June 20, 2024
Freising to Munich
Following the Isar
The day begins with Wordle. The Dunkel wheat beer seems to have worked a treat because I get it in two. Gasthof Gruner has a particularly civilised check out time, being 11:00am. Though this might encourage slovenliness on the part of some guests, it gives us time to ride into Freising proper for a few supplies and to check our tyre pressures. This we do before heading back for breakfast.
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We then pack and ready ourselves for the Isar radweg. It’s an easy process despite us just being on day two. Before leaving we cycle into Freising once more and enjoy a coffee at Junkers cafe rosterei beside a small canal. The young assistant sells us some ground coffee for filtering. He selects carefully after quizzing us as to our coffee preferences and brewing method. We thank him- like most Germans we speak to, New Zealand seems to hold a special positivity for them. We don’t elucidate on some of it’s (minor we hope,) faults.
I then take a quick look at the information centre and select a couple of maps. I’m about to leave when the tourism assistant points to a folded Brompton and tells me not to forget my bike. There are several things running through my mind at this point, but knowing the close relationship many Brompton owners have with their bikes, I point to its owner and say I would not wish to deprive him of his pride and joy. He, in turn seems a little nonplussed.
After buying some of those fantastic brotchen- bread rolls- Germany produces ( the French do baguettes well, but these rolls are equally superb), we find the Isarweg and head in the signposted direction of Munchen. The distance is signposted as 30 kms, but there are a few contradictions on other signs we see as we cycle.
The surface is gravel and for the most part it is well compacted. It becomes a little rocky over a couple of sections but is generally easy riding. Recent rain and storms have collapsed the banks in a couple of places and detours are offered. We decide to risk getting through on the first one, and manage it easily enough, but a second barrier cannot be forced and so we follow the suggested detour which puts us back on the radweg very quickly.
There’s clearly been ā considerable amount of work done to contain the wild ways of the Isar over the years and the results are impressive.
We enter Munich via The English Gardens, after a very kind woman goes to considerable detail explaining the best route and showing us on one of the wayside maps. We stop to lunch on our wonderful rolls and cheese and tomatoes. On a seat nearby a woman is communing with her dog that has the look of a border collie. We chat about cycling and where we hope to be headed and she talks about wanting to do a trek to the source of the Isar. She then tells us that she must go because it is going to rain in 36 minutes. She has an app that tells her this. German precision!
There are a few desultory drops but nothing more, as we pedal the streets of Munich. We have a Warmshowers host to stay with at a fairly central location which involves finding our way through several neighbourhoods at rather a busy time of day. But we are really impressed. Firstly at the numbers out cycling for a variety of purposes and of all ages. The number of school children negotiating the city traffic is encouraging. Possibly there are parents here who ferry their kids to school in massive SUV trucks but we don’t notice any. The Farrenweg is a cycle route that gives priority to cyclists and is fun to speed along on. I see a mother on the road moving along at speed with a child in a bike seat and a three year old flying along the footpath on her on bike.
Eventually we find our Warmshowers host and she welcomes us in. Our bikes go in the Keller and we go up on a slightly gaspy four floors with her. The view is green and the building very quiet. Later we buy food and dine on an omelette and the remaining brochen. After that it’s an early night dreaming of the mighty Isar.
Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 54 km (34 miles)
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