We left Aschach with 5 layers of clothing on at least it meant our panniers were lighter, as we left we noticed the hotel had its own beach on the Danube very nice if it had been 20C warmer.The cycle path we were on seemed to be used as a velodrome on sunday mornings so no looking around at the view too much or there was every chance you’d be wiped out by a bike whizzing past at 45kms an hour.There was a very strong smell leaving Aschach which eventually we put down to the canola oil factory, Aschachs traditional wooden barge making history is disappearing into the past, very sad. En route to Passau we had passed several boatyards for long wooden skiff boats, so they are still continuing.

A long section of the river had rows of boards with all the fish in the river so here it is a flourishing healthy river. As we turned the corner we spotted a beautiful turretted castle on the hillside. This idyllic castle Hartsheim revealed its awful history a few kms down the path with a large memorial stone. This is where the Nazis had initially sent 20,000 physically disabled or mentally disabled people to gas chambers in the cellars of the castle. The memorial stone was where their ashes had been thrown into the Danube.

We took the ferry across to Ottensheim and met a welsh couple who had flown into Vienna hired bikes taken a train back to Passau and were now cycling back to Vienna. We had coffee together, they were about our age but carrying very little luggage as they were doing a quick week but we did note they both seemed very chilly and quite taken back by the cold.They still had old cat restrictions so couldn’t go away for too long.

We decided not to cross the river into Linz, the cathedral was totally encased in scaffolding like many others we’d seen. Linz was where Hitler had spent 9 years of his childhood and where he planned it to be one of his 5 main cities along with Berlin, Hamburg, Nuremburg and Munich but many of his plans for Linz didn’t come to fruition.We then encountered an Umleitung with very confusing signs so after going round in circles for 45mins we finally found our route again. Luckily not far along after this we found somewhere to recharge over lunch and recover from the diversions ups & downs!!

Masks were needed past the industrial area leaving Linz although our guide book assures us Linz has very good air quality, it did prompt us to pedal faster and i pulled my neck warmer up as an air filter.

An easy ride into Mauthausen but still ended up as 60kms . Our pension gave us a warm welcome , cherry liquor schnaps for me , very nice. Hubby settled for the local apple juice.Lucky we’re not here May 1st as huge May day festivities means most of the town is booked out. The maypole goes up outside our Pension farmhouse, they’ve made 100s of red and white flowers to decorate the Maypole. Once the men have hauled it up, tne beer drinking begins I think its quite a party.The red and white Austrian flag is in the bike shed ready to go up.

Our rest day was spent cycling around Mauthausen including up to the concentration camp which was basically a labour camp initially for granite mining for construction and then later in the war as arms manufacturers . There were over 100 subcamps in this area so quite a horrific part of history to the town . Flag poles were going up at the concentration camp as May 5th is the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the camp and representatives of the 40 nations of inmates that were in the camp are all visiting so the town will be full then aswell.

Flood signs indicate half the town is under water regularly. A pretty market square and pillar to chain offenders to, no stocks here. Being on the Danube its always been an important trading town with its own salt tower a smaller version of Regensburg. So plenty of history in this small town.

Our pension owner Anita is happy to fill us in on all the local traditions aswell. She explained it can still be cold till we’ve had all the Ice saints days :St Servatus, St Pancras and St Mamertus usually by May 15th, after this you can apparently plant your tomatoes, if you live in Europe that is. We are sleeping in the Pear room, this region is reknown for pear cider for all you cider lovers out there. Its obviously walnut season as walnuts are being shelled everywhere. We even had them for breakfast aswell as crushed pumpkin seeds in garlic oil highly recommended for men apparently…Also at breakfast was a german couple well into their 80s NO electric bikes still cycle touring…hope for us all they looked pretty fit aswell.