Day 9--Schlogen to Linz, Austria

Trink, Trink radlermass

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Schlogen to Linz, Austria
Distance: 116 km (72 miles)

X+--The Danube River and the valley it has formed shape the central transportation artery of Austria. Today and tomorrow we ride through the heartland of Austria. Castles perch above the river and after Linz we begin to see more agriculture on alluvial farmland washed out of the Alps.

A easy 72-mile ride today from Schlogen to Linz, almost all of it on a beautiful, nearly flat, shaded bike track (Donauradweg 6) right along the river. We saw lots of swans, mallards, and even an otter. The otter was swimming along toward us. When it got nearly to us, it dived under and then we lost it.

Quiet trail on the shaded side of the river; without the early morning mist, you could see the steep ridge rising to our right and the bend in the river

Looking back at Hotel Donauschlingen

The trail is paved and lovely with interpretive signs for the different fish in the river, one for the local butterflies, and some sort of interesting hives for bees? A beneficial insect? We couldn’t figure it out. After Aschach, the valley becomes wide again and then we cycled the last distance to Linz on a main road.

Some sort of insect or bee hives? Only 6 more kilometers until a beer in Aschach

One of the castles along the river for which it is famous

A Viking pirate boat--must have been a tour boat of a different ilk. I like the pilot's house and the figurehead

This elaborate riverside camp is actually a tent made of canvas and having several  rooms and curtained windows

We arrived at Hotel zum Schwarzen Bären (Hotel of the Black Bear) in Linz, Austria, before noon. After taking turns showering, we washed out our riding clothes and hung them on the chandelier to dry. Then we walked out for lunch at a café on the square—ham and cheese sandwich on a delicious roll. They do not serve regular water in any restaurant only water with “gas” (CO2) which is sparkling water—one can get it medium or strong (highly gassed)—and they do not serve ice with any beverage. Even the beer is so-so cool. I have had more Sprites than I’ve ever drunk in my life because they are served cold. I even enjoyed a "Radlermaß" (Cyclist’s liter)—a mixture of half blond beer and half Sprite or lemonade.

Our hotel and Judy's bed laid out with her suitcase and things on one side

Weird rabbit near the
hotel elevators

One of the inner courtyards mentioned in the guidebook;
Judy and I ate dinner in a similar one

After lunch we walked the little stores around the square and kept an eye out for a place to eat dinner that evening. The guidebook  told us that "It is worth taking a walk through the narrow lanes around the Main Square in Linz. There is much to be discovered in the mostly freely accessible inner courtyards of the Old City, from Roman fountains to Medieval vaulting."

Linz's main square and trinity column, a symbol of the baroque period erected to protect the citizens from war, fire and plague; one of the trolleys that runs to the square

Next to the Old Cathedral is a little bakery that claims to be the home of the Linzer Torte, the world’s oldest pastry, dating back over 350 years. Of course we had to buy a Linzer Torte, and I got a coffee to go with it. Lo and behold the coffee came with a small glass of tap water. Had to use it to tame the coffee however as it was Turkish style and very strong. (Philipp later told us that Austrians are horrified when they see tourists “watering down” their coffee with the small glass of water that is served with it. The water is intended to be drunk as is.)

Me and Judy reflected in the Original Linzer torte cafe window and a shot of my torte and coffee

We are all on our own for dinner this evening. I find it odd that the group is all “coupled up” and has not come together. There is no “Hey. Let’s go to so and so for dinner” togetherness. I wonder if it would have been different had I had come solo. I hate to think that I would have been eating alone. Anyhow, Judy and I checked out restaurants on our exploration of the town.

After our Linzer Torte, we toured both the old and new cathedrals. 

Below is what the guidebooks say and some photos. 

The Alter Dom (Old Cathedral), also called the Church of Ignatius was built by Jesuits between 1669 and 1683 near the former Jesuits' College at the south end of the Hauptplatz (main square).

       The exterior of the church is relatively plain, with two towers on either side of the main door, topped with onion domes. The interior is decorated in lavish Baroque style, with pink marble columns.

       The Neuer Dom (New Cathedral ), also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic cathedral begun in 1862 and consecrated in 1924. The height of its spire was limited to 134m (as it was not permitted to surpass St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna ).

       The cathedral can accommodate 20.000 worshippers and is notable for its stained glass windows, including the famous “Linz Window” with scenes from the history of Linz (left front). During WWII, some windows, were damaged. Instead of restoring the original windows, they were replaced with windows displaying modern art.       
       Anton Bruckner, “God’s musician,” was the cathedral organist in Linz from 1855 to 1868. A bronze bust in front of the Brucknerhaus honors him.

Alter Dom--the Old Cathedral with its onion-dome towers; plain on the outside but over the top elaborate on the inside

Neuer Dom--the New Cathedral; ornate on the outside but rather plain on the inside
if one does not take into account its magnificent stained glass windows

Left, Internet photo of the interior of the Alter Dom; right, my photo of one of the naves

The elaborate pulpit in the Alter Dom and a photo of an angel inone of the naves

Nave behind fancy wrought iron

Internet photo of the over-the-top elaborate choir stall in Alter Dom; my  photo of it, taken with my little point and shoot is similar but one cannot see the detail clearly; the camera does not do well with indoor shots 

That evening we ate at Hofingers, a restaurant tucked into an inner courtyard of the Old City. We had checked out the menu and prices on our afternoon walk. The menu and the dishes being served looked interesting and delicious and proved to be so. Certainly not all typical Austrian fare, however. I had ostrich appetizer—thin slices with a relish and sauce—very tasty, and then I had curried crocodile which was very spicy but delicious. The crocodile dish came in a circle of white rice. But the piece de resistance was the dessert—a Salzburger Nockerl—a big puffy egg concoction that was creamy inside and came with a elderberry cream sauce.

Ostrich appetizer and crocodile main dish; at this reserve, I would feel guilty about eating the crocodile. I hope it was farm raised and the ostrich, too.

Judy, poor soul, had a hard time choosing any dish as she is not an adventurous eater, and all of the dishes on the menu were too exotic for her.

On a cross-country bicycle trip with friends the following year I would eat another Slazburger Nockerl at Glacier National Park. It was plainly named "Blueberry French Toast" so was a real surprise when served.

Glacier NP Salzburger Nockerl                                                                Linz Salzburger Nockerl