Happy Monday. And last day of July.
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Today was looooong. 140+ km. There was a gap in campgrounds around the 110/120 km mark where I usually aim. And I’m not one to go short. apparently.
Wurzburg was a bust. All those beautiful old baroque buildings still exist, but it’s all pretty much a shopping mall. Disappointing to be sure but also somewhat relieving that converting history to chain malls is not exclusively a North American phenomenon. Despite this. a nice bridge into town.


The subsequent towns had the same age and beauty without the shops and crowds.


After half a day of towns like this the trail veered away from the river and became a patchwork paths, side roads, small highways, neighborhood streets and a little single track. Still good riding, but definitely got the sense of things being a little less intentional and more cobbled together.

How to spend 10 hours on a bike? Well I listen to a lot of music. (Thanks Tyler for the playlist you made, and the new neural pathways the new songs created. Good stuff!) I’ve also spent some time catching up on podcasts. And by catching up I mean I just listened to Shittown which came out what, like a decade ago? This podcast was actually the first one I’ve ever listened to, and you’re right Karen it’s great. Then some socialist interviews on the rise and fall of OPEC. If you want to lose yourself in time, listen to something like that. I was so busy trying to understand what these people were talking about, an hour went by like nothing.
Got my second flat. Front tire this time, which is so much easier to deal with. No hay people to blame, no grumpy grandpa to fix it, and I did not leave anything behind. 👏
That’s about it for today. minus a few facts and figures I’ll share. This July is the first time I’ve cycled more than 2000 km in a calendar month. Unless something goes wrong, I’ll crush this in August. Tomorrow I’ll likely pass 1000 km for this trip. Which means I am waaaay ahead of schedule and opens up some options for the rest of my trip like extra riding or some time in towns. And I will finish the Main cycleway tomorrow early afternoon so will be onto the Saale segment. Or should at least make it to the start point which is about 40km from the end of this one.
Campground tonight is like some of the private sites I stayed at in California. And that’s not a compliment. I feel like I should be hearing some shittown inspired accents.

Oh, and for you wine enthusiasts, you know who you are. The Germans must have a thing about vending machines.

I, for one, am happy you’ll be able to take some time to enjoy your travels. I know you’re a bike enthusiast but do some sightseeing. You’re in Europe. Sleep well.
Why can’t we have nice things (vending machines) like the Germans?? The classic meal of a bottle of Gewürztraminer and bag of M&Ms. Dead Eyes is a fun podcast should you be wanting something lighter than the OPEC stuff. Have a good night.
Thanks for the tip!
“After you click, PRESS” is what it says on the vending machine flap. “Drüken” is not related to “Drunken.” Who knew?
I’d have been a bit antsy about a campground named “Naturfreunde” – sound a bit like a clothing optional place. (I got steered toward one of those on a tour in Western Maine once… I camped elsewhere.)
Keep on keepin’ on.
I also thought that about this campground! The reviews told me otherwise.
No bakery or ice cream treats worth reporting on day 7?
There were some decent bakery treats. Not the best so far though.
I’m also happy you’re going to get some time to go “off plan” here and there. You could attend a music festival or concert with one of your favourite German death metal bands. You are clocking a heck of a lot of kilometres, your daily deliveries here in TO have been good training. If I ever join you on a bike trip it will definitely be on an E-bike 🙂 Love the wine vending machine, not that I’d use it or anything if we had them here. Safe travels today!
It’s possible I’m going a little overboard
I hope you stop in Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest! So much to see ahead of you.
Glad you are likin’ the tunes! It’s a weird mix for sure!
And I’m not surprised you’re ahead of schedule. 140km in one day? Wow. As payback, if you don’t mind going back for that sword the statue is holding, I think it’d look great above our kitchen door.
Sleep tight and enjoy the world of podcasts!
Lol
Epic distances! The only thing better than a wine vending machine is a free wine fountain like they have (or had?) along the Camino de Santiago route in northern Spain.