July 23, 2016
Rottenacker to Ulm
We leave ill tempered swans and make slow progress to Ulm
July 23 Saturday 41kms
Rottenacker to Ulm.
We leave ill tempered swans and make slow progress to Ulm
Wake to mist over the lake – the edges of which were now dotted with ever hopeful fishers. I hadn’t considered the possibility of too many fish beneath the surface when we swam the night before. The water was clear, clean and warm, and being an old quarry pit, tremendously deep. I have seen photos of carp pulled from these lakes that look like baby hippos- so this morning we opt for showers.
With shops too far away for breakfast we hit the road and stop at a market in Ehingen where we dine on fresh rolls with ham and tomatoes and cheese. We try conversing with some jolly elderly locals who insist that they are Swabian rather than Deutsche. I think it may be a little like being a Scot, but they have their own language, culture etc.
We progress to Ulm through paths across farmland. Wild apple trees provide something to munch. Along the route we have continued to meet interesting people- this day it is a German couple who taught in Athens and have some interesting observations on life there.
The river widens approaching Ulm, a city with a cathedral whose spire is the tallest in Europe. The city has a pleasant approach for cycles and as with a number of other places we have cycled through, we are gaining an awareness of just how much views of these waterways would be impossible from a car.
The route along the river takes us to the heart of the city, where over a couple of radlers and wifi we find‘The Astra’ a reasonably centrally located hotel.
At the Astra, we stash our bikes in the garage as the rain starts. Inside we dine on soup and bread and cheese. Blog writing is a challenge, since the internet drop out with infuriating regularity.
Today's ride: 41 km (25 miles)
Total: 1,897 km (1,178 miles)
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