Rothenburg to Feuchtwangen, then Dinkelsbuhl, Nordlingen and now in Donauworth

It's been a few days, and a fair number of kilometers, since the last posting.

We set off from Rothenburg intending to ride to Dinkelsbuhl.  It was a demanding day in the saddle: high temps and a brutal climb to the town of Schillingsfurst.  We were in our lowest gear, and struggling to maintain about 5 mph, on the long climb into town.  When we finally crested, our route turned left for a block and then the route sign pointed up another hill, even steeper and cobblestoned.  I could have made it on my mountain bike, but on a loaded tandem there was no way.  We spent a few minutes in the shade examining maps, and ended up walking about a block up a different street, then riding a more moderate hill to rejoin the route.  Why did the marked path want to send us up that very steep hill?  Maybe to admire the historical castle at the top, but more likely to keep us off the busier street.  After this climb we were rewarded with some delightful riding through forests on unpaved (but smooth enough) paths.  We eventually rolled into the outskirts of Feuchtwangen, where we picked up a nice paved path to take us into the center of the city.  We arrived there planning to stop for a snack and cool drink, but discovered a large festival underway.  The street we would have been riding through the old town center was filled with food and beer stands, and people.  After a few phone calls we located a great hotel at the edge of the old town (just far enough to be away from the noise), and rode around the few blocks to it.  Showers, changed clothes, and we were back out to join the party.  This was very much a local affair: everyone seemed to know everyone else and it was a fun and welcoming vibe.  There was a small exhibit of old cars, motorcycles, and tractors, and lots of German food and beer.









Next day we continued to Dinkelsbuhl.  Our route again took us through rolling countryside, mostly on small secondary roads or  unpaved farm tracks.  The agriculture here is mostly a mix of wheat and corn, with some hay, potatoes, and what I think is rapeseed.  There are also decent-sized (for Europe) forested areas.  Villages pop up very 5 km or so, but most of them have no services at all.





We were in Dinkelsbuhl by around noon, and found a small inn on a quiet lane in the town center.  We had plenty of time to walk around the town and explore its old buildings (most from the 1500s) and wall with defensive towers (mostly intact all the way around the old town).









From Dinkelsbuhl our route continued more-or-less south, following the Wornitz River, to Nordlingen.  This ciy's wall is intact all the way around, and it's possible to walk the whole thing (we explored only a small piece). 



Just outside the wall there was a local fair underway, much like one of our county fairs without the livestock and produce exhibits.  There were rides, arcades, and an extensive midway.  And lots of beer.

Today's stage took us on to Donauworth, where the River Wornitz flows into the Donau (Danube).  More to follow...