The foothills of the Alps gave our legs got a workout today and a good thing too since the truly lofty peaks aren’t far ahead. We’ve got at least one mountain pass in our path tomorrow and within the next few days we’ll have the chance to climb to nearly 2,800m to Italy’s famous Passo di Stelvio. The weather and our mood will determine whether we make the hike but at the moment it’s a tempting thought. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a good challenge and mountain climbs are always a thriller; for the view and sense of achievement at the top as well as for the eye-watering descents. For the moment, however, we are content to roll along the ups and downs of the tail end of Bavaria. We’ve continued to follow the Isar river and have stopped more than once to read on its banks and swim in the clear blue and very cold water. There were also plenty of local beer gardens in our path so we propped our bikes up against a fence and treated ourselves to a cool drink. When in Germany…. Despite the beer, we were making quite good time and hoped to cross into Austria today but rain set in late in the afternoon and instead we stopped for a final night in Germany, camping once again close to the Isar river.