May 25, 2010 - Titisee to Tuttlingen

Estimated Mileage - 55 Miles
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Trip Route Link

I had expected the day to be mostly flat, after the grueling ascent of the previous day.  I was mistaken.  This was the typical terrain for the first 20 miles of the day:

Each town was nestled in a valley, which meant: climb, descend, repeat.  Also, I had to wear a jacket the whole time because my forearms were turning into lobster claws from the sun.  This made me sweat like a madman.

But the ride was another world-class beaut.  Behold:

Empty roads, beautiful weather, picturesque towns with friendly people waving to me the whole time.  My mood was brightening slowly all day long knowing that I was getting closer and closer to a goal that I've spent the last half-year dreaming about...the start of the Danube River.  Here's my first glimpse of the Breg River, one of the feeder rivers to the Danube:

It felt a bit like a pilgrimage, and I was arriving at the start of the official route:  the Donauquelle at the Furstenburg castle in Donaueschingen:

If you look past the fine looking piece of machinery, you'll see the circular pool of water.  That's the source.  Here's me, standing in front of it, taken by a couple of German fellows also on a bike trip:

Head full of crazy thoughts linking me to centuries of travellers, soldiers, merchants, explorers and pilgrims who have all used the Danube to get some place far away, I started down the river, into adventure...