Arrived in Vienna in the dark.
It’s always unnerving cycling in a country for the first time. What is available in terms of cycle paths, how do the motorists behave. There are lots of good cycle ways in Vienna but I ended up on one road with no cycle path which was uncomfortable.
Looked for a restaurant close to the hotel and found..
Lovely food.
And next day..,
Then it’s back to the Hauptbahnhof.
Having never been to Augsburg previously but having heard a lot about Augsburg and particularly the Fuggerei I had high expectations. I set off on foot as check out time was noon.
Stopped for breakfast at the local market.
I
8 Euros to explore the Fuggerei. The place is fascinating.
The Fuggerei was flattened by British bombing towards the end of the Second World War. Augsburg was a major centre for manufacturing weapons including fighter planes, and therefore a prime target. The Fuggerei was rebuilt.
On the way back to the hotel I discovered that the river is channelled through the city next to roads and houses.
I also walked along a street with loads of school children playing in the road. I asked the policeman what was happening. The police had blocked the street in preparation for a demonstration. An enterprising sports teacher used the moment to get the children out for a bit of fun.
After checking out I went back to the Augsburg Altstadt
Augsburg exceeded expectations, beautiful city, but substantially rebuilt after the war.
Change at München
What is interesting is that the German regional train runs from München to Salzburg, requiring cross border cooperation. This happens quite frequently on this trip.
A short walk to St Pancras station. As ever border control seems chaotic and the waiting area is packed and too hot.
Time for a quick late night tour.
A pleasant but long day. Also confusing language wise. German, French, English (and some Polish) being spoken on the train. French bartender spoke to me in French until I hesitated ,then he switched to German.
A day book ended by two Premier Inns
The cycle route was mainly on protected cycle lanes. Some are very new. This makes the ride far more pleasant. But stop start.
The journey was in bright sunshine and blue skies.
Travel in February means it’s a bit cold. And it gets dark quickly, so not good for photos out of the window.
A rain free trip, a few deer sightings, but most of it without a view due to lack of light. Very friendly staff.
Then a cycle to the Great Nepalese Restaurant near Euston station.
Unfortunately the Far North train does not connect well with the Sleeper. I have a two hour wait in Inverness. Not much open at this time so in a moment of inspiration it’s off for a breakfast at Premier Inn. Must get sponsorship.
The Premier Inn is slightly disorganised. The card reader is not working so I get a free breakfast. Due to a low number of staff it takes an age for it to be served. Can’t complain because I am not paying for it.
There’s proper snowy scenery
Then back to the coast.
Then up the Helmsdale Strath.
Breda station is poorly signposted plus two platforms are missing. Very confusing for a visitor.
I had a little time to look around Brussels
In the cellar of the Judgy Vegan.
Kerfuffle at the border control. I was asked if I have a flick knife. Turns out to be a multi tool in the bag.
Due to congestion at the Eurostar terminal we leave late. Eurostar, you have something to work on. The whole process of passing through border control is hectic and disorganised with lots of pinch points.
It’s turned to dusk as the Eurostar sets off. It’s dark by the time the Eurostar has a pause waiting for permission to enter the channel tunnel.
Then it’s down into the tunnel and onto England.
I unfolded the Brompton to make it easier to move with the luggage. A mistake as it turned out. I was directed to the lift which is tiny and therefore has a long queue of people with large amounts of luggage, push chairs and one bike. I am second to last in the queue. Poor design!
I am the last to leave.
When previously passing through Oxfordshire on the train I had spotted that the train line would be closed between Paddington and Reading due to HS2 workday, but it was possible to get to Reading using the Elizabeth Line. So I cycled to Tottenham Court Road to catch the Elizabeth Line. I discover that the Elizabeth Line in the central area of London is not running. I am directed to take the District Line to Ealing Broadway to catch the Elizabeth Line. It is chaos at the tube station.
The District Line has small, noisy and very warm carriages. It is an old line. The tube train is crowded.
The Elizabeth Line has modern rolling stock. Nice and quiet but nowhere to put rubbish.
The journey from St Pancras took far longer than normal so by the time I reach the Premier Inn at Didcot the kitchen is closed. So an emergency Macdonald’s it is.
The room has seen better days. One light out and sink plug jammed. Welcome back to the UK.
Hotel in a nice location, in a wooded area.
Room is basic with no kettle, rather inconveniently.
The Escher exhibition in a former palace is worth the visit.
Having left the exhibition I stumbled on the Sintetkaas parade., which was impressively long. Before the parade children and parents thronged the streets. I grabbed a coffee in Vascobelo – V Den Haag.
Unfortunately the cycle back in the rain resulted in a soaking.
The people in Den Haag are extremely friendly and international.
Catching the 1243 train I was due to get in to Den Haag at 1910.
The German Premier Inn breakfast was not as good as the British version. Fuelled up for the journey.
It’s only a 12 minute cycle to the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof.
Arrived punctually at Osnabrück.
The connecting train to Amsterdam was 27 minutes late.
The train to Amsterdam arrived, off we went, crossing the border onto the Netherlands. The train guard had changed from a German to a Dutch person. The announcements went to three languages.
And then the announcement came on, the train was terminating early at Amersfoort Central, due to an accident on the line between Amersfoort and Amsterdam. We were told to catch a train to Utrecht.
Off we got at Utrecht where I followed the crowd who started running. After resisting the urge to join in, I sprinted on the platform to join a very crowded train.
The next train to arrive at the platform where I had got off was heading to Den Haag, very conveniently. This was the same train I would have caught from Amsterdam. Which meant I arrived at Den Haag on time.
Insight 