Cycling in the Rain

Well, the rain didn’t stop. It continued for the better part of the day. We met our group early in the morning to determine whether we would continue with the ride or take a shuttle to the next location. About half of the group decided to take the shuttle and avoid the weather. The remaining die hards donned their cold weather gear and hit the path to our next destination. You can probably guess which group Gary and I joined, but I’ll tell you just in case. Gary braved the cold rain, and I took the shuttle. It was a tough decision for me, but I don’t have any experience riding in the rain. We also thought the weather would clear by noon so we could ride with the rest of the group after lunch.

On the way to the hotel, everyone stopped at IKO Bike/Corratec (one of the largest cycling shops in Europe) for a little shopping. The group split up again after visiting the shop — the cyclists continued in the rain and the smart, dry ones got back in the shuttle for the final journey to the hotel in St. Gilgen.

St. Gilgen is located on Lake Wolfgang. It’s surrounded by mountains, and it’s a beautiful, peaceful place to visit. I wish we were staying here a few more days. The view from our hotel room is stunning!

After lunch, we met up with the rest of the riders, and since it was only misting lightly, I decided to go with them for the afternoon journey. We cycled a few miles before stopping at Eisl for a tour of their sheep farm. It was an interesting experience, and it ended with a great sampling of the products they produce including milk, yogurts, and cheeses.

Eisl Farm

Explaining the milking process — see all of the sheep peeking through the fence to grab their grassy lunch?

Sheep hanging around outside before the rain storm

By the time the tour ended, it was pouring again. Another wave of the storm was passing through, and it was more brutal than the first with wind, hard rain, and lightening. It ended the ride for all of us. A few people rode back to the hotel, but most of the group joined me on the shuttle.

Our second day of riding wasn’t ideal, and more rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. I’m praying for sun, but we’ll see how it goes. I didn’t mind the shuttle today, but I don’t want to spend two days on it. I want to ride, and I don’t want to get wet while I’m doing it. Unfortunately, it seems mother nature has other plans.

The day ended back in our hotel where we had a pre-dinner German lesson. We even sang a couple of songs in German — not bad, eh? Or, as the Germans say, “Gut” or “Wunderbar!” In case you are wondering, that means good and excellent. Now you know some German too!

Aundre teaching our German lesson

Ready for some dinner, bitte!