Leaving Austria is hard to do

Austria is not big and I have been here for a week now. In all that time we had been either on the Danube or not far from it, cycling along the cycle trails right from the time we left Budapest. I can't help thinking how wonderful it would be if we have similar facilities in Malaysia. Just imagine if we are able to cycle say from Grik to Teluk Intan along the Perak River or from Kuala Langat through KL and to Port Kelang along the cycle-trails. Wishful thinking you might say, but it is certainly not impossible if there is a will. Providing a cycling lane along the highway from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Johor Bharu is actually easy as the basic infrastructure is already there. Plus should ponder the idea as a bonus to the Malaysian public. It would certainly enhance its image instead of being seen as squeezing the Malaysian public with its scheduled toll increases.

Just imagine how here you can cycle along the cycle-trails along the Danube for more than 1,000 kilometers through several countries. The Danube also supports an important economic activity, transportation. Large cruise boats and huge barges ply on the Danube regularly transporting tourists, machinery and other items. But it must be the sports and recreational activities that the river provide that is most evident : all cycling disciplines, touring, mountain biking, road-racing, rollerblading, marathon and trail running, walking, boating, sailing, rowing, canoeing (kayaking) boating, water skiing etc.and cafes, restaurants, campsites and marinas are all available along the Danube. And the list goes on.

We have done some camping in the wild along the banks of the Danube and at one village, Presenbeug, a local man John Hoeksloger, even helped us by showing us the spot to camp safely near the village. The next morning the kind gentleman even gave us breakfast at his house before we left. All along the Danube there are villages and towns not very far apart and these villages and towns boasts of their own history. Some of them go back eight or nine hundred years and the period known as the Middle Ages when these villages thrive. Many of the castles seen along the Danube are built during this period and today some of them are open to visitors. Tourists can choose from a number of itineraries to cruise on the Danube eg. Vienna - Bratislava - Budapest , Passau - Linz - Vienna, etc.

We are now in Aschach, a beautiful town on the Danube and should be in Passau, Germany on Tuesday, still on the Danube. Austria has provided me the best cycling experience thus far and I don't know if there are better things to come. Some say Amsterdam is the cycling capital of the world. We' ll have to see.







Activities on the Danube





Safe cycling






Swans also enjoy the Danube







The City Hall Square in Vienna





History





Bridges and more bridges





A castle along the trail






River cruise on the Danube





Modern stone sculpture





Varied scenery





Civilised logging along the trail





A family outing on bicycles

















With John Hoekslogor in Presenbeug





Graffiti along the trail





Before the sun goes down





Wine-growing region





Blue Danube and blue skies