Day 27 - Passau to Linz (61 miles)

Why is it that the days with the nicest routes are also the wettest?

The day was bookended by two sections of cycling along a fast and busy road, starting as I left Passau in the dry and ending as I approached Linz in the rain. But in between it was beautiful and peaceful valley cycling. At some point in the morning I crossed into Austria although exactly where that border lay I have no idea.

The rain forecast first thing did not materialise until later in the morning but the spray and whoosh of water as rubber rolled over tarmac bore witness to the rain overnight. Before long I was away from the road and on a quiet track alongside the Danube as it wound its way eastwards through a steep sided and wood covered valley. Here the valley slopes came right down to the river, no flood plain full of agriculture and hardly any evidence of human presence. The road was peaceful, flat and smooth while the cloud clinging to the valley, the grey skies and drizzle, and the track alongside the water brought to mind the Lake District. It was a wonderful sense of isolation in beautiful surroundings. 

I made good progress on the bike friendly terrain but today was not solely about the cycling; twice for me the path ended but my journey downstream continued. Small, independently operated bicycle ferries operate along the Danube taking cyclists and walkers across the river or further along the valley past areas where low level tracks don’t exist. Out in the river, watching the woodland slopes slip past, I realised just how enclosed the river is in this area. 

After two ferries, and just over sixty miles I arrived at Linz in heavy rain, hunkered down into my waterproofs, although they have not proved worthy of the name. It seems a nice city with some lovely squares and buildings but I was too soaked to care and was dealing the problems caused by trying to navigate to a hotel using a wet smart-phone. And having at last got warm and dry I was not inclined to head out again with the rain still pounding on my window and a forecast for it to go on well into the night. I therefore decided reluctantly to forgo exploring the city.

Approaching Linz