The home of Kepler and Einstein

Another rest day, this time in a swish hotel in Ulm. We need it as the protein to carbs ratio in the menu has declined, so all the rest we can get is good. And because the Germans seem to run on bread, it´s hard to find a good sausage when you need it.

For those of you interested in wildlife sightings I have seen: a red squirrel with not much life left in it, a hedgehog in similar condition, a field of storks, a nest of storks complete with baby on a chimney, many hawks, kestrels, herons, ducks, white swans and geese, a pair of small deer-like creatures, some feral cats as well as cows with bells, goats and the odd sheep, all with tails.

We've had a couple of accidents: Marilyn from Canada broke an ankle yesterday so she and her husband are flying home tomorrow; and Neil, our four-score and more year-old American, tumbled the day before and required x-rays and a day´s rest, but he´s fine and in good form, as usual.

We've been on the Donau now for two days and the topography is constantly changing. Yesterday it was fields of barley, corn, spinach and canola, which interestingly, the Germans, like their French neighbours, do not keep behind fences. The first day it was towering limestone cliffs, some fields and lots of up and downs as we crossed the river, re-crossed it and climbed up and down its banks. The constant is lots of trees, lots of water and a plethora of villages, all with their Bäckerie and Kaffee vendors. It rained again overnight, much Donner and Blitzen, and a few spots en route.

I ride in a small group most days: John Ross from Edmonton, Stewart from Poole, sometimes Bernice and Mike from Edmonton as well, Dan from Boston, Phillip from Ottawa, and maybe for a little while with others. I am definitely wining the red jersey with the white spots for being the last up the mountain, and our group seems always to be last in to the coffee shops, to lunch, to camp, to everything pretty much. But hey, it´s not a race, is it, and we´re seeing everything in just that much more detail than the speedsters.

More technicals:
June 9: Freiburg to Phoren, bloody big hill, 80 kms, 6 hours, sunshine and blue skies
June 10: Phoren to Sigmaringen, 95 kms, 5 and a half hours and about 500 metres of sneaky climbing
June 11: Sigmaringen to Ulm, 110 kms, 6 and a bit hours, flattish and even a tail-wind for awhile

Other highlights:
Every rest day I don the surgical gloves and get out the Chux wipes, borrow degreaser from Stewart and clean the back cassette, the front cassette, the chain, re-grease it all and wash down the bike frame. It is the rest day highlight, after the laundry, that is, which last night proved more entertainment than I could manage, but I´ll tell you about it another time.