Day 23 - Mon 22 Jun 15: Simbach am Inn to Passau

Estimated km: 50; Actual km: 70; Total km: 1055; Ride time: 4h05m; Start time: 8am; End time: 2:20pm; Av speed: 17.2 kph 

13-22 deg C, mostly cloudy with some very light rain, but insufficient to have to don the raincoats. 

We skipped brekkie at the hotel's bakery and went to have it at the bakery where Gunther's mum used to work in Braunau, Austria.  However it only sold sweet stuff so we had to search out a real bakery. Normally they are on every corner but we struggled to find one so we ended up in the deli section of a small supermarket.  Empty tummies satisfied we then cycled the few hundred metres back into Germany to continue our ride.  

And what a great ride it was, real variety through some very nice scenery, mainly rural but villages, towns and farms at regular intervals.  We crossed an old covered wooden bridge, the first one for this trip.  The majority of the ride was flat (actually slightly downhill as we were traveling downstream) with a nice helpful tailwind.  We bought our lunch at a deli that had hot meat dishes, we bought crumbed chicken legs and salad, which we ate in a bus stop.  The last 15km or so was through a lovely enchanting forest right next to the Inn River and was slightly undulating with a rather wet and slippery decent.  The hotel, IBB Passau, was easy to find, right in the city.   

Passau in the southeast of Germany is located at the Austrian border. Situated at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz. Passau is known as "The Three Rivers City".  In the heart of Passau on the Old Town’s highest point rises St. Steven’s Cathedral, in which the world’s largest cathedral organ resides. Sitting high above the rivers, the majestic fortress "Veste Oberhaus" on the Danube side and the Pilgrimage Church "Mariahilf" on the Inn side, frame the city in outstanding beauty.  Passau with its unique charm and its atmosphere is one of the most beautiful and spectacular German cities on the Danube. 

Before dinner we went for a wander to the point where you can view the three rivers, Danube, Inn and Ilz, converging. It was interesting to see the different water colours staying separate for a while before mixing. 

Dinner was Asian and really good for most of us. The lady who welcomed us to the restaurant was the food waiter, the drinks waiter and she also cooked our meals in no time at all. Gunther said her German was limited and her English was certainly non-existent; but she probably spoke fairly good Vietnamese.   You wonder how they run a business in Germany?  She produced six meals in a short time frame and all were hot!  As it was drizzling rain when we finished dinner it was straight home to a warm, dry hotel room.


Covered wooden bridge crossing the Rott River near Neuhaus am Inn

Inn River at Neuhaus am Inn

View across the Inn of Scharding from Neuhaus am Inn


Our rather spacious room #231 at IBB Passau




The Parish Church of St Paul

Passau

Yvonne, Gunther, Greg, Kate and Mick overlooking the Danube at Passau

Passau

Dom St Stephan (St Stephen's Cathedral) Passau

Convergence of the three rivers at Passau - the Ilz, Danube and Inn






Looking for somewhere to have breakfast in Braunau


Back roads and canal paths for most of the day



Mornos at Wurding / Bad Fussing


At our mornos stop

Covered wooden bridge crossing the Rott River near Neuhaus am Inn


Nice forest path near Passau


A rest to steady the legs after a huge downhill

First boat we've seen in a while

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