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Danube cycle and more!!
  • Brigid Ryan
  • Lucille-Mickey
  • Mickey Lowther
  • Brigid Ryan
  • Lucille-Mickey
  • Mickey Lowther

Danube cycle and more!!

Cycling down the Danube with Mickey and Lu then on to Vienna and ending in Paris! Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 28, 2025
    Danube cycle and more!!

    Great start!

    September 29, 2025 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    After a lovely flight with a good seat, not bad food and lots of movies on offer I leapt onto the lovely cool shuttle for the long trip to the terminal...... having left my handbag with everything important in it under the seat in the plane!!!!
    Three hours later it was returned to me!!
    Thankfully we have a really long layover so lurking around the lost and found for ages wasn't a problem. Some big fat angels must have been watching out for meor it could have been the shortest international trip ever!!
    I think the guy sitting across the aisle from me was trying to a set a Guiness World Record. He managed to talk (loudly) for the entire 9hr30min flight!
    Looking forward to arriving in Europe!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
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    Passau at last

    September 29, 2025 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    My second flight was good apart from lots of very noisy kids. As you can imagine I held on tight to 'the bag' at all times!!
    We caught 2 trains that passed through some beautiful countryside and arrived in Passau at 5.30. The countryside looks very neat and tidy and the trees are beginning to turn.
    Passau is the confluence of the Rives Danube,Inns and another I have forgotten!
    Off to forage for some supper!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
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    A day in Passau

    September 30, 2025 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    After an excellent brekkie at Hotel Spitzbergen we set off in sunshine on a wander around the old city, along the Inn river to see the confluence of the three rivers and visit St Stephan's Cathedral. We found a little market in the park with trucks selling organic bread, meat of all kinds and fruit and veggies.
    The views were spectacular! We crossed the Inn river and walked on the Austrian side for a bit. There were so many interesting doorways and lots of ornate baroque architecture. The cathedral is amazing with the most elaborate decor. Every wall has huge paintings and every surface seems to have sculptures in marble or plated in gold. Even the high ceiling is beautifully painted. Almost too much to take in at one time.
    Later we caught a bus to go an collect our bikes and after a test lap around the yard we set off back to the hotel...downhill and on the pavement!! It was rather chilly by then with a few spots of rain but fun!!!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Last view of the confluence.11View from my little room in the attic!

    Dawdling along the Danube.

    October 1, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    After another delicious breakfast and a surreptitiously prepared "takeaway" we headed down to pier 11 and boarded a ferry on the Danube. It was icy cold in our front row seats on the upper deck so we soon moved indoors for the rest of the hour long cruise.
    We donned all the gear and set off along a very nice footpath/treppelweg on the right of the Danube i.e. in Austria.
    We stopped along the way and sat under some trees to enjoy our pilfered snacks for lunch. Mine was a caraway seed roll with ham and cheese!
    We soon arrived our hotel, the Goldenen Schiff, which was very much closed so rode on in search of some warmth and coffee. We found both in a lovely coffee shop beside a Trappist Monastery which sadly has only one monk left.
    The church was very ornate and had several creepy relics of people laid out in glass caskets.
    My single supplement has got me the usual stairs to lug my case up and a cosy little room under the sloping roof.
    Now for a little rest before heading out in the chilly air to find dinner.    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Leaving Hotel Goldenen Schifft.
    St. MickeyOdd!Ferry number one. Cash money only again!Yum!1A glimpse of our hotel from across the green Danube.Ferry number two.Lovely flower boxes.My room next to the river.

    What a lovely day!

    October 2, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Today seemed a lot chillier so I had to add a few layers to my very bright and unco-ordinated outfit!!
    We did a little detour and found a small church which was beautiful and a lot less overwhelming than the huge cathedral. It even had a St Michael for Mickey. The graves are all decorated with masses of bright flowers that are planted around each grave, begonias, geraniums,roses and lots more.
    Caught a little ferry across the Danube and cycled on the left bank so that we would get a good view of the big meanders or schlingen.
    At the bend we indulged in delicious apfel strudel and a very ornate waffle. Don't worry...we shared and that was lunch!
    The path was then under lovely trees below sheer cliffs with lots of rockfall warnings.
    Another ferry, €3.50, took us back across the river to our very nice accomodation for the night.    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Beautiful swans on the Danube.
    Snoozing swan.1Bright, chilly day.Aschach a town along the Danube.Our hotel for night.Rosehips1There seem to be a lot of yellow houses in Austria.

    Swan Lake

    October 3, 2025 in Austria ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    Temperatures got down to 0°C during the night so we had a leisurely breakfast and then set off when it got a little warmer. The drop in temperature when you move out of the sun and into the shade is crazy! The very pretty ride around a few more meanders was quite slow as we kept stopping to try and photograph the swans who were all enjoying their breakfast. We had another ferry ride and strangely the "cash only" 🤔 price seems to increase as you move downstream.
    We found a sunny spot for a little picnic lunch and a snooze for Mickey.
    Once we had checked in to our hotel Lu and I walked to the Spar which did not have much that appealed to us so when Mickey arrived we walked to another supermarket and stocked up. We picnic in the Lowther's Diner as the moon rose over the Danube in front of us.
    I am feeling rather sad that tomorrow is our last cycling day. It has been even better than I anticipated.    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Beautiful, cold morning in Aschach
    Goodbye Hotel Sonne1Heading for Linz.Very different scenery.Ottensheim. Wondering where Mickey might be.Arrived in Linz!!Strange dancing at the Asian food market.Beautiful old church where we listened to the choirs.Funfair across the Danube.

    The long road to Linz

    October 4, 2025 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Today has been a long, cold day! We started out in very chilly weather only to discover that Lu had a flat tyre. We returned to town to find that the repair shop was closed! We managed to pump the tyre up a few times and it lasted the ride! There are repair stations in random spots along the way and you can even buy an inner tube from a machine for €8.
    We turned inland for a stretch and the landscape was so different with canola and mielie fields beside the track. When we got back to the Danube we were cycling along a levee through a very flat area.
    I missed the next turn-off, and Lu hidden around a corner and sailed over a power station bridge to the other side of the river. After waiting there a while for Mickey to catch up and getting spooked by alarm sirens going off (Austria doing its annual siren check!) I decided to backtrack and found them waiting at the turn off.
    Then we managed to lose Mickey and the T-junction we were supposed to meet at to make a decision about whether to catch the train or ride the last bit. It's a long story but we finally managed to re-unite!! As there was no rain we decided forfeit our train vouchers and cycle all way to Linz. Much of the path was right beside the freeway on the side of the oncoming traffic so not too peaceful.
    Happily our final hotel on this trip has a lift so we didn't need to lug our bags up winding stairs.
    We walked into town this evening and ate at an Asian street market and then listened to a free choir concert in a beautiful old church!
    I am quite sad that the cycling part is over, especially the bits along the meanders but I am ready for a good long sleep now!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    A breezy walk into the Altstadt.
    Mickey made a friend!Wordle.Supper at Dean & David1

    Washing and wandering.

    October 5, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    The Donauwelle did itself proud this morning with a great breakfast buffet, including the most delicious Bircher muesli!
    We had a slow start doing washing , faffing and research etc then walked into town. The wind was really bracing but there were many people out and about as pretty much everything shuts down on a Sunday in Austria!
    One thing I love about the Austrians is the way they paint their buildings all beautiful colours! I can't say the same about all the ceramic creatures that they fill their gardens with in the small towns🤣. Keramiek kak deluxe!
    We found a Dean and David restaurant open and had a very early supper. My meal was a seasonal curry which meant it had lots of bright orange, very al dente pumpkin on top!
    Mickey went on to an organ recital in another old church and then to a service. Lu and I wandered back to the warmth of our hotel. Now to try and get all my stuff squooshed back into my case!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Goodbye Linz.
    1My cute train companion.Hundertwasser house in ViennaHundertwasserLu and Mickey outside Hundertwasser.Hundertwasserhaus.1Friedrich Stowasser, better known by his pseudonym Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt HundertwasserOur apartment is above this Gasthaus Hansy.Prater.Prater at night, from the lounge mmNice packaging in Spar mm

    Navigational ninjas.

    October 6, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We left a rainy Linz and took a train to Vienna Hoofbahn where we managed to find the Underground Station and bought ourselves travel cards for the next few days. Apparently once it is validated nobody ever checks that you have a ticket!
    Our apartment is conveniently located right opposite the station and has a panoramic view of the Ferris wheels at Prater, a large amusement park.
    We managed to navigate the codes for lock boxes and lifts etc and settled into our spacious lodgings.
    After a little rest we walked to see the Hundertwasserhaus and Village, a social housing project, and then caught a tram back to our base.
    Hundertwasser, born in 1928, was famous for his vibrant, nature-inspired art and architecture, which rejected straight lines in favor of organic forms and bright colours. His work was also known for its ecological activism and commitment to environmental protection, leading to buildings like the Hundertwasserhaus with its "melody to the feet" floors and rooftop gardens. (Thanks Google.)
    Lu cooked a delicious supper which we enjoyed while watching the Fairground begin to light up. Mickey ventured off to meet Mike at the Opera.
    Thankfully Lu has an eSim in her phone that has made all our navigating a lot simpler!!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    On the tram.
    Posing at the tram stop with our apartment in the background.In the old city.St Stephen's Cathedral, ViennaA gingerbread version of St Stephen's.In Demel Coffee Shop.Some of the many cakes at Demel.1Birthday girl and Mickey.2Sachertorte and Dory cake for birthday celebration.Spanische Hofreitschule on Michaeletplatz.High up on a building.

    The sweetest things.

    October 7, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    It's Lu's birthday today so we caught a tram to check out the cake situation and to try and buy a SIM card ( no luck).
    After a leisurely wander around the old town with lots of other tourists we went to a wonderful old coffee shop called Demel. It was packed and a queue at the door but we were in quite quickly. Old oil paintings, chandeliers, marble tables and velvet seats were a good setting for sachertorte and Dory cake ( Choc mousse cake).
    At four the Dunne clan joined us for a birthday tea at our apartment where we had sachertorte, Esterhazy cake, beesting cake, stollen and Mozart chocolates. Sugar coma!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Eastern Naiad fountain in Schönbrunn.
    1Lots of beautiful avenues.Poseidon fountain, Schönbrunn Palace.,The Palace from the Gloriette.Schönbrunn Palace. The begonias mimic the 🇦🇹.Flowers in the park.1Römische Ruine.A Roman maybe!Last blooms in the Rosarium.Viennese iced coffee to help us navigate without Mickey!Ferris wheel by day.Strange sculpture on our wanderings.At the Musikverein.Angels and semi-naked women adorning the theatre.2The orchestra!

    Nature and Culture in Vienna.

    October 8, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We were lucky to have a warm day for our visit to Schönbrunn Palace Gardens. The avenues of trees are so beautiful and peaceful and gardens are huge. We met Mike and Janeen up at the Gloriette which gives you an amazing view over the grounds. The men went off to a concert and we wandered back down through the gardens and made our way home.
    This evening we went to a musical concert at the Musikverein Wien. It's a huge, ornate venue with lots of stairs! The ceilings are beautifully painted and there are statues gazing down at the audience. We were entertained with The Blue Danube and bits of the Magic Flute and a very speedy rendition of Eine Kleine Nachtmusiek.    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Back of the Palace with beautiful Gaura
    Beautiful painting of Prater, where we are staying. Tina Blaau 1882This one reminded me of the cycle trip. Olga Wisinger-Florian 1899Klimt.Everyone had to pose in front of The Kiss!Love this one. Judith by Klimt.The Chef. Claude Monet.Part of a painting by Giovanni Segantini called The Evil Mothers.Hundertwasser. 1955 The Big WayNapoleon.Felt poppy in the museum shop.Ceiling in Belvedere Palace.Interior of the opulent palace built as the summer residence for Prince Eugène of Savoy.Resting the legs!Mickey & Lu.1Baroque sphinx sculpture with human head, birds wings, body of a lion and perky boobs!Inside the Opera House.The walls of a room in the Opera House are covered in handmade tapestries that took 8 years to make.There are 5 stages in the Opera House. Getting ready for The Barber of Seville tonight.Details on the Opera House.Lovely mural in our U station reflecting the Amusement Park.

    Last full day in Vienna.

    October 9, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today we went of the Belvedere Palace to see 'The Kiss' but there was so much more to feast our eyes on. There were rooms with paintings and sculptures ranging from medievil to modernist. The building itself is really beautiful and there were enough stairs to work up a sweat! We had to rest halfway and refuelled with good coffee and a smidgen of Mozart cake!
    After a lunch break we met up with the Dunne contingent for a tour of the Vienna Opera House which opened in 1869. The tour felt rather rushed but was very interesting. During the war it was mistaken for a station and so was heavily bombed. When they rebuilt it, the style was changed to represent democracy rather than to honour the Habsburgs.
    Sorry for the photo bombing!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    The delish Esterhazy cake!!Last group pic outside 42 Heinestraße.Beautiful morning sun and dive bombing pigeon!Jamie Oliver in Vienna. Not very tempting.

    New day, new country

    October 10, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We had a lovely final dinner at home last night with gammon, fancy wine and of course some Estethazy cake!!
    Vienna was showing off a little with the sunrise and it's a warmish day.
    The Lowther's left for the family gathering and I set off for Charles de Gaulle Airport.
    I managed to get to the there alone and rather early so looked at the wildly expensive duty free for a bit.
    Iwas surprised at all the self labelling, weighing of luggage etc and the flight was quick! No passport control so I was at Gare do Nord by 4.30. I had asked a stranger to message Phillip and we found each other easily outside a Relay store! I was quite relieved!
    Their home is in a beautiful part of Paris and it's so lovely to see a real Parisian apartment!!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Phillip outside the Red Onion near his home.
    Leeks!The apartment with its beautiful Designers Guild chairs.Sign in the Metro for me🫣At Sacre Couer.Sacre Couer.Bees.Sacre Couer.Gingham galore!Sunny canal.Republique.Off to aperitifs.Mural near the apartment with clever play on words, apparently!Both artists but the one on the right painted the works in the house.1His favourite one.Outside their home.

    Saturday in Paris

    October 12, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    I have walked my legs off already!! Phillip has trained me in traffic safety...buses and bike flying in all directions...and I have managed the metro pretty well!
    On Saturday we went to an amazing fresh produce market just down the road and then I set off for Mont Matre by Metro.
    It was very busy as there was a wine festival on so I wandered up the hill but it was too hot to queue to go inside. I visited the side streets with the street artists then headed for haberdashery heaven. There were several shops filled will so much beautiful fabric, ribbon, buttons and all kinds of treasures! When I decided to move to my next destination my metro card would not work so I walked to the next station where there was a human who let me through as the other machine was broken apparently.
    I went to Jaures Station to walk along the canal as suggested by Phillip but went the opposite way by mistake, still on the canal, but better in fact as I was too tired to walk home and could navigate a metro from Republique Square.
    The square there was noisy because of a protest by people from Togo or Ghana ( I have forgotten which!)
    In the evening we went to friends for an apperitif. This turned out to be lots of champagne and so many delicacies from Brittany that we only left to walk home at 1.30 am. They live in an interesting house full of the husband's art work.
    Sunday's update will need to wait.    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Avenue in Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
    Oscar Wilde's grave.Beautiful old grave.There are lots of memorials to all kinds of mass loss of life e.g Auschwitz.Edith Piaf.Beautiful old ceramic flowers on some graves.Not sure who but I liked the flowers.Snails at the artisanal market.Stinky cheeses!Amazing looking cakes.1Pamela's beautiful 2nd floor apartment.A patch of St Vincent de Paul church near Sacre Couer.Beautiful fountain.

    Sunday in Paris

    October 13, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    On Sunday Phillip took me on a guided tour of Pere Lachaise, a huge, famous cemetery and the largest green space in the city. It was early so it was empty and peaceful and the weather was gorgeous. There are a lot of memorials to groups of people who died in wars, plane crashes, genocides etc and a really long wall of names of Parisians who died in WW1. Also many famous people buried there like Jim Morrison, Proust, Edith Piaf.
    After a coffee and some people watching at a local cafe we went to a small annual market of makers from Burgundy selling wine, honey, nut oils, cakes, chocolate, cheese and more. All of it pretty fantastic!
    After lunch we caught a bus to visit 83 year old Pamela in her gorgeous airy apartment near Sacre Couer.
    Romain, Phillip and Sophie's son is staying over and joined us for supper with another couple. Phillip made delicious pea soup with special sausages and Sophie had made an amazing chestnut cake.    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Flower bombing from Monet's garden in Giverney.
    Peep of his house through the garden.💛The lake!Proof of life of a water lily.Proof of life of me!1Monet's house.Inside his house.In the house.Monet's bee.Old hotel in Giverney Village.

    Monday in Giverney

    October 13, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Caught the train to Vernon today. Sadly the weather is a bit grey but luckily not too cold. Took the funny little train shuttle to Giverney and wandered off into the beautiful gardens and home of Monet. Absolutely gorgeous...only wish I knew a bit more about him! Giverney Village is quaint but I hadn't checked the shuttle time properly so had a long wait in the parking lot.Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    Retro cinema next to where Sophie and Phillip used to live.
    So many beautiful paintings!!!This is just a small section of a huge Sargent.Monet's boat that I saw at Giverney.Gaugain.Inside the Musée de Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built from 1898 to 1900.🤪Walking along the Seine.San Michel.Details of tapestry.Goatish unicorn.1A chastity belt from early 17th Century!

    If its Tuesday it must be...

    October 14, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    ...the Musee de Orsay!
    I had a lovely long bus ride past the Louvre to the museum and then didn't have to wait long to get in. The Sargent exhibition was way better than I had even hoped!! I then went around the Impressionists and most of the rest of the gallery. The building was originally a railway station and has a
    very high roof.
    I then went for a walk in the sun along the Seine, eating my fromage and jambon sarmie from a local boulangerie near Phillip and Sophie. Up the Boulevard St Michel I found the Cluny Gallery, a turreted Gothic mansion housing vast collection of medieval arts, crafts & tapestries from the Middle Ages. It was amazing to see the Lady and the Unicorn, tho' the unicorn looks like a goat!
    I can't quite believe that tomorrow is my last day in Paris!    Read more

  • Danube cycle and more!!
    1Iconic window.
    Notre Dame.So much detail.I love the symmetry.Padlocks on all the bridges.Luxembourg Gardens.Anti-pigeon head gear.Paris fashion.I wonder 🤔Little Indian photo shoot.Another photo shoot.Sat here and had a coffee and my cheese and ham baguette.Kids doing PE in the park.Fonteine-des-quatre-parties du monde1Getting geared up.

    Last day in Paris.

    October 15, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Decided to take the bus to Notre Dame but the traffic was a little crazy! At least the bus was was empty and quiet but no WiFi.
    The queue moved fast and the Cathedral is looking beautiful! Jam packed with tourists .
    I walked up to Luxembourg Gardens which looking suitably autumnal. Got a bit confused and did a major detour to the Metro at San Michell but from there it was plain sailing back to shower and pack.
    I have been so lucky to have experienced living in a French apartment in a suburb of Paris like a real Frenchie!    Read more

    Trip end
    October 16, 2025
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