The official start of our riding began with a short train hop out of Würzburg. Germany makes cycling easy, and almost as soon as we rolled off the platform we found ourselves on well-marked paths that guided us effortlessly through the countryside. The riding was easy to moderate, a gentle way to ease into the trip, with dedicated bike routes threading alongside the river and through small villages.
Midday found us in Ochsenfurt, where we paused for a picnic lunch. We had prepped sangas at Michael’s house and we happily ate them under a shade, then had a nice coffee across the road.
The kilometres passed smoothly, and before long the lure of Bavarian beer drew us into a stop or two on the way towards Rothenburg. The combination of cool shade, foaming glasses, and the promise of the medieval town ahead made it one of those afternoons you don’t want to rush.
Dinner that night was at the Bayerischer Hof, where we were looked after by a waiter who introduced himself as a descendant of French aristocracy – a “Duke” no less. Whether the story was fact or just a well-polished line didn’t really matter; very nice restaurant and good, if you can manage to seat away from the smoking chimneys that are out of control all over Germany!
