Back to the Danube

DAY 40 - Munich to Landshut - 83km/1464
Our original plan was to get a train back to Regensburg and continue down the Danube but we decide we will just cycle out of Munich along the Isar river and we'll meet the Danube further along. Have only been going for a short distance when the heavy rain starts so we take shelter with some other cyclists until it quietens down. We then cycle alongside the fast flowing Isar, the trail would normally be good but the rain has made it quite slippery and we are getting pretty dirty. Rain starts again and we manage to stop in Friesing and drink coffee until it settles down enough to continue.

Continue along the river through light forest and drizzle, we arrive in Lanshut in the late afternoon, nice looking place but not much time to look around. We find a camp site right next to the river and set up. Cold night.

DAY 41 - Landshut to Deggendorf - 88km/1552

Camping in Deggendorf, looks cold

Today turns out to be the lowest point of the ride for us so far, it's cold, cloudy, drizzly and everything is getting wet and covered in mud and sand because the trail along the river isn't great. Hard going because of the soft trail surface and the slippery conditions, would be a nice ride if the weather was better. Stop for lunch in Dingolfing then for more warming coffee in Landau and then through more miserable weather until we cross the Danube and stop in Deggendorf. Camp right next to ther river and have a basic dinner, walk into town in the evening, nice place. It's good to be back on the Danube but hope the weather gets better, had enough of this miserable stuff now.

DAY 42 - Deggendorf to Passau - 63kms/1615
Yep, more and more corn...

Cloudy start but it's quite bright, things are looking up. Weather continues to improve through the morning which means we have some great cycling. Best weather for about 2 weeks. Stop for morning coffee and cake in a lovely setting in the countryside then continue along great paths with nice scenery and arrive in Passau in the afternoon. Have a great lunch with huge sausages (Mei has a salad). Camping not far from town, still early afternoon so we walk up to the castle to get good views of the city, the Danube merges with the Inn river here and also with the Ilz and you can see all of it from the castle. Passau is a great place, right in the middle of the Inn and Danube and it's definitely one of the nicest places we've seen so far. Austria is just across the Inn river now, we will cross into another country tomorrow. The next section of the trail is one of the most popular parts and there are heaps of cyclists in the camp site. Main problem now is having no clean clothes, i can see a day of hand-washing in my future.

View of Passau from the castle