April 9th: Vienna, Austria - Bratislava, Slovakia. Riding along the Danube…

70km with a climb of 200m

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A beautifully scenic day riding on pristine EuroVelo trails along the River Danube enjoying an abundance of wildlife; herons, hares, rabbits, eagles, reindeer and plentiful fish in the river.

Cycling along the Northern bank led the Crazybikeguys past massive dense forests on mostly tarred paths and both Grant and Julian commented on the pristine conditions with not a scrap of litter being visible all the way! The weather held and the sun shone making such a huge difference to the mood and wellbeing of both cyclists.

A fabulous cyclist’s café stop on the embankment at the 27km mark was a welcome break and an indulgent snack, homemade juices, beer and even a caramel KitKat, fueled the rest of the ride to Bratislava.

On arriving in Bratislava the mission of the day was to replace Julian’s device charger which he left in Vienna ( it’s only taken over a week for Julian to lose something, so we’re holding thumbs it’s the only thing that gets lost).

The people are welcoming and very friendly and after finding their accommodation and doing a mighty load of washing, Julian and Grant went out into the old town to enjoy their hospitality and delicious food offerings. They managed to find a Jazz Club -even though the lyrics were lost on them, the music was good – another first for young Julian on this life changing journey on a bike!

Quick Geography lesson:

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia which borders Hungary and Austria- this makes it the only European capital that has borders with two countries.

It only became the capital of Slovakia in 1992.

The city is located at the foot of The Carpathian Mountains and occupies both banks of the River Danube and the left bank of the Morava River.

Most people speak Slovak, and some speak Hungarian. The most iconic spot in the city is the Bratislava Castle which holds all the interesting facts of this beautiful location on the hill from Medieval times.

They are well known for ceramics, lace, hats, glassware and their typical rich nourishing Slovak cuisine containing lots of pork and dumplings! They use the Euro as their currency.

It’s considered the fastest changing city in Europe, leaving its communist cloak behind and unveiling a technicolor makeover in recent years, helped along by a lively student culture, a modern attitude and the embracing of restoration and beautifying of the city’s environment.

This has been and amazing learning experience so far and I just wanted to share a comment from one of the parents who wrote this as their donation comment on the GivenGain page.

This sums up the importance of the cause and why we need to support Logwood in the incredible work they do for adults with disabilities and challenges.

“By having the privilege to walk a path together with Logwood Village, one soon comes to the realization that it does not just consist of wall wherein adults with special needs find a safe haven. One rather has the sense that Logwood is a whole being, a living organism that breathes life and positive energy into our loved ones who are fortunate enough to live within these walls. Logwood Village truly changes lives and make the world a better place to live in.”

-Arika Staude

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Every donation, no matter how small, helps us get closer to making a real difference.

Donate today – together, we can change lives: MILES OF MEANING,MEMORABLE IMPACT

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Tomorrow the boys are back on the path in Hungary headed towards Gyor and pretty soon, Budapest!