Hlohovec to Vienna

Another boiling hot day, another beautiful pedal through gorgeous countryside, but obviously one last castle before we left the Czech Republic. This one is Valtice, designed as the seat of the ruling Princes of Lichtenstein in the 18th century and confiscated by the Czechoslovak government after WW2.

Austria was looking very Austrian..

This meant I had to have Apfelstrudel at the coffee break but, yummy though it was, I’m ashamed to admit it defeated me.

The ride was predominantly on beautiful cycle paths, initially through vineyards and then fields of sunflowers and squash/melon (not entirely sure what they are!)

Sadly the sunflowers are no longer in full flower but when my chain came off for the second time today, I took a close up of a huge flower before attempting to wrestle the chain back on and failing miserably. It was wedged against the spokes and Peter and Jim very kindly helped me. The knackered chain on my rental bike could do with a good clean so Peter and I were covered with black muck, including all over my favourite white top - I was not impressed.

It was then getting uncomfortably hot, so I had a quick lunch and set off on the bike trails again towards Vienna.

The graffiti artists have been busy, as in Berlin. Joanne spotted a very appropriate Berlin to Budapest daubing..

It was good fun navigating and negotiating my way through the city. The hotel is in the museum district so a great location for walkies tomorrow. Even better, the receptionist gave us a glass of bubbles when we arrived, ignoring the sweaty disgustingness of cyclists who have pedalled nearly 70 miles in the heat.

After a lovely long shower, I went for a walk to get some euros before Boris bankrupts our apparently now totalitarian country. The heat is brewing into a thunderstorm so only one thing to do...