Vienna to Bratislava
June 11 2023
Vienna Gate
Bratislava street Sculpture
First day with out my camera , and was it ever wierd to not have my camera right there in the bento box ready to pull out and grab a shot. Sure I took a few with my phone but I pretty much have to be stopped to get it out unlock it find the phone app and line it up. Maybe I took 8 pictures instead of the usual 20-50. Today could have been a 50 shot day easy as we did ride through some pretty spectacular stuff.
The trail into Bratislava has really improved since I rode it last in 2007. It was paved pretty much the entire way with only a couple of kms on packed gravel. Back in 2007 it was rough gravel from about 20 kms out of Vienna. Back in 2007 there were no signs now there are signs pointing the way at every corner. When I was coming into Bratislava on Surly, which is the same bike I am riding today I hit two steel bars which were perpendicular to the path and sticking up from the road surface about 3 inches. I immediately had two flat tires. I repaired the flats but I had seriously damaged the tires. I found a tiny little bike shop in the old town which was only a few feet wide but was crammed with stuff hanging from the walls and ceiling. The owner sold me two new non-folding tires for some ridiculously low price. I think I got 20,000 miles out of those tires. They were the best tires I have ever had.. I think I finally changed them on the Lands End to John O Groats trip years later.
Bob took us off the bike path and up through the town of Hainburg to see the Vienna Gate which was built in the 1100s. It was a really interesting side trip and we got to eat lunch in a very nice bakery which actually had cold chocolate milk.
Back on the path and into the city of Bratislava. The entire town is built on a very steep hill side and getting up around to the hotel was a real challange as a freeway cut the hotel off from the side we were on but after a long slog pushing our bikes over a lot of cobble stones we got to the hotel and checked in.
Tomorrow we leave Slovakia and go to Hungry.
More pictures when I get this thing figured out.
Terry
2 comments:
Still so sorry for your loss of the camera and it retained pictures. If you are following the Euro Velo Route 6 route, get ready for riding along the sides of farmers fields, like IN the fields, following 5he train tracks, in Hungary! I just hope it does not rain for you.
Later, Earnie
Pretty surreal riding into town in 2023 on the same bike you rode into the same town in 2007. . . 16 years later!! Wow! Ride safe.
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