Epic cycle ride father and son Mark and Sam Swain, from Canterbury,have reached the Bavarian city of Passau en route to Budapest, Hungary, on the European leg of their 11,000 mile ride to Japan.

Read Mark’s latest blog extract to see how they are getting on.

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As you get nearer to the German border, the houses start to look more Bavarian (old timber framed three storey houses with barns at the back) and the people are more obsessed with tidiness.

One morning I watched a lady out sweeping the same pavement in front of her house that she swept the day before. There was a leaf and a thimblefull of dust on it!

People are very helpful and polite in this region. This is with the exception of the waitress in a restaurant in Bitche (pronunced Bitch suprisingly) who took great delight in telling us that the set menu was not available despite the big advertising board at the front.

It’s a fete day or something was her excuse. She then ignored us for service the rest of the evening despite our strained politeness.

Freewheeling down the long valleys towards the Rhine (German border) in the early morning mist after half an hour of steep climbing was absolute bliss.

I perfected a technique of cooling my butt by hanging off one side of my saddle and pulling open the leg of my shorts. This creates a surprisingly pleasurable rush of cool air around your undercarriage!

Upon reaching the Rhine (spectacular) we discovered an excellent cycle route and asked a lovely German couple whether to head north to Karlsrhure or south towards Strasbourg.

After some great chat, we were advised to head south to Freiburg and then take a short train ride through the Black Forrest to Donaueschingen (source of the Danube). This we did after a night in Strasbourg and the following night in Donaueschingen. This is the start of the Donauradwandveg cycle path to Passau.

I can’t recommend this cycle path enough, especially the nature park section, about 75km from just after Donaueschingen to Sigmarigen.

This is pretty much inaccessible by motor vehicle so only walkers and cyclists can manage it. It is paradise.

It is just too much beauty for the brain to take in. If you can ride a bike, I suggest you go there ASAP.

After this the Donau cycleway remained well sign-posted and not too hilly. It is a great way to see rural Germany. However, after the nature park it is a bit tame.

We made good time and eventually reached Passau on Friday evening.

Passau is picturesque but rather suprisingly quiet although all smaller German cities and towns seem to be in the evenings. This is the point at which many tourists (especially elderly Americans it would seem) get on or off one of the huge floating hotel style canal boats between Passau and Budapest.

Talking of elderly travellers, we are so impressed by how the elderly Gemans go on cycle trips in their retirement.

Sometimes just out to a restaurant a few miles away with friends, sometimes for a whole day. I look forward to this in my old age.

For now I take pleasure in greeting them with a polite Chus! or Morgen! (as they all do) when Sam and I pass them at speed.

We are well and want to thank you for your messages. We are having a great time. The pain is bearable!

For the full story and pictures so far see Mark and Sam’s blog site at www.bugbitten.com/father_son_cycle