Of course another reason why Bavaria and the Northern Alps are so green, apart from the muckspreadng, is that it rains.

A lot.

Yesterday was glorious sunshine. But today, as I approach Salzburg, it’s back to form. Hence shot above of another serious biker encountered today, togged like me to the gills for the rain and doing a seven-week solo tour clockwise right round Germany.

Forgot to ask his name (bad journalist), but let’s say Hans and I, both 60-ish, agreed that 100km, about 65 miles, is the average daily run to aim for at this age over the long haul.

I used to do 100 miles a day, no sweat. But that was in my 20s.

For which one needs good sleep. How the brain does it is amazing, but tenting last night in the shadow of St James Unterbeuern, see other pic, bonging the quarter hours and pealing the hours right through the night, I scarcely heard a thing.

And a final midday musing as I stand at a forest edge in the wet near the Austrian border picking with plastic stylus at my Blackberry screen.

Of course we Braynes have a soul connection with Bavaria, Whence my first set of in-laws and also the place where I did my 1968 gap year, in Bamberg. As indeed we connect with the village in Norfolk where I grew up.

Brayne. Bayern. Barney. All anagrams. Now there’s a thought.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device