After saying goodbye to our couchsurfing friends we packed the bike and left Ingolstadt heading towards Regensburg. We were quite impressed with how beautiful Ingolstadt was with many old buildings around the centre and really enjoyed our catchup with Jonno and Sabrina.
Clearing the city didn’t take very long and soon we were in the countryside passing through fields of wheat, corn and canola. The road was a mixture of single and double lane but it was so nice to be not on a freeway.
Regensburg
Arriving in Regensburg we rode into the centre and parked.The old centre of Regensburg is a little strange with a pedestrian area but with vehicles still accessing it. Regensburg is supposedly the best preserved medieval city in Germany, so around the centre there are lots of old buildings and churches, . It seems the old centre is divided into two areas. The top side which is inhabited by locals and the lower side around the Cathedral and Rathaus which has lots of tourist groups. The prices of coffee also vary between the two areas.
We wandered around the small laneways of the city enjoying discovering what it had to offer. We popped into St Peter’s Cathedral and had a look around, until a tour group arrived and the guide must have thought everyone was deaf as she bellowed her commentary loudly spoiling it for everyone else who was not part of her group.
It really was a nice place to meander around even though it rained and we had to find refuge in coffee shops for a lot of the time it was worth a visit.
As it had been raining so much and Michele’s feet were wet yet again we went on a hunt for new boots. Finally we found some hiking boots that offered protection and because they were made of Gortex so guaranteed to be waterproof. While not cheap at least if they do the job it will be worth it.
Hopefully we will get a chance t return again and have a better look around.
Regensburg to to Leutzdorf
The ride from Regensburg to to Leutzdorf, where or hotel was,took us through picture postcard countryside. North of Nuremburg the road wound through lots of hills covered with forest. Rocky knolls protruded throughout the landscape so the local farmers left these areas forested and farmed around them. Corn, barley, wheat, hops, canola, potatoes and hay grew in abundance. Small villages and towns were dotted here and there with old mills along the river courses. In Bavarian tradition some of the houses even had murals of saints on the outside.
The satnav took us through tiny little villages with no more than five houses and down little country lanes but we didn’t mind too much as the countryside was just beautiful.
Eventually we made it to Beiberbach about 5 km’s from our destination to find a road closed sign. It was pretty frustrating but we just rode around the sign and down the road where they were digging it up. It caused a few looks from the workers but we kept going and after about a kilometre cleared the roadworks.
Finding the address wasn’t as easy as we thought although Leutzdorf just outside Gössweinstein only has about 20 houses. Eventually we spotted the sign pointing up the hill behind the barn to the guesthouse and as we approached an old lady waved to us to park around the back of the house.
Leutzdorf
It soon became apparent that the old lady didn’t speak English as we struggled through in broken German to book in and organise breakfast times. Our room in Pension am Wald was really nice, comfortable and modern with a tea making facility just outside in a common area. Usually planning trips and booking rooms is all Michele’s domain but this time she couldn’t find a reasonably priced room. I’d just gone online and after a quick search had found a place with a high rating and good reviews. Michele was sceptical and a bit reluctant to book this guesthouse but on seeing the room it seems Ron had got it right.
We took a walk around the village finding it a bit like most villages in the country. Big alpine style houses with wooden verandahs and flower boxes overflowing with bright flowers. There were also big wooden barns, animal sheds and machinery sheds.
Eventually after doing a lap of the village, which took about five minutes we stumbled across a local guesthouse which was serving food and drinks. We soon learnt that in this neck of the woods the standard German greeting of “Guten Tag” is usually met with an icy stare as locals greet each other with “Gruze Gott”. We found a table and ordered a few drinks whilst waiting for the restaurant to open, all the while under the watchful gaze of an old lady who seemed to be watching our every move. The meals were cheap and surprisingly good. I’m sure we’ll try and pop down for another meal before we leave.
As the rain started to spit we headed back to the guesthouse. Tomorrow we’ll check out Nuremburg.
