Dear Friends,
I'm leaving Langenzendorf, Austria (an eastern suburb of Vienna) tomorrow for Bratislava and will travel back and forth a little between Hungary and Slovakia negotiating a route between the two countries on either side of the Danube. I believe it's called the Dunav in Hungary and Duna in Slövakia but I'll double check. It's been the Donau from Donaueschingen, Germany where we encountered it as a little stream. It even disappeared underground for a few kilometers. Now it's a wide, wide river used for hydroelectric power, shipping (each dam includes canals and locks for shipping). I've read the travel advisories and cycling guides so I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be for eastern Europe. It was great cycling with Lynda and sharing all of the amazing sites en route. A cycle tour lacks the ambling ability one has as a foot tourist because there are timelines and distances to achieve in a day. You also have to worry about securing your bike, etc. We did make some day trips by train to go to Ludwig's Castle in Bavaria, Climb the Ulmer Munster Cathedral spire in Ulm Germany and go on a guided tour in Dachau. I'm still significantly impacted by that last experience and plan to share my impressions in the future.
Cycling Germany was a remarkable experience, following the river at times and then disappearing into corn and wheat fields over winding country roads barely used by car traffic. We had to dodge more tractors than anything but for the mostpart, we had the roads and pathways to ourselves. Often, we would veer into cool wooded trails and end up back beside the river to be reaquainted with our old friend, the Danube. Before Austria, hills began to grow around us and each river bend seem to produce another castle perched high above the river. Some of these fortresses go back to the days of the Ottoman invasion hundreds of years ago. The Romans used the river for their expansions as well and it's fun to imagine a legion or two, plying these waters during their imperialist exploits. One can spend hundreds of hours exploring old Roman sites along the Donau. One of the best treats of cycling this part of Europe are the forays into towns and villages, rattling over cobblestone lanes seeking out that perfect cappuccino at a sidewalk cafe. Stretching out your legs and listening to the ringing of local church bells on a sunny afternoon, while scooping out that last bit of foam your cup was one of the most pleasurable parts of my day. The hard part was getting started on your bike again but after a few minutes of peddling, progress was fairly easy to make. 
The other highlight of this portion of the trip were the aquaintences made with others. I hope to write more fully about some of the people we met but I was often impressed with their kindness and generosity towards us. Chris and Elizabeth who rescued us from being stranded late at night without a connecting train to our hotel and the birthday surprise they organized for Lynda on her '39th'. The crew at the pub just over the border into Austria at Feldkirchen who helped us find accommodation at night at a farmhouse when it seemed that there was no room at the Inn anywhere. I have to make a public apology to Martim Peterseil for misunderstanding his greeting of 'grus gott' (it did come across as rather grumpy) for something else and being less than friendly with him as a result. After the dust settled he arranged for a van to drive us and our bikes to the private zimmer at the farmhouse I mentioned. Later, I discovered that 'Grus gott' is Austrian for 'Hello'! This story demands more detail but I share this as an example of the kindnesses we experienced along the way.
I want to say hello to the following folks we met along the way...
Pauline, Chris and Elizabeth, the inn keeper's son in Zimmern, Kees, Anton, Bertrand, Willy, Mrs. Stapfolen, Mr. Koppel, another Willy, Patrick, Mr. Knols, Leda, and Herr und Frau Roderich. I'll ask Lynda to remind me of others I may have unwittingly missed.
As I leave for eastern Europe, I must admit some mild anxiety because of the conveniences I may miss that were experienced in the west but each stage, be they provinces of Canada or countries in Europe, has it's own unique experiences to offer. I am a person of Faith and am grateful for the protection I've received thus far so my prayers will include safety for the next portion and that I will be enriched as much as I have been for the last stages I've been able to complete.
Regarding my final destination of Istanbul, I am probably going to revise my route fairly significantly but will still aim to achieve the Black Sea but instead at Constanta, Romania which is near the mouth of the Danube River. The route following the Danube is established as part of the Danube Bike Trail although far rougher than it's western Europe sections. There exists infrastructure of some signage, cycling maps and guides and listings on accomodation along the way. If I was to plan a route from Budapest to Istanbul, the unknowns are significantly greater as well as opportunities to get lost. Once I achieve Constanta, I plan to return to Bucharest by train and make a connection to Istanbul. If time allows, I may have an opportunity to cycle in Turkey before I return to Vancouver.
I guess I'll have to change my trip-project name from 'Burnaby to Istanbul' to 'Burnaby to the Black Sea'. Perhaps this has a better ring to it but none-the- less, I hope to arrive in Turkey with my bike. By the way, the guys from Jubilee Cycle in Burnaby will be happy to know that the Kona is still running well with only one tune-up required and that was in Winnipeg last June.
Thanks to you all who are following this adventure and I hope we can raise a reasonable amount of funds towards the 'Clean Water for Ethiopia Project'. Lynda has returned to Vancouver with my netbook because wi-fi is too inaccessible so I will rely on internet cafes to keep in touch with you but SPOT will continue to transmit unless I lose it off of the back of my bike over the next bumpy 1700 km's.
There is much more to share with you about this trip but I hope to give it more attention in a fuller document upon completion of the trip. Obviously this is not a conventional travelogue per se but rather a set of reflections on a little bicycle journey I'm taking and I hope to share more impressions with you again soon. Lynda will load some long overdue photos so you won't have to rely on my limited descriptions alone.
Best wishes,
Doug Ibbott
