locks took considerable time; sometimes an hour and a half with multiple locks each day. At one lock I lost an evening and night’ s paddling as the lock keeper forbade me from getting back in the water. With locks averaging one every 10km and a huge southward detour to stay on the water, some back-of-the-eyelid calculations confirmed I was out of time. There simply was not going to be enough distance on the waters where I had flow with me to compensate for these days being below target. I needed more time or less distance.
Belgium and Rhine Valley
I sat there on the grass at the side of a canal and shed a tear for failure. Sadness became annoyance, annoyance became resolve: Black Sea or bust! I had to get there. A quick exchange of messages to a friend at Alpkit in the UK and a bike was being posted to me. I cycled through Belgium and the Rhine Valley to Passau, where I returned the bike and joined the Danube. The cycling was magnificent, taking me through towns I would have missed, to festivals I could experience in a new way, and I celebrated the new component of the adventure.
Danube
The Danube swept me quickly out of Germany and through Austria. The green hillsides and medieval villages that lined the river were astonishing; easily the most beautiful part of the whole journey. Portaging the locks was easier and quicker than in France. The spill on the far sides sometimes got me up above 10km / h, which was fantastic. I had long been suffering with mild overuse issues in my fingers, feet and back, but all were kept from becoming something more. The helpful flow made progress such a welcome relief. s t a n d u p p a d d l e m a g u k 74