Thursday 30 June 2011

Orient Express Day 25 Bratislava to Komarom - 122km

We started out from the boat in Slovakia and ended up in Hungary!

The ride was fairly uneventful through fields and reserves but we did see huge amounts of sunflowers along the way whereas the sunflowers in Germany last week were already finished.


Today was Mieke's birthday and she received an unexpected and rather unpleasant gift from Slovakia - grazed knees from a fall as a result of stopping to avoid hitting children on the path...

As we reached the Slovakian border town of Komarno, the rain started pelting down so we stopped at an "Italian" cafe where we partook of pancakes with chocolate (or jam in Stirling's case) and I enjoyed an authentic Italian hot chocolate as good as any I have tasted in Italy - and all for very little euros which was just as well as we will not be spending euros again this trip.


 









The rain eased and we headed for the bridge which acts as the border between Romania and Hungary. I was disappointed to not see a border sign but here's the bridge.

















Edna decided to clean her bottles at camp and we enjoyed a pleasant camp dinner of beef stew and linguini followed by birthday cake. Stirling insisted that I have a celebratory beer which was my first for the trip.






Unfortunately we were camped beside a "motel" where a group of loud giggling teenagers stayed up until the early hours of the morning - not conducive to a good night's sleep.

It's a dog's life in Slovakia...

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Orient Express Day 24 Vienna to Bratislava - 78km

My own "Das Boat" blog from the Gracia Botel Bratislava where we are berthed tonight


We were joined in Vienna by 5 new riders: PC and Mieke from Capetown, Paul from Seattle, Rudolph from Vancouver and Mark from Brisbane. We set off in convoy for the relative;y short ride to Slovakia and immediately noticed the change in scenery to farmland and reserves and NO coffee shops although we did find a cafe at around 40km.


After an early lunch stop just after the border, which is hardly signposted but looks like a deserted army post, Edna and I cycled off with the Bratislava Castle on the horizon to be the first on board the Gracia Botel which is quite spacious and beats camping in a tent!!


Not much of a border sign...













After a quick shower, I set off with Edna and Stirling for the hike to the castle which is really quite huge and dates from 907 with many additions and improvements over the centuries. We then stopped for lunch and had the traditional Slovakian dish which I can't pronounce but is like little dumplings with sheep cheese and crispy bacon on top. I was dismayed to learn that Almdudlers are unavailable out of Austria so I settled for a non-alcoholic local beer.





After lunch, Edna and I explored Jewish Bratislava. We visited the Jewish museum, walked to the only active synagogue (which was locked up) and viewed the memorial erected near the bridge where the old Jewish quarter was destroyed to enable construction. Apparently 70,000 jews were deported by the Nazis and the memorial serves as a holocaust memorial as well as a ereminder of the once Jewish area.
























Edna found the only schnekke shop in town - but it was closed - and I stumbled on a private eye peering around a corner into the square. We stopped for Edna's coffee and a bit of people watching and then headed back to Das Boat for dinner with the Group and then off to our cabins.




Monday 27 June 2011

Orient Express Day 23 Vienna Rest Day - 0km

I spent today wandering about Vienna in the sunshine and snapping things which caught my eye. Today's blog was intended to be pictorial only - it is a rest day after all - but the wifi in this hotel is impossibly slow. So photos will be added next stop - please keep an eye out.

Just a reminder to those reading this blog that Edna and I are raising funds for the Arava Institute in Israel which encourages Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian students to work co-operatively to find solutions for environmental issues in the Middle East and, through their relationships, to work towards building peace. http://arava.org/ Donations can be made by clicking the links at the top of this blog - left for US readers, right for Australian readers. Canadian readers can donate as follows:

Checks should be made out to “Jewish Federation of Vancouver” with Arava Israel Ride in the memo along with the rider's name that you are supporting - David Freeman, Edna Granot or Team Australia. So that the rider and donor can be properly acknowledged, please send checks to the Friends of Arava office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (2041 Herr Street, Suite 18 Harrisburg, PA 17103). Friends of Arava will input the information into our database and forward all checks to Federation. Alternatively, you can mail them directly to Federation, but please send a copy to the Friends of Arava. At this time, we have no online option or credit card contributions.  The Federation will send Canadian donors a donation acknowledgment.














Sunday 26 June 2011

Orient Express Day 22 Vienna Rest Day - 0km

Today actually was a rest day. As I have been to Vienna several times, and being Sunday when most things are closed, I took the opportunity to do my laundry in the bathroom and to catch up on Days 20 and 21 Blogs - that took most of the day with very slow wifi connection. I also caught up with all my kids by email. live messenger and skype.


The laundry on the fire landing accessed by climbing out the window
Beware!












I  wandered out for lunch and had a pita with falafal, houmous and eggplant and then found an Arab bakery around the corner and had a cheese pastry and fanta. Back to the hotel for more computer work and then down to the bar for a delicious Almdudler on ice!

I crossed paths with Edna a couple of times in the lobby. She was picked up around 4pm to spend the afternoon/evening with her cousins.

I am rooming with John and we decided to venture out for a light dinner around 6.30 with Leana and Stirling. I led the Company back to last night's excellent restaurant for schnitzel sandwiches (chips for Leana who is vegetarian) but was disappointed to learn that they were out of Almdudlers. So I had my first beer for the trip. We then had ice cream from the excellent bar next to the restaurant and retired to the hotel. It's a late night for me. Won't get to sleep until after 9pm!!

There will be photos from dinner here later - tired of waiting for useless wifi to upload.



Celebrating the first beer with Stirling












Leana and John .

Orient Express Day 21 Emmersdorf to Vienna - 126km [Part 2]

DISCLAIMER: 
Blog owner takes no responsibility for the guest blog of Stirling "Doctor Sluice" Lee


CYCLING WITH DAVID AND EDNA
An epic Yiddisch poem 
(badly translated by Stirling Lee)

I say a story so meshugenah,
It should be told only in Yiddisch
But I am but a simple Goyim
So here is English writed.

Today I rode with David and Edna.
Slowly as I let them pass
I planned upon a secret path
To Vienna where I knew a restaurant
Serving Wiener Schnitzel on a plate as big
As grandma's summer bonnet.

But from afar I saw
David headed to the Berlin Autobahn
"Come back, come back",
I cycled and yelled.
On the Donauweg for Vienna we go,
Not the Berlin Autobahn.

And so ten kilometres out,
Another ten kilometres in,
At Krems we decided then
That Edna take the lead.

Cutting the front of an Israeli cycle tour,
Edna in front, David and I behind,
She stops and says "which way, which way?"
And the Israeli column stopped.
Then David and I stop and say
"Straight ahead, straight ahead!"

Then Edna rides some thirty metres,
And stops and asks "which way, which way?"
Behind her all the Israelis stop,
And then we stop and from the rear we say
"Across the street and left at the lights."

Then Edna crosses the street and stops.
"Which way, which way?" she cries.
And the Israeli column stoips,
And we say "turn right, turn right!".

Some 30 minutes and 2 kilometres hence,
David blew his horn and roared.
Once more into the breach dear friends.
So David like his forefather Moses
Thus did smite the Israelites.

With David and Edna in the front
Behind and slow I plotted
My secret path to a Vienna restaurant
Where there was served bowls of goulash so deep
You could sink your foot up to your ankle.

Then again from afar I saw
David headed on a trail
To the wilderness in Carpathia.
"Come back, come back", I yelled out loud,
Thru bog and marsh and bracken
We do not head for Carpathia.
We must the Donauweg to Vienna ride.

Now all of this of which I tell 
Is just one tiny piece
Of a big long day
On which I cycle with David and Edna
.... For seven fucking weeks!!

OY VEY, THE HORROR, THE HORROR.








Orient Express Day 21 Emmersdorf to Vienna - 126km [Part 1]

I slept very well overnight - must have been a combination of hard riding and Almdudler. Alf and Evlyn came across to join us for coffee at around 6.45am and we bade them a fond farewell as they were heading to Vienna in the van with John the Lame to catch their flight at 4pm.

Bye bye Alf & Evlyn - we shall miss you!!

Having lost our regular cycling partners, Edna and I negotiated to ride with Stirling the Strong, with whom we had ridden in group with Alf, Evlyn and Leana, and off we set for the journey to Vienna. We rode through wine country for around 25km. Some of the vines appeared to be quite old, especially the terraced ones, and I was reminded of areas in Italy through which I have cycled - no joching!!














Time for refreshment in Krems and, hard as it might be to believe, Edna found a schnekke and discovered that in Austria they are cut in half! Stirling opted for apple strudel and I had a hot chocolate and vanilla/berry cake. The lady at the next table was watching her weight, as was I..




















After our delicious stop, and after a couple of "detours" which will be referred to in Part 2, off we headed across the hydro-electric dam Donaukraftwerk at Altenworth where we were accosted by a Canadian group from BC demanding a toll. We politely refused to make payment, eh, and cycled on the south side of the Danube to Tulln where an emergency services display was exhibited and, in bright sunshine, we chose a restaurant for lunch and were passed at various times by cyclists from our Tour. The Canadians eventually rocked up for a chat as we were readying to leave. Stirling had a triple meat lunch and I managed the child serve of chicken schnitzel with chips and 2 Almdudlers. Edna settled for her camp made sandwiches and coffee.




















After lunch, we found the Donau with a little help from a local and set out for our resting place for the next three nights - Vienna.The last 20km were fairly ordinary but there were some interesting sights across the Danube and a reminder to slip slop slap...

















We cycled in through a music festival on the Donau Insel and, after parking the bikes in the Ibis Hotel garage and showering, I set off for a schnitzel sandwich, two more Almdudlers and an early night.