Sigmaringen to Rottenacker.

July 22, 2015

Swabia: Storks, swans, steep slopes, slowcooking swine.

July 22 Friday 53kms

Swabia: Storks, swans, steep slopes, slowcooking swine.

The cyclists all make an early start. I love the style exhibited by the French family with trailer. Dad gets it set up as a table, their seating is carried in it, and they breakfast beside the river. We exchange emails with Natalie and Frederick from Bordeaux, and wonder how David from Shanghai fared. He was also camped at Tuttlingen and we passed him a few times. View the massive Hohenzollern castle from below (interesting history- apart from the Royals, the Vichy government was set up here towards the end of WW2) as we cycle by and follow the river out of town.

Rural landscape: wheat ready for harvest, corn at varying stages, wide open and unfenced fields. Lunch by river at Reidlingen, amused by boys skimming pebbles across the weir. A high chimney sports a stork nest.

We are prepared for a few of the hills as they appear on the map, but the sudden 20 degree slope near Datthausen is beyond granny gear. By way of offering recuperation, at the top a Radweg Rausthaus has set up a water fountain, benches with cushions, and messages of welcome. We learn from a touring German couple that we are in Swabian country, where language and customs are distinctly different.

Around the corner we encounter the arresting sight of a piglet slow roasting over a bathtub of hot coals.

Rural odours are enveloping. Fortunately we are not caught in the shower of ordure that is being sprayed on field alongside the trail, but it is a close call. Tractors and farm machinery use the lanes we cycle along, and barns and sheds for animals are part of each village.

We see few animals though. Rottenacker has a campsite and we find it by a lake ( a former quarry). A few tents are in place, but most of the people there are picnicking. Time for a swim in the lake which is green and very deep, but quite warm, with some fairly massive white swans in the distance. We then see if the woman at the ”snack” bar can rustle up some wurst and chips. She can. The beer is cold, the knackwurst hot and we supplement the fries with the last of our tomatoes, carrots and cucumber.

The lake, though shared with swans, was very pleasant swimming.

Around 5:00pm the usual thundery rain sets in so we are glad of bar’s shelter. There is also another family cycle touring. They are from the Czech Republic. Their English is good and we have a chat - mainly about cycling.

Bed is early and all is quiet apart from the odd squawk and honk from the aggressive birdlife.

Today's ride: 53 km (33 miles)
Total: 1,856 km (1,153 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	2
Comment on this entry	Comment	0