(Wallersbach, Austria to Zwentendorf)
View 2008-05-16 Willersbach to Zwentendorf, Austria in a larger map
Highlights: another early start, more Danube River trail & beautiful towns, first (light) rain, too many pictures again, vineyards & milk machine, Benedictine abbeys & nuclear power plant
Neat outdoor house mural (Diedersdorf)
Joe next to a bike highway map (near Pochlarn)
Check out the flood level markers on the building (near Melk)
Impressive Benedictine abbey #1 (Melk)
Got milk? (Aggsbach Markt)
At the foot of the "thousand pails" mountain (Spitz)
500-year old Gothic church (St. Michael)
Narrow streets (Wosendorf)
In the middle of the Wachau wine region (Weissenkirchen)
Impressive Benedictine abbey #2 (on the hill, south of Furth)
Odd boaticopter (near Traismauer)
Strange place for a house...next to a nuclear power plant! (Zwentendorf)
Journal: Got my second straight early start today (on the road at 7:20). It sure helps when daybreak occurs before 6 and the birds start singing then. Today there were also a few noisy barges on the River Danube (adjacent to the campground) chugging along in the early morning hours. But not a bad way to wake up early since i have been going to sleep early (an hour or so after it gets dark) and sleeping quite well. Although last night I was awoken in the middle of the night by some light rain (first of the trip after more than a week of riding), but it didn't last long & I had my tent's rain-fly on, so it was all good.
Another long day today (still trying to get to Vienna by early tomorrow afternoon) filled with more of the same today (fast paved stretches along the river, quiet country roads with pleasant views of the surrounding countryside, and nearly a dozen attractive small towns & cities along the way). Highlights included the old city areas of Ybbs, Melk, Spitz, Durnstein & Stein along with the vineyards of the fertile Wachau area (reminding us of California's Napa/Sonoma valley at times, but on a smaller scale). The town of Melk was especially noteworthy with an impressive Benedictine abbey overlooking the historic city below. After finishing up with the left side of the river in Stein, Joe & I headed across the Danube and quickly rode toward our camping destination in the town of Zwentendorf, famous for having Austria's only nuclear power plant (which never went into operation after a voter referendum shut it down for good in 1979).
1 comment:
Very interesting comments and nice pictures everyday. I feel like I'm travelling with you. On top of that, your friend Joe have the same bike as I do (Cannondale T-2000) and the same yellow rain covers for his panniers (Arkel, made in Quebec!).
Take care and have a great trip to both of you,
Andre Nols.
Post a Comment