Linz to Grein

71 Kms today

29° C with not a single cloud to be seen.

Once again I’m sitting in our room overlooking the Denube. Just showered so I feel human again...a very sore human mind you. I’m suffering from muches soreous bottomous syndrome.

It’s been quite a long day today. We left Linz around 9.30am and didn’t do lots of stops really. We did stop at Mauthausen concentration camp which was very sobering. Going into the gas chamber was a very silent, eerie and almost unrealistic experience. Two young boys were sitting on the stairs outside the chamber with their head in their hands. There were lots of silent tears, from young and old. What a contrast - picture perfect scenery outside the walls and inside a hot, bleak and a now silent hell.

On a lighter note, there was a hill for about a kilometre and what a very steep and long hill it was to get to the camp. Everyone was off their bikes pushing them in the heat up the hill. Pfffff off we went overtaking the dismounted riders albeit very slowly. Graeme thought we were at the top, lost heart when we weren’t and walked.As I passed him he said something and I replied ‘Can’t talk’ between gasps of air and kept going. I made it and slowed down to wait for him and the bugger sped past me. He is now saying he” beat me and even had time to walk .....” :)

trip down was fun though.

We left the river on a few occasions and travelled once more on tiny roads through farmland. Corn fields on one side and Sunflowers the other. We even saw a deer which took off of course when it spotted the camera.

Grein is a lovely village and we’re about to watch a “Big Love” before we venture out for dinner. We feeling brave and are going to try a traditional meal again tonight. We deserve a bit of lard deep fried in fat :)