Across Switzerland and Germany

Day 142, Mile 6,078
Regensburg, Germany

We are happily resting our weary bodies after a rain sodden couple of weeks across Switzerland and Germany, and looking forward to arriving in the Czech Republic after another day of riding Northeast. We had such an enjoyable time on the easy to follow, flat Danube River bike path, that it was hard to make the decision to leave it.

Us riding in Switzerland with friends

We had looked forward to cycling in Switzerland since we were in the early planning stages of our trip.  Unfortunately, it proved to be a dissapointement.  Maybe it was the weather (rainy most days), or maybe it was the area of the country we traversed, but it was busy and ugly, with big industrial buildings littering the landscape, large apartment buildings instead of the quaint villages we picutred, and cars, cars, cars everywhere.  We were told by a friend that there are so many Swiss people living in such a small area, that the government has issued a moratorium on building new houses. 

Sharing fondue with Manuela & Christian

 They can only be built higher (i.e., more apartment buildings), and we were also told that only 30% of Swiss own their own homes because of the extreme cost.  It was definitely an eye opening experience being there.  The Swiss people, however were extremely kind and generous.  We were taken in by a nice couple upon entering the country, and also spent a night with friends we originally met in New Zealand two years ago.  We were able to share a traditional meal of Fondue with them, which was definitely the highlight of our time in the country. 

Apartments, cranes & construction, OH MY!

However, after trying our best for a few days to find a picturesque and cycle friendly way through the countryside, we said "let´s get out of here," and headed straight for Germany. 

Enjoying a beer as soon as we crossed the German border

When leaving Switzerland, we headed for the Danube River, the longest in Europe, which was traveling pretty much the exact direction we wanted to go (East).  As soon as we crossed into Germany, the countryside was no longer filled with industrial uglyness, the towns became quaint and historic, and the traffic was much quieter. 

Quiet bike path along the Danube Rive

We heard about the bike route along the Danube River from another traveler in France and decided to head directly for it.  Traveling along this river is an absolute dream for cyclists.  It is a marked cycleway, mostly off the roads and along the river.  For a few hundred miles we have been following the little bicycle signs, not having to worry about navigating, or traffic, and saw our first bike shops in all of Europe.  And we´ve seen other bikers galore!  Since it is mostly flat, and is a pretty easy trip to plan, the pathway is just loaded with other bikers out for a week or two, mostly staying at hotels along the way. 


The route has taken us through beautiful historic German towns, including Regensburg, the one we are currently in, which was the northernmost point in the Roman Empire. We are taking several days off here, two nights in a hostel, and a couple more in a campground to get well rested. We are quite tired after bicycling almost non-stop for five months.

Beautiful Regensburg and the Dom Cathedral

The German people have been very nice, and many speak English, which has given us a break from any language struggle. Even when they do speak German, the language is so similar to English that we can usually understand what they are saying.

Many words have almost the same sounds and meanings as English, with a few notable exceptions including if you want to tell someone "Have a Good Trip", you need to tell them to Have a "Gute Fahrt"! But best of all, the Germans know how to eat!  No more little meals here, when we order dinner, out comes a pile of meat (not sure exactly what) and potatoes, and huge goblets of beer.  Bakeries are abundant, and they now have seats so we can sit and eat our pastries there (this is the first we´ve seen of this since arriving in Portugal seven weeks ago).  Our favorite, by far, have been the big soft pretzels (brez´ns).  They are absolutely everywhere.  I swear that if I walked into a hardware store, there would be brez´ns for sale somewhere.  They´re delicious and cheap and we´ve certainly eaten our fill.

Dirt path on the Danube cycle way

Another lasting impression of Gemany for us is the way the people use their bicyles as transportation as well as recreation.  It seems like everyone is riding a bike.  They´re riding to the store or the beer garden.  Or they´re out for a family ride on Sunday.  Men are riding in their loafers and little sweater vests, and the old women are riding in dresses.  The bikes are not the racey, racey types you usually see in America.  They all have fenders, and lights, and racks, and baskets (picture what the wicked witch of the west rode in the Wizard of Oz).  Americans wouldn´t be caught dead on one of these, but they look so practical and comfortable, and seem just a part of the German lifestyle.  It made quite an impression on us.

Brian´s favorite treat

In another day we leave Western Europe and cross through the old Iron Curtain into Eastern Europe and the Czech Republic.  We´re not sure of our route, but we are generally heading for Odessa, Ukraine on the Black Sea.  It is still probably still a couple thousand miles away, and we have a variety of possible ways to get there.  We´re taking it country by country, and day by day.  We´re still seeking out the quiet roads, looking for bakeries and local foods to fill our bellies, and local conversation when it works to learn something of the people. 

Raddler Mass = A mix of lemonade and beer, Excellent!

But mostly our day is filled with us just cycling along, looking at the countryside, the people, the towns, and the scenery.  What we are taking away is certainly a limited view of each country, but each one we´ve been though so far has been unique and will linger in our minds for a long time to come.