Day 13

The alarm goes off at 7am, but we figure we will stay in bed since it doesn�ft look sunny and we have to go to the bike shop to buy me a new tire. We step out of our room at 8:30am for breakfast and then head for the bike shop-longgggg walk! We purchase a tire, 2 tubes, oil and a Mickey Mouse flag for my bike. Aaron tries to talk me out of buying the flag, but I figure I deserve it since I have bought very few souvenirs along the way. After we get my bike in riding shape, we find that Aaron has a flat tire and his tire needs to be replaced. Aaron gets his bike in riding shape and we are finally on our way at 11:30am with 2 new tires to help us complete our tour.

We find our way to the bike path along the Danube (Donau)-very nice. It is overcast, but perfect temp for bicycling, and we have the wind at our backs and it�fs downhill. This is a bicyclist�fs DREAM! We take a ferry across the Danube that is just for bicyclists-we have to wave a flag to signal for the ferry to come across the river to pick us up. We munch on a package of cookies as we ferry across the Danube. The ferry even has souvenirs to buy, but we aren�ft tempted. Around 2:30pm we stop for delicious rolls and coffee outdoors at Willi�fs. A young couple is eating next to us. The guy is in a wheelchair and the girl is crying. We try to figure out their relationship, but we never could piece it together.

We observe many bicyclists stopping for the day as a van brings their luggage to their hotel. Being on their �gcushy�h tours, they will miss out on all the excitement that Aaron and I have experienced by going it on our own. They are dropped off at the start point for the day and probably ride 20 miles while their gear is transported to their hotel.

As we left Willi�fs we found it impossible to find where the bike path was to continue on. We went back to the last sign we saw before we ate and never could figure it out. We have been in this same predicament many times throughout our journey. Perhaps that is why people take guided tours, but they miss our on all the adventure (if you want to call it that!) So I tell Aaron that we should just take the road. From what we could figure out, that probably is the bike path. We are once again cruisin�f through grape vineyards. We take a potty break and eat a delicious mocha filled Milka candy bar-these candy bars have been a real treat for us. We sit on a bench and recall the sites we have taken in today-small cruise ships, vineyards, barges and castles-beautiful country!!

We arrive at Stein-Krems at 7:30pm after 96 enjoyable miles of biking! We bike through the town and find what appears to be lodging for the night. We enter a HUGE door that leads to a HUGE courtyard. We park our bikes and go upstairs to try to check in. This place is like a HUGE house with a courtyard in the middle. Do you get the picture-it is really BIG!! It is 3 stories high. This older lady tells us she does have a room-which is really an apartment! I have my own bedroom. Aaron has a bed in the living room with a TV. There is a full kitchen with appliances, dishes and cookware. The bathroom is so big, with an oversize tub like the one in the Black Forest.

We must go to eat before we clean up so we can get there before they stop serving food for the night. We eat at a restaurant that the lady at the hotel recommends. It is an adobe-style restaurant. What a romantic supper we have-listening to an Elton John CD by candlelight. We top supper off with delicious desserts. I have warm apple strudel with whipped cream, and Aaron has a banana split. I eat all of mine plus ? of Aaron�fs. The supper wasn�ft all that great, but the dessert definitely hit the spot. Upon our return to our �gapartment�h we bathe in Palmolive DISH soap. We have found very little soap at our stays and no washcloths. So ends our greatest day of bicycling in Europe. I will hate to see it come to an end tomorrow when we will arrive in Vienna.