It’s amazing that in just 3 days of cycling you can go from the capital of Austria, to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava and then to the capital of Hungary, Budapest; and that is exactly what we did.

The ride to Bratislava continued along the Danube trail, and the riders were quite quick to finish the stage.  Which was great for them as we were staying in the “Botel”, a boat turned hotel permanently anchored on the Danube in Bratislava.  From there it was a very short walk into the historical center which is full of restaurants, cafes and shops selling all sorts of traditional knick knacks.  After a good nights sleep we headed east for our final stint on the Danube cycle way.  As a going away present nature offered us a roaring tailwind for the first 40kms along the river!  

On reaching our stop in Komarom, Hungary many riders mentioned the great change in the villages compared to Western Europe.  There is the leftover feeling of Soviet times and the extreme neatness of the west has dissipated and something more rustic has appeared.  There is a feeling mid-way through the Orient Express that all is suddenly new and for those who have not traveled this part of the world there is much excitement as to what will come next.

Our ride into Budapest was led by the one and only Gergo, our trusty bike mechanic, expert on all that is Hungarian and resident of Budapest.   Despite the busier city traffic the cyclists had a fun and safe ride to the hotel.  Everyone was also very lucky to see Gergo and his band, Arabesque, play a concert on our rest day here at a very cool local bar.  It was great to see everyone out enjoying themselves in this amazing city.

Next up is 5 days of cycling to Alba Iulia, Romania.  We still have a few flat days ahead of us crossing the Hungarian plateau, but once we enter Romania the hills begin.  As we have still had a fair bit of rain we’re all hoping for some sunshine.

Happy trails.

 

Leaving Regensburg we enjoyed one of the shortest days of the Tour. At just 52km it’s only a few pedal strokes to reach Straubing.  On a previous visit to this small city, Germanys’ second largest beer festival was ongoing and in town massive tents filled with beer satiated Germans swayed to the raucous tunes inside.  This year the town was more laid back and we enjoyed one of our hottest days of the whole trip, this inspired people to either relax around the camp or cycle into town to see what the locals were up to.

After this it was a string of 4 days all around 100km-115km.   The majority of each day was spent on the Danube cycle way.  As we approached and then entered Austria, our third country of the trip, the banks of the river grow steeper and steeper making the scenery that much more striking.  As well the boat traffic picks up considerably with many passenger boats going up and down the river.  In fact from Passau, Germany a few of our cyclists decided to take the boat to Linz, Austria.  Apparently they had quite an interesting time and enjoyed the different perspective that gliding along the river provides. 

Our campsite in Linz is right by a small lake and is usually great for swimming, however the weather was still a bit rainy so it didn’t prove to be a popular option.  One incident of note was that as I drove into Austria it was immediately apparent that no stores were open anywhere in the country; this was due to an undetermined holiday.  I must say for all the grief Germans (and some Austrians) give the Greeks about not working hard enough and forgetting to pay taxes it seems that every other day in Germany/Austria is a holiday (which I must say is a great idea) Anyways I was told by a German hotel worker that when it isn’t a holiday everyone works at 300% effort, most likely to make up for working 0%, 50% of the time.

We are now in Vienna.  As one of the worlds’ great cultural cities you can’t walk for more than 500 metres without bumping into a museum.  Today I can report having visiting the Natural History Museum.  Let me tell you the giant Wooly Mammoth is kind of scary, once you get over that though you could easily spend a whole day there learning about parasites, caving, ostriches, ancient pottery or space toys from the 1960s’ in no particular order.

After another rest day tomorrow we are off for the beautiful city of Bratislava, where we spend one night before cycling into Hungary the following day… It should be noted we have said goodbye to 4 of our sectional riders at this point.  Noah and Laura in Ulm, Germany and just now in Vienna Alf and Evelyn of South Africa.  Luckily for us we have 5 more sectional riders joining us here in Vienna and we’re all excited to meet up with them and share the exciting times ahead.

So until then have a great time wherever you are and if you have the opportunity spend a day with friends/family cycling around aimlessly!

p.s. In the last blog I referred to Francois as Francoise.  This was a mistake as Francoise is the feminine version of his name.  Francois after a few difficult days has forgiven me.

Austria. TDA Archives

From the jangle of bike chains and the whistle of the wind, from grunts of pain and shouts of lyrical laughter, the Orient Express
Cycle Tour’s symphony of sound pedals into Austria, proclaimed by many to be the birthplace of Classical music. From the sound of music to the sights of architectural splendour, this section of the cycle tour is sure to delight!


Linz. TDA archives

From the city of Linz with its world-class art galleries, striking architecture to its revolutionary concept of striving to be an acoustic city, through its monitoring of ambient urban noise, we’ll wind our
way through the glorious Austrian countryside to the capital city – Vienna. Set against a backdrop of imperial palaces
and majestic mountains, the city will spark a song in your soul as you
get to spend some days resting and indulging in the sights and sounds of
classical delights.


Vienna.  Photo by Bachspics
 
After visiting fairytale-like palaces and being swept away by world-class opera that will transport you back through time, perhaps
you’ll find yourself at a road side restaurant sampling schnitzels and tasty tortes, while sipping locally produced schnapps or
slow roasted coffees.

But before we’re tempted to remain in this musical wonderland, it’s back on our bikes and off to Bratislava, the cosmopolitan capital of Slovakia.
 
Bratislava. Photo by Martin H

With its cathedrals and castles that are millennia old to its views of the nearby Carpathian Mountains, you’ll be singing the praises of this enchanting city.   With its glorious countryside and exceptional options for skiing holidays, Slovakia is fast becoming a popular tourist destination for those who are looking for something more quaint and less commercial. We’ll get the special, selective, slow paced tour as we cycle our way through the Slovakian scenery further into Eastern Europe.



Explore the ‘new’ Europe on the old continent with the Orient Express
Bicycle Tour. From the French vineyards, to the spas of Budapest, the
Carpathian mountains in Romania, and the spices of Turkish bazaars, this
is a continental tour of Europe like no other.

Whet your appetite...
German Treasures
Vival la France
Eating in Istanbul
From Paris to Istanbul

Available as a full tour or in three shorter sections.
Click here for route, pricing and registration details.




 

Is it possible for titles to be unrelated to the subject matter which they precede?Sure, the title above could be seen as an example of that; except that somehow this title may shed some light on the trials which a cyclist attempting to cross Europe can encounter. Let’s take Paul Davidson, a rider who has participated on the Tourd’Afrique in it’s entirety, as well as previously cycling sections on the Orient Express (Budapest to Istanbul) as well as the Silk Route (Istanbul to Ashgabat) A man of preternatural navigational ability, a keen sense of humor, and a set of very small wheels.Through 4 days of cycling from Regensburg, Germany to Emmersdorf, Austria, Paul and the rest of our fearless O.E. participants stuck to the Donau Cycle Trail; soaking up it’s serenity, it’s graveled sections, and, luckily, it’s possibilities for curried bratwurst stops. Our final day of the cycling week, which led us to our current locale, Vienna, took a different turn… The night before our cycle to Vienna the sky turned upside down, with clouds opening up and delivering a chorus of raindrops on all our tents which could not be quelled. However, never dreary or droll, Paul and the gang awoke with enthusiasm in the wet dawn, packed up their bags, ate some hot oats, filled their voluminous mugs with coffee and focused on the day of cycling ahead. Paul cycled off on his own, following the small signs for the bike trail seen through his fogged up spectacles; unfortunately the unrelenting rain made map reading difficult, and with heightened attention on the slippery road surface ahead and not on the directional signs, he was caught by what for a cyclist is a kind of mouse trap. If one has ever driven a car in Europe, they may remember that finding the motorways appears to be an incredibly easy chore. Is this due to a heightened ability to navigate the roadways of foreign countries compared to our own? If we should be so lucky…, actually Euro motorways send out giant traction beams (in the form of enormous city direction signs) which incessantly pull motor vehicles towards their on ramps, only to spit them out later at their driver’s destination. Paul’s bike was caught in one of these traction beams, and despite his best efforts was unable to escape its’ pull. Suddenly finding oneself on their bicycle entering the autobahn is really bad enough. To add insult to injury though, the Austrians are a group who have never shied away from telling a person who has made a mistake that they’ve done so. With motorists in their dullish Mercedes purposefully slowing down to yell “Verboten!!!” out their half opened windows (so as not to be too affected by the pummeling rain) Paul cycled miserably onwards. Luckily, being an O.E. participant, Paul is nothing if not resourceful, so within a couple of kilometers, he was able to escape the trap, scaling a small fence after climbing a reasonably accessible embankment. Finding himself on a smaller road, he tuned his mental compass to locate the Donau, set his bike in a downstream direction and began once again cycling the ever pleasant trail towards Vienna. (Mind you on slippery paths and in a torrential rain storm, but at least their was one of the grandest cities in Europe at the end of it all) To Paul who is leaving the group in Budapest. Happy trails! To Bob, Gloria and Walburga who have joined us in Vienna. Welcome aboard!

With a five day, 500 kilometre stretch through Germany and Austria behind them, the riders have enjoyed idyllic cycling weather and a well deserved rest day in the magnificent city of Vienna. We knew we had left Deutschland and were in Osterreich when our cell phones simultaneously beeped the same -welcome-to-Austria-your-calls-will-cost-you-a-lot-more-now - message. No border post or passport check point marked the occasion of our crossing. From a scenic point of view, things remain pretty much the same as in Germany... farm fields, woodlands and charming villages not more than 5 to 10 kms apart unfurled before the riders as they continued to follow the cycle path along the mighty Danube river. But as we journeyed through the larger towns of Linz, Melk and into the city of Vienna, the change in the architecture signalled the difference. Those Holy Roman Emperors sure knew how to put on a good show. While completely over-the-top and excessive, the grandiose palaces, spires, domes, abbeys and churches perched atop hills and alongside the Danube are breath taking and awe inspiring. Vienna is art, music, palaces, statues, golden domes, fountains, pedestrian walkways, bicycles, magnificent gardens... and dogs. Coiffed and stylish, they trot alongside their human companions, ride on the subways and in bicycle baskets with a most regal air about them. Soccer fever swept across the city this afternoon as Italian and Portuguese fans poured in by bus and subway to get things warmed up for the critical match at the stadium. Faces painted, wrapped up in flags and sporting medieval carnival hats in their national colours, the fans did their best to out sing each other in the shadow of St. Stephan’s Cathedral. One particularly fervent fan was on his knees in the cathedral, clearly asking for divine intervention, in favour of Italy. Tomorrow we leave Austria and cross into Slovakia and, cell phone messages aside, we WILL be aware we are doing so this time. Due to the large influx of foreign soccer fans into Austria this weekend, security has been stepped up and passports will be required, we are told. Hmmm… Why am I not surprised? I did enjoy wearing my T-Shirt with the outline of the African continent stamped boldly on the front and the back, and watching the reactions of the ticket sellers at the over priced art galleries when I asked them if there were any special discounts for Africans!

En une quizaine de jours, nous avons parcourrus la partie germanophone de l'Orient-Express. Des nos premiers metres en Allemagne, la difference avec la France apparait. Les cyclistes quittent la route pour cheminer sur des voies qui leur sont dediees. Arrive a Freiburg, ce sont les boutiques de velos qui se multiplient. Pas des magasins élitistes où seul le matériel haut de gamme à le droit de site ou encore des grandes surfaces de sport qui ne proposent que leurs produits. Non, ici, les echoppes sont baroques (comme l'architecture), la bicyclette fabriquée par un artisant trône au milieu de nombreuses autres de marques différentes. Les vélos de courses, les VTT, les bicyclettes de villes, les vélos de randonnée se partagent la scène. Même dans les villages, on trouve des bouclards a coté de la boulangerie ou de l'épicerie. Le vélo est un mode de déplacement, pas seulement un loisir estival. L'Allemagne et l'Autriche ont conservé à la petite reine ses lettres de noblesses. Merci! - Olivier Thudor

So I’m writing to you from the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. And since my last update in Linz the tour itself has changed almost as much as the worlds we’re traveling through. The two stages leaving Linz are believed by many to be the most beautiful days on the tour so far. Austria is quite scenic. Although the Danube is no longer sided by huge cliffs, the rolling lush landscape provides for a natural wonderland. The small towns have hosted some amazing sites for the cyclists to visit. About halfway through the first stage there was an optional side trip that added a few km’s to the day, but gave an opportunity to see a concentration camp from the WWII, just outside of Mauthausen. Although it is important that we learn from the mistakes of our past I didn’t visit it. Its too depressing and in some sort of twisted way, I feel that making a place like that into a tourist attraction almost glorifies it. The following day the trail led us through several agricultural villages. Every hill slope was terraced to host a myriad fruit orchards and vineyards. In the villages there were small shops that use the local fruits to make juice, wine, brandy and schnapps. The best part is that you can taste any of them before you decide what to purchase. We also took a side tour that day to visit the Monastry in Melk, a UNESCO heritage site. Not only is the architecture amazing but the library there has books dating back over a thousand years. That night we camped just outside of Krems in a small family run vineyard. Being the last night of camping with our sectional riders, we had a bit of a celebration, enjoying our hosts’ homebrew and the flavours of the orchards we rode through in the last two stages. Riding into Vienna is a bit of a convoluted route and not so scenic, but I love Vienna. It's one of my favorite European cities and it just happens to be Jazzfest here right now. Most people spent their days visiting the numerous museums, churches, art galleries and enjoyed the sounds of Mozart and Strauss in the evenings. Whereas I find myself seeking out the seediest subterranean blues bars. My favorite is Jazzland, a dank dungeon of soul that I stumbled upon two years ago. Its located beneath the city streets, a brick cellar that has been converted into a bar which has become the Viennese institution of jazz for the past forty years. It has hosted all the greats from Miles Davis and Dizzy Gilespie to James Brown ad Wilson Pickett. I saw a performance from the Hot Jazz Ambassadors. A fantastic show of dueling clarinets, banjo, baritone, trumpet, and alto sax. Their lead singer was this crazy red head with matching leather boots stomping out a metronome to her lungfuls of raspy lyrics. We had two rest days in Vienna and each night I tried to explore a different venue. I saw a Sri Lankan reggae band at the Casablanca club and I ended my time there with an acoustic guitar and tenor sax duet in a coffee shop. Vienna is where the tour ended for seven of our clients who have been with us since Paris. Group dynamics and chemistry is something that cannot be forecasted and the first half of this tour has been incredible. These riders have become part of our family and their individual eccentricities will be missed. We had a farewell dinner on the night we arrived to say our good-byes. But during the course of our time off in Vienna we were joined by six new sectional riders. They had an interesting first day as we had two convoy rides one leaving the Austrian capital and one entering the Slovakian. Not to mention that with the border crossing they have already had to deal with two currencies and two languages while they try to adapt to their new lifestyle of cycle touring. They still don’t really know what a permanent bag is! I look forward to seeing how the dynamic will morph to incorporate these new personalities. My first impression of Slovakia was that we have left contemporary Europe and entered a land of post communist eastern block rule. It would appear that everything here is about 20 years behind the times. Sidewalks, roads, building all are slightly dishevelled, but that’s only the surface. If you venture into the old city its perhaps one of the more beautiful cities in Europe I’ve visited. All the buildings have been well kept or restored. For the most part it is closed to vehicle traffic and the cobbled pedestrian mall is filled with cafes, restaurants, bars and galleries. The castle on the hill over looking the city offers a panoramic view of the Bratislava and the greater Danube channel. I wish we had more time to spend here. Slovakia is country number four and we cross the border in Hungary tomorrow. I will write again from Budapest. Hope all is well

Austria has been stunning so far, and it seems to be getting better everyday. There's lots of forestry, and the Danube is widening into a more and more grand river each day. Today the trail took us through the wine region of Austria; the hillsides were covered with vineyards, with our trail at times cutting right thru them. And of course every little village offered wine tasting. Appropriately enough, tonight we are camping at a vineyard just outside town. The owner is selling his personal wines right from where we are camped. Starting at two Euros a bottle, its well worth a glass...or two.

Its another great day in Austria. The weather has made a drastic change for the better, and it has added to the enjoyment of our day off here in Linz. This is the biggest city we have been in since Paris, and its a nice change from the many small towns we travelled through in Germany. The Danube Cycleway was all paved on yesterdays ride into Linz, and it was one of the more scenic days on the Tour so far. The Danube is now a wide river pushing its way east towards the Black Sea. Our lunch spot yesterday was right at trailside, next to a small ferry dock that shuttles cyclists back and forth to the north and south bank of the Danube. The pictureesque spot was enhanced by the weather and a light breeze that came off the Danube.