Now That's What I Call Music

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Ring My Bell

On Sunday night I stayed in the lovely little village of Neustadt Am Der Donau.  Lovely, that is, apart from the sodding  bells.

The church bells were getting a right thrashing all evening - yes it was Sunday but who says that Christians are allowed to make antisocial noise when most of us are trying to drink?

I went to bed early as always then discovered the town  clock.  It announces the quarter hours with one, two or three colossal clangs then on the hour it goes mental - counting out the time then playing a little song. 

The CIA in Guantánamo Bay could learn a trick here.  After a night of being woken every 15 minutes I would have confessed to anything to make it stop.

At some time approaching dawn I started to tune out the clock chimes and snatched some sleep but then, at 6am, the bloody Christians launched an all-out assault with the church bells.  I got up.

Winter Wonderland

On Monday night I decided that I had to get a decent kip so splashed out on a more up-market hotel with AIR CONDITIONING.  I set the temperature dial on minimum, the fan on maximum and huddled under the duvet while icicles formed on my nose.  It was worth every penny.

News of the World

If you are very lucky your hotel has two English channels: BBC World and CNN.  Essentially they are the same but the Brits wear ties.  They make very little content go a very long way and have got repeats down to an art form.  Turn on at any time of day and you are rewarded  with about an hour of interesting programming......then it repeats ad nauseam.  Turn on the next day and you are likely to get about 15 new minutes plus a load of crap from yesterday.  It beats looking at the wallpaper but only just!

Pain And Suffering

Today was a peasy 60 miles to Passau, last stop before Austria.  The route continues to impress, there were fewer cinder tracks today and the sun shone and shone.

Unfortunately I have put my back out.  I can cycle ok but walking is tricky and anything involving bending is a complete no-go.  Hopefully a good night will help!

Tomorrow I shall don a fine Tyrolean hat and start yelling Gruss Grott at everyone I meet.  Then it is only a matter of days before I can use THE song title!

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