To Donaueschingen, Germany

Today’s ride was only 40 miles, but it did have a big climb. This is a panorama I took part way up the climb. During the first 11 miles, we gradually gained 800’ of elevation. However, the next 9 miles climbed 2000’ with one section in the 12% to 14% range.

Leaving Freiburg, I detoured off route to see the main cathedral. The cathedral was started around the year 1200 and was not fully completed until 1513.

Rolling out of town, I was stopped for a train crossing.

Quickly, I was gradually climbing away from the town through farmland.

We turned off the main road onto a back road that entered a section of the Black Forest. This started the steeper section of the climb. The iPhone’s ability to take great pictures in the dark makes this image much brighter and more vibrant than it felt cycling through it. This was especially true whenever I exited a sunny section into a forested section which then felt very dark until my eyes could adjust.

I do not have a good camera for bird photography with me on this trip, but I saw this raptor and photographed it as it sailed by. It appears to be a Red Kite which is a new bird for me. Later in the day, I saw some Great Cormorants, Tufted Ducks, and Common Mergansers on a stream alongside our route.

The flatter top sections of the hills had been converted to farmland over the years. This was a small chapel alongside the road that I liked.

Here is another picture of the hills, trees, and hay in the foreground.

As we were getting close to the end of our ride, there was a heard of cattle off to the left. The edge of the field had a wire about 4’ off the ground to keep the cows from wandering. However, three calves were curious to explore, and meandered out of the field to nibble grass on the right side of the cycleway. As I approached, two calves darted back under the wire into the protection of the heard. This one eyed me, but did not seem to want to give up its patch of grass.

The town of Donaueschingen is considered the start of the Danube River with the merging of Brigach and Breg rivers. We will be following the Danube to Budapest Hungary. When we depart Budapest on August 1, we will leave the Danube behind as we head through Hungary towards Romania.