The weather was again perfect but a little hot, in the mid twenties.

We cycled through the typical flat Bavarian countryside with ploughed fields, fields of corn and the occasional crop of mixed vegetables.

The trees were turning to their autumn reds and browns.

We crossed the river on a small ferry at Niederalteich. The on-demand ferry was scheduled to open at 10am and we were about twenty minutes early. While we were discussing whether to wait or continue on that side the boatman arrived and waved us aboard.

We bought lunch ingredients at Vilshofen. The traffic was heavy and impatient and we had trouble finding the path. After a few kilometers we reached Sandbach where we recrossed the Danube on another small on-demand ferry, again with a cheerful boatman.

We ate lunch on the river bank by the ferry. The supermarket didn’t sell the usual 250ml bottles of wine so we had bought a standard size bottle intending to pour away the surplus. The day was hot, the view beautiful and very little was wasted.

We cycled into the busy city of Passau stopping for half an hour to watch a barge make its way through a loch. It just fitted.

We had booked into the Hotel Residenz. Our window overlooked the Danube and the boat we intended to take to Linz the next day. The hotel was a good standard but very overpriced. However they did our washing for a few euros following very specific discussions about the price and how our scruffy tee shirts and underwear did not need to be ironed.

The apparently magnificent Cathedral Stephan at Passau was being renovated and covered in scaffolding and the old center of Passau was slowly losing the battle with traffic and graffiti.

We combed the town for a restaurant for dinner. We couldn't see anything to our liking until finally a persuasive owner talked us in, but the food didn't live up to his gourmet promises.

The standard of the main course didn't justify a dessert so we bought an icecream cone at a kiosk. It was beautiful.