DAY 13 (MAY 14-MON)  BAD DEUTSCH-ALTENBURG, AUSTRIA  (10:00-5:30)

Will definitely miss these breakfast–it’s a weird combination of food–cereal, fruit, yogurt, cheese, meats, sausage, bacon, pork-n- beans, chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, all kinds of breads & rolls–no eggs.  Armand is standing in the hall looking at me as I’m trying to finish–our meeting starts at 8:30.  A new company is in charge–we get our bikes–I have a girl’s bike now (so does Jean even though she asked for a boys bike).  Feels good–I like the seat–away we go–the 3 of us together for about 5 min.  It’s cold-wind at our back.  We bike close to Danube instead of upper bike path & miss turn–backtrack.  See Jean again way ahead–bike through National Park to Orth–stop at museum–eat lunch.  Jean orders special–2 hamburger patties w/potatoes–looks good-I’ll have the same w/hot chocolate.  I am a follower on bike trips!!!  Most interesting item in museum is a live BEE hive–bees come through tube from outside to visit queen.  Leave & take ferry (Jean wants to do alternate route).  Lots of gravel trails today–bike does great.  Go through farm land-see hundreds of huge wind turbines along w/archeological sites.  Stop at church & visit cemetery–again impressed w/huge modern monuments w/flowers that look like they were just planted) for such an old church.  There is a dove by the cemetery gate (cross on gate) having trouble breathing–think she wants that to be her final resting place.  Stop at info center in Bad Deutsch-in side room group of ladies doing aerobic exercises to PRETTY WOMAN & other songs from the 50’s.  Jean makes more stops-we’ve biked 35 miles & ready to find hotel.  Hotel has been remodeled–have bath tub again & large room–this is my new favorite place.  Eat dinner w/Jean who had new adventures without us.  Owner & cook sits down w/us–she’s lived in Chicago & FL–visited Las Vegas-knew where VT was & Austin capital of TX.  & she knew Tony Frisch? place kicker for Dallas Cowboys because he was from her home town.  What a small world we live in.  Biked 38 miles–my odometer is in miles not KL–but this trip is not about the miles or the cost (because it’s harder to keep track of EU)–it’s about the adventures. It’s 10:00 but Armand is going to try pictures.