June 17-22 Regensburg to Vienna

Five consecutive days of cycling in increasingly fine, hot weather. Reached Vienna early yesterday afternoon, with time for the coin-laundry visit before dinner. A group of us went out for a delightful Viennese evening: Wiener Schnitzel and Sachertorte, followed by Strauss and Mozart at the Wiener Konzert Haus.

Our first day out of Regensburg was a short 60 km, allowing a late start. We camped at Straubing, then continued to Passau on Wednesday. Passau is a lovely city, with yet another massive cathedral -- this one boasting beautiful frescos and the world's largest pipe organ. We stayed at a pretty campsite for cyclists and canoists by the river Ilz, just before it enters the Danube. The next day we crossed the Austrian border just outside Passau on our way to Linz. Austria has clearly put more investment into the Danube cycleway than Germany -- most of the 340 km between Passau and Vienna is gorgeous, paved bike path right on the river bank (sometimes both sides) with occasional excursions into the surrounding, lush countryside -- initially cereal crops, later orchards and vineyards.

On Thursday evening we camped at Pleschsee, a small lake and resort near Linz with restaurant and swimming. Linz itself is a large, busy city, and less fun to visit than Passau -- although all German and Austrian towns and cities seem to have traffic-free centres, with restored cobbled streets and beautiful buildings.

Friday's ride took us past Mauthausen, and most of the group took the detour and steep climb to visit the infamous Nazi concentration camp and associated memorials to the many national groups, Jewish and non-Jewish, who were its victims. The visit brought home the sheer scale and organisation of the Nazi horror.

That night we camped at Emmersdorf, at a pleasant campsite near the river. Emmersdorf is just a village, but it provided a small shop selling cold beer, and a restaurant for dessert and coffee after the camp supper. We left early on Saturday for the final 120km into Vienna -- beautiful farmland, orchards, terraced vineyards in a hilly landscape, then a final stretch along the banks of the Danube leading onto the Donau Insel and into Vienna.

The cycleway is heavily used: stout German couples on solid bicycles with loaded paniers containing everything they need for two weeks of riding and camping, and groups of school-children on outdoor education or similar.

On a much less happy note: We have lost two more riders to injury. Neil the 82 year old was involved in a bad traffic accident just before Passau, and another rider had a fall and broke his collar-bone yesterday.