Sigmaringen-Tuttlingen-Germany-8-19-14

We had a strong headwind again today, but most of the time in the canyon the headwind was thwarted by the canyon walls. In sections where we broke out into the open, it was just like yesterday with 15 mile-per-hour headwinds. This section of the Danube is one of the prettiest that we’ve ridden.

 

We followed the highway into Beuron, instead of following the gravel bike path. Beuron is tiny but it had an excellent restaurant.

After Beuron, the Danube Canyon narrows down even more. The path turns to gravel and it becomes quite difficult with steep hills and rough gravel. After rain the gravel was even slower. The alternative highway route goes up and around the cliffs and may have involved even more climbing, but we could not know for certain, so we stayed on the bicycle route. It is absolutely beautiful scenery. Two free camping sites are marked on the Bikeline map and there is also a guest house on the hill above the campsites.

After about 3 miles, the gravel turns back to pavement and you ride through several towns. In order to see the old buildings in each town you need to leave the trail and ride up through the town itself. That involves quite a few hills and a lot more climbing. But Werenwag Castle was clearly visible from the road.

All throughout Germany, and particularly through the last hundred miles in Germany, we have seen dog training taking place on the bicycle paths and walking paths. Germans seem very serious about being able to control their dogs with leash and by voice command. Every single owner who is walking his dog along the bicycle path calls his dog to him, makes him sit as we bicycled by. What a wonderful way to raise a dog.

Tuttlingen campsite is the strangest place you’ve ever been. It’s near the the sports complex on the edge of town. There is no office. Camping site is a small grassy area surrounded by a hedge. The shower rooms were locked. There were public toilets that were open on the other side of the building which were used by people using the sports facility. About 7 pm, the lady locks the public toilets. Concerned that we might not have use of facilities throughout the night or the next morning, we ran up to her and asked what was going on. She spoke French and German.

So in my broken French we had a conversation about the shower rooms. We paid €10 for camping and she gives us the key and unlocks the shower rooms for the night. Okay that’s fine we paid our €10. Soon another couple show up for the night and then eventually a pair of German men show up for the night at the campground. The restroom that she unlocked is for both sexes. Or maybe I misunderstood maybe it was for families. At any rate it’s difficult to know when the women can take the showers and when the men can take showers. Mike walked in on a naked woman and I walked in on a naked man. Oh well, keeps life interesting.