2 Rain - Cham - Bivouacking

Friday, 8/7/2020

Route: Regental cycle path (Regensburg - Chamerau)

Kilometers: 94

Altitude gain: approx. 400

Weather: consistently sunny and warm, pleasant in the shade, slight cool breeze

Today was a long day. I got up again at quarter to 7, got ready, and tried not to wake anyone up. It wasn't until I was already on my way that I realized I hadn't had breakfast yet. I decided to find the bike path first and then eat the carrots I brought with me. But that was easier said than done. Eventually, I finally found the Regen (and not the Danube ...) and followed it, but through suburbs of Regensburg on partially busy roads. And apparently on the wrong side. At kilometer 13, I saw the signpost for the first time.

Now the bike path always ran close to the Regen, through smaller and larger villages, sometimes through the meadows that stretched next to the river, sometimes through the forest or at least through avenues. That was nice because it was always pleasantly cool there. Nevertheless, riding was not as easy as yesterday - well, yesterday I didn't feel like I had any altitude gain at all.

After about 20 kilometers, I took my carrot break on a slightly elevated bench and enjoyed the view. A few kilometers later, I got lost in a small village where there were actually small stone chairs by the river, so you could comfortably put your feet in the water! The next 20 kilometers to Nittenau were nevertheless exhausting. I decided to buy something there and eat properly. You shouldn't go shopping hungry - I bought way too much for one person at Netto with a bakery.

Everything was packed up, I got a little lost in Nittenau, which is not so incredibly worth seeing, and I sat down on a shady bench near the river at the edge of the town. There I ate and took a short nap.

I continued at half past 12, but I didn't get far: 10 kilometers later, I discovered a nice beach where other bikes were already parked and people were actually swimming. I decided to join them spontaneously. Half hidden behind a tree, I changed my clothes and went into the cool water. I swam a little, even though I could have stood everywhere as a small person. A few boys carried beer and music boxes to a small island through the water, I chatted with them briefly. The beach was a bit hidden, because otherwise the Regen was lined with trees and bushes here. And there was not only this one island, but several and a lock. When I was drying off, I chatted a bit with the other two cyclists who were also swimming.

Then I continued, saw storks again and caught a last glimpse of my previous swimming spot from the bridge. From then on, things went quite well. Several times I got lost in villages, which unfortunately always meant going uphill, but I cared less and less. Shortly before Roding, I went steeply uphill in the forest for 2 kilometers, somehow that was fun. Later, I went along an ultra-new expressway, with the bike path slightly elevated and a good view of the Regen and the large hills of the Bavarian Forest in the distance made the ride beautiful.

I passed through several Upper Palatinate villages, all of them clean, neat, and flowered, but rather old. Nevertheless, I liked them very much! But now it became difficult again, which is why I shamefully took a chips break at a hall between wide fields. A few kilometers later, I was in Cham. I had heard a lot about it, but not much good. Curious, I went in and was totally surprised by a beautiful market square! There I sat on a bench by the fountain, observed people, ate a döner kebab, and finally read a book from the 'Exchange Library'.

Although it was very nice, I still had to go a little further because my destination was Chamerau. Due to a closed bridge, I simply rode along the road. In Chamerau, there were quite a few boaters again, and about 4 kilometers further along the river, I set up my camp for the night. There I wrote in my book and made a phone call before slipping into my sleeping bag and bivouacking for the first time.