43 miles, 2,005 feet elevation gain, 4 hours biking time

The notes for todays ride  said “Today is the opportunity to show off your sporting prowess with a few tough climbs…” Lucky for us the climbs were no different from all the others we’ve mastered. But the threat of rain filled the air. A great opportunity to test out our new Showers Pass rain gear.

So, off we go and at about 25km we saw signs that looked like the road was closed. It didn’t look closed so we continued on. First we came upon a spot that had just been repaired but was set up so traffic could go around it. No problem. A ways down the road we came upon this.

We waited for him to finish his dump and continued on until we came upon

When we were waived through we endured a long slog of walking through the mud. (This picture’s for you Bill. Thanks a lot for teaching Chris there’s no such thing as a closed road in Japan.)

We walked about a kilometer all the way to the next town.

Shortly after this it started to rain – payback I think. We took cover for a few minute to review our map. Not sure if you can see how hard it’s raining.

We rode the last 25 kilometers in the rain. Our gear worked great. Plus it was very pleasant rolling hills. We got to our next destination dripping wet and a bit muddy but our hosts welcomed us with open arms. Much later in the evening the sun came out. Here is our hotel Schiffner Mein Biergasthaus.

Here’s the view from our window. I couldn’t stop looking out as the shades of green changed with the sun.

And check out the “art work” above our bed.

Why a picture of hops you ask? Well, it turns out the owner of this place is Karl Schiffner. He is the first Beer Sommelier World Champion! This hotel/restaurant had six beers on tap, some brewed by Karl’s son Felix who came in second place at the Beer Sommelier World Championship a few years later. They have over 150 beers from around the world to choose from.  Here are a few.

Not only did they have beer but the food at their restaurant was amazing. One of Felix’s forte’s is food and beer pairings so he gave some excellent recommendations. Look at this beautiful feast. The creamy asparagus soup was incredible.

If you are ever in the neighborhood, I highly recommend Schiffner just outside the town of Aigen.