Danube - Tuttlingen to Riedlingen Bridge

Off for another 50+ today.  Thought we might be wrecked this morning, but feeling okay.  Up and out early as no coffee in the rooms (pretty standard in Europe) and breakfast was €18 per person.  Thought we could do better than that and found a place with  groß caffès and a very large omelette that we split.  Everyone wants cash only though!

A good portion of the day was spent winding our way down a narrow, cliff lined valley.  It was just us on a fantastic path following the river as it meandered back and forth.  We had headwinds and tailwinds depending on which way the river wandered, these were funnelled by the narrowness of the valley and could be quite forceful in places.

We left Tuttlingen after exploring a really nice market and encountering a local cyclist who was quite curious about the tandem, where we were from, where we were going and suggested sites to see on the route.  Did the first 8 miles today in 40 minutes rather than 2 hours!

We were really pleased with the quality of the paths - very well sign-posted (put LEJOG to shame), good gravel (so happy with the new, bigger tires) and miles and miles and miles of paved paths just for us!  We saw an average of one couple every 15 minutes today.  The direction of the route, Black Forest to Budapest, is working out.  Still some climbs, but the overall descent is noticeable.

These two days have been long, but there’s no point in shorter days.  The hotel rooms aren’t ready until after 4:00 so no point in arriving early. Arrived at Riedlingen Bridge after traversing the gorge valley and then the bread basket plains, where all the wheat grows, both tall and short wheat. Saw the odd castle.  Found our apartment, struggled to find the place to store the tandem.  ‘It’s 150 metres - yes, but in which direction?’  ‘Oh, it’s on another street?’  That would have been useful to know!

Got there in the end and had a Romanian style meat platter for dinner.  Ready for bed! By the way, the tandem box has finally been picked up from Hotel Garni in Triberg, for its trip to Budapest.  Two days late.  Whew, that would have been a problem if that hadn’t happened!

Comments:

1. Stephen HodgsonJune 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM

   Another full day. The variation in the scenery over relatively short distances is notable. In the space of a few miles you go from a gorge which is as high as it is wide to a great big wide valley. Thankfully there has been no need for rain jackets thus far, I am sure that will change sooner or later. Fewer miles tomorrow, maybe a “lie in” tomorrow. We are in an Airbnb flat tonight which gives a bit more room to spread out. A place called Ulm tomorrow which we have been to a few times on moto tours, quite a big place. 
2. 
   BrianJune 7, 2025 at 1:23 PM

   Wow, what a nice path! That's makes all the difference in an enjoyable ride. Beautiful scenery but with bumps and potholes makes you miss the gorgeous parts. As much as the scenery tho, that dinner caught my eye. Looks amazing. 
3. 
   ChrisJune 7, 2025 at 3:15 PM

   Looks like an epic trip so far, some of the architecture looks stunning! Sat here trying to figure out if I can fit that fountain in my flat...