pick up sandwiches from the OBV to eat in our room. Kind of sad, but a really easy solution. Though a decent enough room, this has been the first accommodation fail on this trip.

Now we are wondering what to do tomorrow. Ride the Greenway for 60 km to Vienna. Ride the regular roads for 48 km to Vienna. Ride to Mistelbach for 5 km and take a train to Vienna. I think it is really between doors number 1 and 2. And likely the former rather than the latter. We came here to ride the PVGW route. If that is the case, we would be out of here early to make sure we are in the city within a reasonable amount of time. I have messaged both the bike shop and the hotel. The bike shop has confirmed they will bring the boxes to the hotel; the hotel has confirmed they will put the boxes in the room when they get them. If all goes as planned, I will dismantle and box the bikes tomorrow afternoon in preparation for Wednesday's flight back home.

Just 2.4 km out of Valtice we crossed into Austria. -- Czechia-Austria border.

Views of the rolling hills as we entered into Austria. They are very pretty but they took their toll throughout the day, especially as the headwinds increased to 49 km/h. - Czechia-Austria border

If you look closely you can see doors into the hillsides that look like they are out of a Tolkien book. They are in-use wine cellars. Note also the steep climb that we had to make - I admit I had to push to get to the top on this 'flat' day of riding. -- Near Poysdorf, Austria

Unless the big grape-picking machines had gone through, the vines were just groaning with bunches of grapes, mostly green but some purple or blue. -- Near Poysdorf, Austria

The town was beautiful, down in its valley amongst the rolling hills. -- Poysdorf, Austria

Today's ride: 36 km (22 miles)
Total: 447 km (278 miles)

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