Vienna (Austria) to Bratislava (Slovakia)

June 23rd
69km (311m vertical)

Today had plenty of opportunity for disaster. Luckily, all went well. The bike shop had a nice new wheel for Nicole at a bargain price of only 50 Euros. There were several others buying things at the bike shop, so we had company on the road. Joss had his wallet stolen yesterday, so he was at the police station in the morning trying (unsuccessfully) to report it.

The ride itself was uneventful. As we left Vienna, it started to rain lightly and the cycle path we were on was closed for repairs. I was worried that it was a sign of things to come, but we found our way around the construction and the rain died off quickly. After that, it was a long, flat, rough cycle path along the Danube for the rest of the morning.

Crossed the border into Slovakia at 60km without talking to any immigration officials at all. There was a border station, but there was no one in it. The lunch truck was parked just past the border, so we ate and then road 5km to our hotel.

Tonight we are staying in a boat hotel on the Danube. After arriving around 1pm, we spent a few hours walking around the old town in Bratislava. More buzzing cobblestone pedestrian walkways with plenty of cafes and gelato bars. It is about 90F in the sun, so everyone came back to the boat for some relaxation. Tonight we are going for a group dinner in town.