Jim

Jim
Let the Adventure Begin

About Me

Las Vegas, NV, United States
This is my 2008 grand adventure...riding a bicycle with 35 international bikers across Europe, following the Danube River along the Orent Express route through eleven countries. The ride is 4000km over 50 days of which 39 are ride days with camping and 11 are rest days in hotels. Our tour group, TourdAfrique, provides a tour leader that provides directions and transposts our luggage, a mechanic, and a chef who promises gourmet local cuisines. We start out in Paris on June 1 and travel through France to Germany, where we pick up the Danube river. We then follow the Danube through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Then we ride cross country through Romania, Bulgaria, and finally Turkey, where we finish in Istanbul on July 20.

Jun 12, 2008

Ulm, Day 12, Rest Day




A welcome day to sleep in, wash cloths, and sightsee. We have a great hotel right on the Danube, looking across into the old town center. The landmark is the Ulm cathedral which has the world’s tallest steeple – 530 feet. For 4 Euros one can climb up 768 steps to the top, but I have decided I have too much at stake to risk that much stress on my knees. I must be slowing down. This is also the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

I had an interesting visit with Al, one of the Harvard MBA grads who is biking to Beijing. His family left Vietnam from Danang when the communist took over the country. We had a good discussion of world economics and the advantages of different economic systems. He thought communism was working well for Vietnam and China, today, but it stifles creativeness, and that is the key to future economic success.

The Danube has dramatically changed from a small slow stream to a very large fast flowing river. We are due to start seeing more river traffic and industry.

The weather is forecast to get wet and cool again for the next week. Wish me luck.

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