Tuesday 7th August
Augsburg to Munich: 4 hours, 70km

“I woke up to find a breakfast table covered in an assortment of breads, cereals, ham, cheese, eggs and orange juice. Although it was only 7.30, Astrid had already popped down to the local bakery, bought some breads and when I came through, was in the process of making a fresh pot of coffee (Turkish style). We chatted some more about how she documented her trip and some of the more memorable experiences they had had. I eventually left with my stomach full and a few left over sandwiches packed into my panniers.

I pretty much followed the ST2051 from outside Augsburg all the way to Munich. From a distance I could not see the city. The skyline was non existent, barring a lone O2 skyscraper and a TV tower. I made my way into the city centre and was completely overwhelmed by the busyness of the place. It was slow going weaving my bicycle amongst crowds (of mostly other tourists). Everywhere I looked there were grand old buildings, each with a story that I would never even begin to know.

I decided to get away from the intensity of the Marienplatz, taking refuge in one of the many green spaces within the city.

In the evening I met up with Anki and Andi, a couple living in Munich. They had just moved into a beautifully large and spacious flat. They had some friends over and we went out to a nearby restaurant, where they ordered for me, the biggest schnitzel I have ever seen.

Andi has ventured many times into eastern Europe and they have done some interesting cycle tours in Italy and Monte Negro. They explained that the reason for the lack of a Munich skyline was that within the city centre no building was allowed to be taller than the tallest church steeple. They also taught me; woman and Weiss hit from below, when saying cheers.”

Matt Krog

Read all of Matt’s posts on his website. All of the posts about Matt on CyclingEurope.org can be found here.