An unwelcome detour

After receiving some dirty looks for riding down what was apparently a one-way cycle path so we could detour to the bakery, we made sure we were on the right side of the path as we cycled through the park out of Regensburg. 

We were soon riding through the open farmland that would be our companion for most of the day.  The skyline was broken by the occasional castle perched on top of a hill and it was nice to find a sheltered spot on the river for morning tea.  

The route took us away from the river and the next castle we spotted on the outskirts of Worth had been converted into retirement living.  We continued on through the village of Pondorf, with its pretty church before taking a sharp incline to the river, with G needing a quick chain repair.  The sheep feasting on the long grass, ignored us as we cycled past. 

The day had warmed up and we were pleased to find a shady spot in the village of Reibersdorf with a picnic bench and a convenient stone base that served as a handy table to prepare our bread rolls.  Signs indicated that the nearby cycling path was closed, and we watched with interest as cyclists continued up the path regardless.  

Despite none of the cyclists returning, we followed the recommended detour and part of the path was under construction when we rejoined it.  It was dusty but manageable and we were soon back on track.  We had almost 30 kms to cover after lunch and there was little of interest to distract us, and almost no shade as we cycled through the hot afternoon, counting down the kilometres. 

About 10 kms from our destination at Metten, the path was closed again.  A helpful gentleman emerged from his nearby house to explain to us that we needed to take a detour of about 1 kilometre before turning right and returning to the river.  We thanked him for his advice and followed the detour signs away from the river.  However, the detour signs didn’t indicate a right turn and we found ourselves heading further away from Metten.  

We stopped and checked our navigation and recalibrated the route to get back on track.  There was another road closed sign, which we decided to ignore, only to end up in a construction site with no way through, so had to turn back.  Finally we found ourselves back on the correct route, and it was with great relief that we could see the spires of the Metten Abbey in the distance.  

After a quick detour for some sparkling water, beer and chips, we found the Metten Hof guest house and lugged our bags up to flights of stairs to our room.  By the time we had showered, the beers had cooled, and we decided to enjoy our beers with a selection of takeaway Pinsas and a house salad with falafel. The Pinsas were a type of pizza, but on a base of sourdough flatbread in a large oblong shape.  Supposedly lighter and with less calories than traditional pizzas, we definitely did not need one each, so ended up with sufficient leftovers for lunch.   

Prev entry - Home - Next entry