Today, we have short 60km jaunt to Ingolstadt, followed by another short rideday on Saturday to get us to Weltenberg Abbey, where we will meet up with my (Alaine) 4th (or 5th?) cousin Sigrid, and her (our?) niece Martina! (We plan to also check out the abbey's brewery and Biergarten, of course.) From there we will cycle and ferry to the nearby town of Kelheim for a visit and the night.
I met Sigrid and her sisters Andrea and Monika and their parents, Josef and Rosa, in Aidenbach 25 years ago--about the exact time of year as now--when I traveled some 5 months throughout Europe. We share a great great grandmother, Katerina Hofbauer. Katarina's son, Josef, remained near Aidenbach, but his sister, my great grandmother, Katherine (the younger), left there to go to the States to marry Andrew Biermeier in Wisconsin--they raised 11 children, the youngest of whom was my grandmother, Ollie, my mom's mother.
Sigrid was just 10 years old back when I visited; but her sister Andrea is close to my age, as is their/my cousin Beate--both of whom I have kept in contact over the years. (Bea has even visited me and Paul twice since 2011.) And now we are all 25 years older. It's exciting that Sigrid and Martina like to cycle also and can take a couple days to join us to ride to Regensberg, where Martina (Andrea's daughter, just a couple months older than our Finnian) studies. From there, Paul and I will continue cycling next week before we wind down in Aidenbach. After a weekend there visiting family and family places from the turn of the last century, we'll go with Beate to her home near Munich for a visit and as a base for further travels, though perhaps most by train (such as to Prague, and from there by car for a couple days to inner Poland to visit villages connected to my dad's side of the family.
Still lots to do and see before we head home later this month, even if we are--and it feels strange and good both--heading into our last week of bike packing.
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