5 October - Hahndorf

Today was a rest day in the beautiful village of Hahndorf. This area of the Adelaide Hills was established in the 1830's by German farmers from Silesia and Prussia fleeing religious persecution at home. Today Hahndorf still retains some of the German culture and many of the original buildings established during the 19th century. We started the morning with coffee and apple strudl at the local German bakery cafe which I've been visiting regularly since my sisters introduced me to Hahndorf in the '70's.

We followed this up with a walk through the town which resulted in an appetite for a German hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut. After a bit of a rest it was time for a motorbike ride through the Adelaide hills in beautiful spring weather. Signs of the recent heavy rains and resultant flooding were everywhere, but the sun was shining and hardly any wind.

By then it was late afternoon and time for a bit more rest before tackling the onerous task of dinner. A couple of beers whetted our appetite and we were off to the German Arms hotel for steaks and a touch more German beer.

Our day in Hahndorf was certainly one to remember fondly, as it has been over the many years we've visited here. Tomorrow our planned destination is the coastal town of Robe, a ride of some 300km. The weather forecast looks good.