July 3, 2024
Oberstaufen to Lindau
Oberstaufen, over hills to Lindau1
We start with a hearty breakfast at Pension Sabine and by 9:30am our bikes are loaded and ready to go. Overcast would be an understatement when describing the weather, and it’s cold too. I’m wearing two thermals, two sleeves, two wind resistant tops and a jacket, as well as knee warmers under my shorts.
For all our trepidation about weather, we enjoy being back on the road. We find the same route as we were on yesterday and take it to Oberstaufen.
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After Oberstaufen there are a few climbs, or “ positive inclines” ( according to the Clausens), but they are manageable and the views are far and wide. We can see the north westerly direction in which we are headed. The hills look like they taper off as the route heads towards Bodensee.
After Maria-Thann we follow a fast moving small river for a while called the Leiblach - it twists and turns but the road is very quiet and it’s taking us away from heavy traffic. An inescapable presence on this trip is the overwhelming smell of cattle ordure freshly spread on fields. For the cyclist, it’s a wonderful reminder that we are out in nature while maybe it’s a reminder we could forgo.
Ann is puzzling about milk collection. There’s no sign of storage tanks or milking platforms, and we’ve only seen two milk tankers collecting milk in the entire route. How is it managed?
The other aspect of Bavaria’s local economy is the amount of wood used in buildings. Some have massive laminated beams, others have complete timber cladding. Just looking at one building and the amount of wood used in its construction, is quite astonishing- especially for us , coming from a country where timber is an important part of house construction.
We are coping well with the up and down until eventually most of the route levels out. That is until the castle appears up high on our left. How high is that? We are thinking, then we notice that the cycle route heads straight up to it at an unforgiving gradient. We end up pushing our bikes for a number of metres.
After this climb, our route is mostly down and we move along at a good pace. About ten kilometres from Lindau we find a Netto and buy enough for a late lunch which we consume in the sun on a picnic seat positioned on a small hill above the road. From here, Lindau comes up quickly and we’re soon headed in the direction of the campground. The route is blocked by roadworks however, and just at this point the heavens open. We take cover under a shelter and try to wait out the rain, but there’s little sign of it abating and we’re getting cold. Ann finds a reasonably priced hotel and we head there. On the way I spot a Premier Inn- done deal. They have a bike room and once we’ve stashed them there we head for our room. Oh the warmth and oh the dry!
We finish off the remaining food we have- noodle soup, salad with cheese and tomatoes and some grapes. But wait! There’s a cup of tea as the room has a kettle. Alles ist gut.
Today's ride: 61 km (38 miles)
Total: 396 km (246 miles)
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