Bike Ride

So on Saturday 11 of us decided to take up the challenge of a 36.2km bike ride along the Danube. After taking the train to Melk we began our journey in the Austrian countryside. The Melk Abbey is definitely a postcard beauty. The abbey is located on a hilltop overlooking the city of Melk. This abbey is a Benedictine abbey established in 1089. The abbey is built in the Baroque style. However one detail stood out to me upon examination of the building. The painting right on the top is not a typical Baroque religious painting that we saw in St.Peter's church, for example. This image, and others around the abbey, appear to be more in the modern style of art. 

After exploring the abbey we began our bike ride through the Wachau valley. The Austrian country side is unlike anything I have ever seen. The valley is unlike any valley in California; it is full of greenery. As we passed different towns on both sides of our bike path we saw vineyards. Along our path we encounted a nice little town and found a place for a break. It was a vineyard where the owner took it upon himself to explain to us what his family does. He also gave us two different liquors to try, one was apricot and the other walnut; both were delicious. After taking a break and enjoying some apricot we continued on out journey towards Krems. The ride along the Danube had some beautiful views. All along the 36km strip we saw a variety of views like: the river, mountains, castle ruins, and beautiful little towns. I also saw some awesome cars on the rode beside us. A ton of Porsches and even a racing car, kinda like the formula one cars. This then made me wonder what do all the people do for a living in these little towns. How can they afford beautiful cars like Porsches, BMW, or Audis? 

At a town of WeiBenkirchen we stopped for dinner. That day there was a little wine festival going on. We found a nice place to eat dinner and recuperate out strength. We sat in a little courtyard and enjoyed our food and beverages. A local band, dressed in traditional outfits, played some folk music. At that pint in the afternoon it seemed that the entire town was present in this little courtyard. From WeiBenkirchen we only had about 12km left. 

Reaching Krems was such a happy moment for all of us, I think. We were all so exhausted that we slept on the train back. Thus, majority of the group got off at the wrong stop and had to bike home. 

The bike ride was a major physical challenge for some people however, we can all agree that what we experienced was worth it. Doing this bike ride gave us a glimpse into the lives of Austrians that we would not have been otherwise aware of if we only stayed in Vienna. 

German word: kosmisch 

Meaning: cosmic