June 11 - Century Ride

Never underestimate the power of a good nap. I don’t mean the executive level ten minute rejuvenation sleep. Rather, I mean the “fat, lazy house cat curl up in the sun front window” kind of nap. What a sight we were! 

Feeling overwhelmed by the crowded campsite in Krem, we were up and early in the morning. By lunch we had already cycled over 70 kilometres and were still feeling strong. As the afternoon sun blazed and the temperatures continued to rise, we began to feel quite sleepy. It was a strange sensation, we weren’t physically tired from riding - just sleepy. I thought I might actually nod off on the saddle. Feeing fatigued, we did what any self-respecting touring cyclist would do. With a renewed sense of purpose, we rode on to the next town, hunted down the nearest park bench, hopped off our bikes and napped. It was delicious!!!! Frankly, I am not sure how long we slept, but we awoke super charged. Long story short, we cycled a CENTURY that day. Thanks to the power of a good nap, we travelled over 100 miles in a single day. Perhaps napping should be part of our daily schedule? 

Route Update

Vienna is grand. That’s grand with a capital G! Having been riding now for 19 days and travelling over 2400 kilometres we decided to take a rest day and soak up the sights and sounds of Vienna. What an incredible city. Austria’s capital is home to an array of masterfully crafted historic buildings, the legacy of the powerful Habsburg monarchy. Fascinated, we spent the majority of our time exploring the inner city captivated by the museums, palaces, imperial apartments and famed riding school. Extremely popular with tourists, the city was buzzing. There is an energy to Vienna that simply can not be described.

Giggle

Being true Canadians, we never leave home without our toques and long johns. Packing the ten essentials for outdoor adventure has been ingrained in us. You just don’t know how cold it might get when the sun goes down over the mountain, or when the rain hits. Needless to say, we have been experiencing temperatures in the high twenties to low thirties for most of our holiday - not exactly toque weather. Yesterday, as we strolled around Vienna, I cracked and found myself in one of the tourist gift shops searching for a sun hat. If I say so myself I think I selected the perfect ensemble for a tour of the rose gardens - Vienna fashionista that I am.