Bicycling the Danube - 1 - Munich

Sunday, 23 August 2026

We did a 3-week trip to bicycle the Danube Cycle Path (Donauradweg) from Passau, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary, with additional stops in Munich and Prague. We booked through Freedom Treks in the UK, who then subcontracted to Rad+Reisen Eurocycle, who subcontracted to oö touristic for the Passau to Vienna portion and my e-bike. But first, we flew to Munich, the nearest large airport to Passau.

While it looks old (and very Gothic!), this is the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall). The Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall is off to the right, and since it gets painted regularly, it actually looks newer.

The glockenspiel in the Neues Rathaus plays several times a day. We caught the noon performance.

It was Sunday, so most churches were closed until 1 or 2 PM - after the morning masses were completed. Heilig Geist Kirche (Holy Ghost Church) was open for visiting. We returned in the evening for an organ concert.

The Theatinerkirche is near the Residenz museum and the Hofgarten.

After the organ concert we walked back through bustling Marienplatz. The tall Gothic tower is the Neues Rathaus, and the towers in the background are the Frauenkirche. 

Frauenkirche. The inability to get far enough back to get a decent photo is typical of towers in "Old Town" parts of cities - not just Munich.

The walk back to our hotel was filled with performers - most bands had interesting combinations of instruments, but this band from Ukraine may have had the most eclectic mix.

Most of the bands were mixing it up with classical pieces (Bach, Mozart, Handel) with more contemporary pop music (ABBA was a favorite).

Japan 21 - Manhole Covers

I don't know why, but local manhole/utility covers always catch my eye. Japan has some of the most interesting and beautiful ones. Here's a sampling:

Sado Island

Mitsue Castle

Mitsue City

Mitsue Castle

Miyajima Island

Miyajima Island

Kurashiki

Kurashiki

Nara

Nara

Japan 20 - Miscellany

 Some things just didn't fit into other posts.

Hotel Lobby Decor

Japanese hotels can have stunning displays in their public spaces.

Capitol Hotel Tokyu (Tokyo)

Ten-yu Ryoken (Hakone)

Westin Miyako (Kyoto)

Food

Always presented with aesthetics in mind.

Dessert

This garnish was common throughout Japan.

Planting rice.

Even our ship (the New Zealand-based Heritage Adventurer) grew fresh herbs.

Dogs

Dogs can be pampered pets in Japan - as in the U.S.

Flora

Street trees in Tokyo were tagged and inventoried. (Gingko)

Columbine along the street on Sado Island.

Flowers (oxalis?) growing in a wall at Matsue Castle.

Hydrangea in Tenryu-ji (Kyoto)

Flowering shrub along the bird-watching path (Kyoto).

Japan 19 - Kyoto - Bird-Watching Trail

Monday, 25 May 2026

We had the afternoon "at leisure" and our hotel (the Westin Miyako Kyoto) had a "bird-watching trail" on the grounds. It was a short (330 m), but steep (mostly stairs) trail.

The first stop along the trail was a small shrine to a "Buddhist Saint".

The first of four torii along the path.

Torii #2

Third torii.

Lon at the third torii, with a small Shinto shrine in the background.

Fourth torii and the shrine. This is about half-way up the trail.

The shrine had a view overlooking Kyoto.

The top of the trail had a small garden.

An almost-dried-up pond in the garden.

The view from the top was in dire need of "vegetation management" or "viewpoint maintenance"!

After our short hike, we partook of onsens (hot baths) in the hotel. Both the men's and women's onsens had elegant inside baths and lovely outside garden bathing pools.

Properly attired to go to the onsen.

Japan 18 - Kyoto Streets and Markets

Monday, 25 May 2026

More from our last day in Kyoto - our last day in Japan. We start our long travels home right after breakfast tomorrow.

A small cemetery wedged into a space between buildings.

There's no telling where a torii can be found.

Large torii in the middle of Kyoto as seen from our hotel roof. I think this is the torii for the Heian-jingu.

Our farewell dinner was in a restaurant beside the gardens at Heian-jingu.

The gardens were even more impressive after sunset.

Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market is a 5-block-long covered pedestrian-only alley filled with over a hundred shops. Food shops (both ready-to-eat and to-be-cooked) make up most of the businesses, but there are also shops selling traditional items such as knives, cookware, pottery, and flowers.