Letter 14
Wednesday 03.08.11
There will be two gradients in the part to Passau. The first comes fast
- and hard. According to the miniature in the brochure it's only exeeded
by the Schwarzach gradient. That fits, but up I go. There's a whole lot
of cars in a field, what's going on? World Championship for icelandic
horses, whatever that is? There are danish participants too.
Now a long downhill to Ach will probably follow, it has the appendix "an
der Salzach" so it's obviously at the river? And after that comes the
minor final uphill?
There shows to be 3 uphills today. The middle one had probably not so
many height meters as the others?
I drive on fine, narrow paved roads through dark forrest. Very dark when
you enter from the fields and wear sunglasses.
Now I'm sitting eating by the river. It's another river - or no, not
really. Are you confused? I was. I was supposed to reach Brunau an Inn,
which fitted my uphill from Salzach to go down to a new river. But Inn
ought to be left of Salzach...
It did, but Salzach has stopped existing, as it joins the Inn river. It
still delivers water for the fellowship, but the name is gone.
 |
 |
| Along the river - it's still the Salzach... | ...but here it joins the Inn |
So I'm sitting looking at the Inn river feeling the coolness from a
soft breeze, what is needed on this hot summers day. It's wonderful here.
For once no noisy main-or highway. No rattling train. A minute ago a
distant sound from a churchbell and a plane passing high up the sky.
It's deserted. In the 20 min's I've been here, four cyclists have passed.
The road is on top of the dike, just 2 gravel tracks with grass in the
middle.
The day passes by, I mostly drive on the dike, some times down behind
it. Substituted by raids across maize fields and through woods.
In a town I ask my way to a Penny Markt to shop food. Ritter Sport they
only stock in giant size and the different types are few in Austria:
marcipan, hazelnut and nougat. This time also yougurt, that's the one
for me.
In the beginning the traffic is scarce, but it gets denser with time.
Sometimes I find someone to follow - discreetly. My first destination is
Obernberg where I'll havee coffee and cake, and the meter will show 74
km.
I stop for some minutes at a bird tower. After all I've bought cheep
binoculars. There's a funny wading-bird, rushing around after something
I don't see. It's like it's dancing. And my binoculars show signs of
chromatic error. There's a rainbow in the white.
The Kite or whatever it is, is not on the boards, so I don't know what
is was. Looks like a red kite.
 |
 |
| Alone on the river | A "Konditorei" in a colourful town |
In Obernberg I find a "konditorei", and they have cappucino and fruit
pie as a special offer.
At this time the sky is getting dark to the south. The weather is
changing as predicted - unfortunately.
Up comes some gradients to areas where dikes are not needed and the
track continues to wind through the landscape. When I reach Schäding I
expect a sign with: Passau 5 km, but rather not: Passau 15 km. Once I
have to push the bike uphill - and that's hard enough. There are two
obstacles on the hill, probably to prevent people from rolling all the
way down, which would give too much speed.
 |
 |
| The cycle track at the plateau | Passau seen from the left bank of the Donau |
When I get nearer I pick an elderly man on bike to ask for a camping
site. To make sure I don't pass by one by mistake... Is he from around
here? Yes, certainly. And soon after we're talking - he'll show me the
way, he's going to pass by anyway.
When we get to town, he's in the lead, and I just have to follow. When
he turns around and I hear him say: "Pissoir", I have to ask: "Bitte?"
But I WAS right. He has to stop to pee. Just wait a second...
My first impression of Passau is overwhelming. What had I expected?
Nothing much. Just a town at the Donau. It's charming, with old houses,
narrow streets and a whole lot of churches and bridges. It's actually
divided into four parts by the rivers Inn, Donau and Ilz. To get to the
camping site we first have to cross the Inn, then the Donau and finally
the Ilz.
All this I know now. At the time I was busy just keeping up.
He reminds me a little of my new friend Hans, but is maybe a little
older. Old enough to stare at every female we meet without shame. It
made ME feel ashamed.
In the site arrives a german from Berlin shortly after me. With a tent
and a bicycle too.
I go by bike across a couple of bridges. Am not sure if I'm on an island
or? But I think it's the Inn river in front of me, so I ask a woman to
be sure. She doesn't know - take it to be the Donau. Plead that she's
only lived here for 3 yearss... A man fishing knows and I continue along
the path to the "corner", where Inn and Donau meet. Young people meet
here to talk or eat or share a bottle of wine...
116.81 km (121.77 km)
17.0 km/h
49.4 km/h
6:51:03 h