After speaking with Max I had changed my route and was now heading for Munich. If started feeling like I had a cold and thought maybe I should take a day off in Munich.

On the way, the temperature increased again. In the afternoon it was stifling and I was drinking a huge amount of fluids.

I saw signs for Dacau, which I did not realise was nearby. I didn’t do that well at Geography at school. Was more interested in looking out the window. Or at the girls in front.

I looked on the map and it meant a slight diversion and an extra few miles. Plotting a course I headed to Dacau.

As you cycle by, you see the guard posts, concrete walls topped with what would have been electrified barbed wire.

Halfway along the wall, there was a gap and a barrier to let cars out. I’m not sure where the proper entrance was, but I went through the gap. Parking my bike by a fence and then took a look around the camp.

There was a sign explaining the ditches wire and armed points that would stop people escaping. That many ran into the forbidden area to purposefully be shot to end their suffering.

There was a remade version of the living accommodation and signs explaining the torture used by the guards.

In the main maintenance building they had a lot more information. I spent a while there reading and watching a video from survivors.

After Dacau the route into Munich was simple. I reached the youth hostel which was covered in scaffolding and tried calling. No rooms available. There was another one further out of town. All they had was a double room. I took it. I was feeling unwell.

Storing the bike in the secure garage ( I wasn’t allowed to take to my room). I went to the room. Showered. Had a lot more fluids and rested until later in the evening when I felt up to going out.

I looked for a beer garden and then asked the guy on reception. He mentioned two and said the popular tourist ones are in the centre. I explained I didn’t want a tourist one. Which one you go to I asked. He explained Flaucher which was just over a mile walk.

Although stifling hot. It was nice to be walking and soon I was in a park with lots of trees for shade.

I soon found the beer garden. Flaucher not bum flacher.

In the middle of it a beer garden. It was rammed! It’s extremely popular. there were bikes everywhere. People that had just finished work and others with family and children.

I got in the fast moving queue. First up beer. Two guys pouring beers really quickly. And a lot of them were litre steins.

Next up food. I missed the bread section but when a guy was free serving asked for currywurst. Well it was easy to order. Then into the queue to pay. Two cashiers rapidly taking payments.

The next task, find somewhere to sit. I found a bench seat with one couple on and asked if it was ok to sit. They agreed.

The meal was lovely. Still doesn’t beat the currywurst from Aga yet.

I’d planned in my head the following day to see Munich. Woke early and had breakfast but felt drained and the cold was getting worse. Went back to my room and dozed. Wrote a bit of this and by the time I got round to going out, it was late afternoon. I wasn’t far from an underground station.

I arrived. Purchased an all day ticket and boarded the very clean, modern train to head to the centre.

Three stops later and it started going backwards instead of onwards. Odd! I eventually realised there was major works going on. I wouldn’t be able to get through this way. I spoke to a train driver who said I’d have to get a bus!

At this point I’d wasted a fair bit of time and considered my options. I still was t feeling great and thought I’d benefit more from an early night, heading to a supermarket on the way home to buy dinner.

It rained heavily overnight. I felt quite refreshed. Had a terrible cough but fine to cycle. Breakfast on board I loaded up and headed out of Munich. I’ll have to return another time to see it.

I’d had success in contacting a warmshowers host Manuel in Roßhaupten. This meant some climbing. As I neared the scenery changed drastically as did the amount of climbing.

Weather was good and soon I was much higher. Amongst the mountains with lots of cow bells ringing from all directions.

The result of the previous nights storms were clear to see everywhere, branches down and leaves all over the paths. As efficient as ever, the Germans were already out with specialist path sweepers cleaning up and men with chainsaws cleaning the larger branches.

Manuel was a great host. He completed two tours in 2021 and had the photos made into books. A very good idea. He had chores to do and left me to shower, make my dinner and start relaxing.

If bought a bottle of wine to say thanks and later when he returned we shared the bottle, talking of trips and future ideas.

On the way from Roßhaupten, I traveled through Lech, where there was a waterfall. My route would travel upstream along much of the rivers course and into Austria.

If I thought the scenery and change to mountains was good in southern Germany. Austria took that up several notches. Cycle paths weaved through the mountains and there were a lot of cyclists using them.

My route followed the Lechweg or Lech Way. a well known hiking and cycling route. I’d tried to find a campsite before the big mountain pass. There wasn’t anything and signs everywhere forbidding wild camping.

The weather was heating up so I decided to stop early at a guest house. What sold the idea to me was seeing everyone enjoying the sunshine with a beer and I’d been listening to Tour de France. Stopping would mean I could watch it!

The guest house was really nice. Not overly expensive. The food was great as was the beer. At €96 a bargain including breakfast. Beers were €4.80 which I joked to the barman were English prices and he said it was a good job I’d stopped in Holzau. The next town Steel, the last before the pass, was €7. I had an idea accommodation would have been more expensive at the last town one of the reasons I stopped where I did.

Evening meal was great. Table labelled up with my name.

With the morning. There was no putting off the inevitable. A big climb to the Flexen pass. At the foot of the climb, I came across an Irish touring cyclist, he was only carrying rear panniers and a tent. We briefly chatted while steadily climbing. His route was to France and through to Spain.

I arrived In Warth and stopped at the cafe for a coffee. It was full of motorbikes. MNy of the ones that had flown past me at stupid speeds thinking they were in a race.

One rather large overweight guy who was sweating profusely in his motorbike gear was complaining of his back and how hard it was riding his motorbike up the pass! Hah!

I gave him an odd look and couldn’t help but laugh as he was explaining and looked at my bike. He noticed me and stopped complaining.

Hot, after climbing for hours I reached the Pass. Someone taking a break from driving was kind enough to take the photo for me.

I had another warmshowers host lined up in Austria. Christoph and Elisabeth. Both of whom had done a lot of travelling. There house was high in the town of Rothis. I’d spent the day after the pass cycling mostly in the valley.

Last thing I had to climb to my hosts house. Again the views were phenomenal.

We spoke about travelling and it turned out that Christoph and Elisabeth , on one of their tours had cycled along the canal to Bath, having ridden through Devizes.

The journey continues, toward Liechtenstein and Switzerland.