Slovakia, Austria

Day 28: Sunday (9/7/2025). Several years ago, we hosted a Swiss couple in Flagstaff. They were in the midst of a multi-year world trip in a customized Land Cruiser. We found it amusing that they wanted a “vacation” from the vacation that was basically their life. Now that we’ve been traveling for a few years – we get it!  

After a week of challenging riding in the mountains, we were ready for a day of “vacation” if you will. We slept in (sort of). We had a decadant breakfast, lounged, loafed, surfed, read, wrote, did chores, but mostly accomplished quite a lot of nothing. We fully embraced the “off” of “day off”. We expended some energy strolling around historic Zilnia.  A local Indian restaurant helped us avoid a caloric deficit. Our reaction to the flavors bordered on the restaurant scene from “When Harry Met Sally.” People wanted what we were having!

Day 29: Monday (9/8/2025). Two things generally guide our daily agenda. Are there sites of interest ahead? Is there camping to be had within a reasonable distance in the direction we are traveling? The town of Trencin ticked both boxes.  

As expected (and hoped for) riding felt good after a day off. Slovakia kindly provided silky smooth bike paths along the Vah River for a much of our route.

Nothing dramatic today, just pleasant riding with interesting sights. We had an unexpected surprise as we entered the outskirts of Trencin. 

After we met in Poland, Victor and Valentine took a different route through the Carpathian mountains. As we entered Trencin we were surprised and delighted to be hailed by our French friends. The previous night they had stayed nearby with a Warmshower host family. When we met them, they were suffering from an excess of hospitality the night before. They had hoped to travel farther, but opted instead to call it a day and camp with us in Trencin. We were happy for it. We camped along the Vah River, in the shadow of Trencin castle. An inscription on the rock below the castle has been dated to a Roman battle against Germanic tribes in 179 AD. My brain melted picturing Roman legions camped in this same area. 

Late afternoon we’d washed away the sweat and grime from a long day in the saddle. Dinner was done. All that was left was several hours of pivo and pleasant conversation with Valentine and Victor.

Day 30: Tuesday (9/9/2025). “Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. This quote is often attributed to Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi. Our new friends are less than half our age. Together, we had agreed on a destination almost sixty hilly miles closer to Bratislava. As Valentine woke up and looked through her tent door, the first thing she saw was Sharon and Dave riding away on the opposite bank of the Vah River. Given their youth, we decided we needed a head start!

The ride was not unpleasant but was also unremarkable. We have no pictures from the day, which probably says all you need to know about this part of Slovakia. Showing the wisdom of age, we also chose a different route from the youngsters, thus avoiding a plethora of hills. We were showered, fed, and rested by the time Valentine and Victor arrived. Since we appear to be in Slovakian wine country, a local red wine fueled the evening repartee. (Very passable, I say, very passable).

Day 31: Wednesday (9/10/2025). We’ve learned often that making plans based on a weather forecast is a fool’s errand. The forecast today, though, was hard to ignore. Severe flood warnings in the Bratislava area suggested we prepare for rain. We left early together and made a dash towards Bratislava to hopefully avoid the worst. We arrived only slightly dampened.

By the time the heavy rains did arrive, we cared little. By then, we had parked ourselves in the corner of a friendly pizza place. The storm raged outside, but we barely noticed as we lounged over dinner. In Europe, a meal is not to be rushed but savored. It is an opportunity to while away the hours in the company of friends. And so it was.

We learned from Victor, that someone in his family traced their ancesty back to the 1500’s. In all that time, it seems few in his family had strayed more than a few kilometers from their hometown! Remarkable! Valentine’s grandmother remembers hearing gunfire from the D-Day landings. Valentine grew up idolizing an Aunt’s godmother who fought in the French resistance. Only when the staff began to close for the evening did we think to brave the rain back to our respective homes. 

Day 32: Thursday (9/11/2025). We started the day with a walking tour of Bratislava. Like so many small countries in this part of the world, for much of their history, Slovakia found itself at the mercy of the big players on the world stage. That seldom worked to their favor.

After the tour, we strolled the city before meeting with Victor and Valentine for another night on the town. It was a day well spent pursuing knowledge, and enjoying food and friendship. La vie est belle!

Day 33: Friday (9/12/2025). Forty miles separate Bratislava and Vienna. A route of mostly dedicated bike paths brought the four of us to the outskirts of Vienna.

Although we played tag with rainstorms from time to time, it wasn’t a grueling day. Still, by the time we arrived at our campground, none of us felt motivated to do much more than clean up, eat and retire for the evening. Due to traffic, train, and related urban noise, the campground lacked charm – and it was expensive. But it’s location was convenient, as evidenced by the dozen or so other cyclists camped in the tent area.

Day 34: Saturday (9/13/2025). It was a sad morning. Valentin had washed all their clothes and hung them to dry. Heavy rain overnight made a mess of that. Then we said good-bye to our traveling companions. We’ve grown comfortable very quickly and will miss their company. 

For years, we’ve heard Vienna spoken of in hushed, reverantial tones. We were looking forward to seeing the sights. After an hour of being jostled about in historic downtown, we said auf wiedersehen to Vienna. It was nice enough. It just did nothing for us.

We actually enjoyed the street art on the way out town more than we enjoyed the city.

A few hours along the Danube brought us to Tulln for the evening. I was prepping our bedroom, and it looked to be an early evening. Then Craig and Coralee rolled in next door. They hailed from the Lake District in the UK and were biking toward Budapest. When we met later to chat we learned about bike trips and a six week canoe trip down the Loire River in France. It quickly became apparent that we are kindred spirits. We shared stories and beer until well after our bedtime. What a happy end to another week behind (handle) bars. Until next week – STC!