The rain had continued off-and-on overnight, and was still on when we awoke. Happily, by the time we wandered over for breakfast it was off, and so it remained all day. We feasted well, wandered over to a nearby cycle shop for a nosey round, then headed back to the room to pack and load up. The stream outside the gasthof roared with thick brown water from the night's rain, and puddles littered the cycle track. We slalomed off dodging huge brown slugs and massive snails that were slithering across the tarmac until reaching a confusing bridge on the outskirts of town that eventually delivered us to the RH bank and took us through, or rather alongside, extensive forest park. It was very very humid. The leaves dripped, the meadow flowers were bowed over with dew, and mist emanated from the woods. On we sped looking fruitlessly for a coffee stop, but encountering nothing but dams and power stations, and forest. Eventually the village of Zwentendorf was reached and we detoured in to find the entire place closed. It was Monday. Beware all of you tempted to visit Austria on a Monday. It closes! I was getting increasingly irritated by all the signs that keep telling you that a place is coming up in 3 or 5 or 8km, that sells coffee, cake, dumplings, hot food, but which never tell you opening hours, or days. Sooo many places have been passed that are closed, and not just on a Monday. So, some snack food from our panniers was consumed instead whilst sitting on seats on the edge of the village. A poor compromise. And here's another thing that is starting to irritate: Anne was starting to get embarrassed by my counting out all the clinker in my wallet to handover exact money in cafes. So I started to handover the nearest amount in excess of the bill. The waiter then assumes I don't want change and walks off with the lot! I got wise to this pretty quickly so started handing over notes way in excess of the bill. This does however mean I end up with a lot of change ... which I shall start counting out exactly!! This afternoon we had two tiny coffees and were billed the most yet for such fare: €6.40. I handed over a €10 note and the waitress took it, kept her money pouch tightly shut and looked at me enquiringly "bitte?". In your dreams!!! You think you're getting a three quid tip for serving us two piddling, overpriced coffees? I took the change. I do not have 'sucker' tattooed on my forehead!
We eventually rolled into Tulln (leap frogging our Dutch couple again!) checked in, showered, and wandered out for a beer and an explore. Dinner followed later and was well received as we'd not eaten properly all day. Anne was shocked with the double schnitzel she received forcing me to help her out at the expense of not finishing my meal. Still, it does mean I've a massive bratwurst foil-wrapped for a snack tomorrow.
29.4 miles at 11.3 mph avg. 2 hrs 36 min to ascend a monumental 55m!
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