Thwarted by mother nature

A good start and slight rain which was very welcome.Made it to the first ferry spelled correctly had to wait about 20 mins and met up with my Danish and Italian friends and also met two older ladies in their 70's from Switzerland. Then we rode down the left bank of the Danube which my Italian friend pointed out was still in Hungary.It was really gorgeous and managed to get in that zone again not achieved since Austria or meeting nudists. The wind or hand of zeus was at my back and l kept moving right along at roughly 18km/h. A barge moving along with me was doing the same speed and we kept a parallel path for a few kms. I did manage to get on a parallel higher trail and had to drop my bike down a 3 feet wall. I looked behind me and a couple had been following me. I would have bet they were German but of course they were not but were French. They said we have been following you so l told them that was a big mistake. Anyway l helped them with their bikes which weighed a ton as they were loaded up.The two Swiss ladies who of course spoke perfect English kept passing me and then stopping to take a photo. I was having difficulty keeping up with them but what was even more concerning was that one of them would light up a cigarette every single time and puff away.