The heatwave from last week seems to have eased and we woke this morning to cloudy skies – a very welcome relief! The weather now is actually perfect for cycling. The severe wind which wore us out yesterday has disappeared and there’s no sign of rain either. Lucky us since we read news of severe floods in southern Germany and England today. A few hundred kilometers further west and we might have been trying to cycle on washed out roads. Floods have been in our thoughts quite a bit lately as we pass high water marks along the Danube. In 2002, the river burst its banks twice and the August floods left houses almost entirely underwater. Little signs attached well above the doors of many homes drive home to us just how fierce this otherwise tranquil and peaceful body of water can be. We arrived in the city of Linz around midday, after spending the morning passing largely through farming communities. Linz immediately drew us in with its refined squares, pedestrian areas and numerous colourful and ornate churches. 
We meandered along its banks and in the centre for a while, managed to get online for free at a library and then had supper beside the Danube. Early in the evening we pedalled on a few more kilometers before we found yet another field just perfect for our tent. With a picnic table and water nearby there’s not much incentive to go to a campsite. We popped open a bottle of wine and sat back to listen to the BBC news and drink a bottle of white wine from Austria. If you ever have the chance, try a bottle of Grüner Veltlinger. It’s light, peppery and ever so slightly fizzy. Lovely for a summer drink.