Day 24 Bratislava to Vienna

Chapter Two Begins - my wife of 40 years arrived.

A little later start from Bratislava today, but good weather and a favorable wind made the 42.1 miles to Vienna pretty easy. Soon after crossing into Austria I rode below the ruins of Heimenburg Castle above Hainburg. The fortress dates back to 1040, it was later badly damaged during the Ottoman attacks of 1529 and 1683.

The most memorable part of the ride was the 1.2-mile Andreas-Maurer Bridge. It seemed to go on forever—the railings and shadows repeating, click, click, click, while I kept my eyes focused straight ahead. Every so often a semi would roar past and the crosswind would shove me a little. It was hypnotic.

The closer I got to Vienna, the Danube Trail became more groomed and commercial—perfect paths, rest stops and cyclists everywhere. Nice riding, but I found myself missing some of the rougher, less predictable parts of the trip. Then, I passed the e-bike shop I planned on visiting tomorrow to shop for an e-bike for Elubia to ride to Copenhagen with me. The plan is to sell it in Copenhagen. Cheaper than a two week rental and no way to actually rent one way. Nice guy at the shop helped me find a perfect bike. Will pick it up tomorrow if Elubia approves. Checked into the hotel, laundry done, showered by 2 pm. Then great lunch, Wiener schnitzel and a Dunkel. The solo chapter is over. Chapter 2 begins.Read more