Day 8 - Aidenbach to Reisbach - Off on an Impulse 2018

May 4, 2018

Day 8 - Aidenbach to Reisbach

This morning we return to the Vils Bike Path. To make things just a little more complicated, I had prepared two different routes for the start of the day, the second one being a correction of the first. For some reason I had given Janos the first route for his Garmin, then I loaded the second, corrected version on mine. As in all comedies of errors, we don't realize what is wrong. We are definitely out of sync about where to turn right or left, but eventually we do reach the Vils Bike Path and peace is restored.

We leave Aidenbach on a pretty little tree-lined lane.

We can follow the Vils for part of the ride today, but since we couldn't find a room for tonight along our planned route, we will head further south where we were able to book something. We are back to using paper maps for a while and relying on local signposting for bicycles. There are many signs for bicycle paths and it is always possible to avoid busy roads.

We are using a map and not our Garmins for much of today since we have veered off from the planned route.

We ride on good paths through pleasant countryside with some gentle swells. We pass fields of wheat and barley - or is it rye? - and large areas of vegetable farming.

Can you see which way the wind is blowing? Lucky again!

The maypoles in this part of Bavaria are decorated with garlands and the top of the tree is left on the pole.

In one village I see all these tin cans lining the road on both sides and have no idea what they are for. Then I spot a sign büchsenmacher, tin can maker and assume there must be a factory near by. Hmm, a bit odd, but maybe it's advertising. Janos is farther down the road and finds someone to ask what the cans are for. This is the story: There is an old custom in Lower Bavaria that after the birth of a girl a sign is put up by friends of the father on his house with the title büchsenmacher, tin can maker, and the road is strewn with tin cans or büchsen. It's a prank and büchsenmacher is a derogatory term. The origins of this custom can be found in the Bavarian dialect, which refers to a girl as büchse, an unflattering word for the female private parts. The elderly gentleman who explains all of this has to admit it's a rather sexist custom.

We enjoy riding through the countryside on roads that are not part of an official bike path. It's sometimes more interesting not be directed by those little signs. I don't mean to say that the many signposted bike paths that exist in Germany aren't fantastic and an ideal way to avoid roads with too much motorized traffic.

We arrive in Reisbach far too early. It's only 1:30 and we can't check in until 3:00. We spy a nice little cafe next door with all sorts of ice cream specialties on their menu. I decide today is the day. I'm going to have one of those tantalizing strawberry sundaes that I have been eying for a while now.

I indulge - what better way to pass the time!

We round off the day with a stroll up and down the main drag of Reisbach. It was another great day of cycling - tail winds, pleasant countryside and quiet roads. Tomorrow will be our last day on the road. We hope our car is waiting there where we left it.

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Today's ride: 47 km (29 miles)
Total: 350 km (217 miles)

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