Today was our rest day in Austin.  Well, not really rest, but we didn't ride much.   We slept in until the now-seemingly-decadent hour of 7 am.

After a cup of coffee,  Barb threw a load of laundry in the washer and hung it out to dry.  I started working on my bike.  The front derailleur was an easy change, and I got the saddle switched and coarsely adjusted.  Then replaced the twice patched inner tube and rapidly wearing rear tire with new ones purchased yesterday.

About 11, we headed on bikes to the nearest Verizon store to see about replacing my phone.  I'm pretty sure Verizon employees are diligent and efficient, but it always seems to take longer to get a new phone than you expect.   Still Johnson, the guy helping me, was able to retrieve contacts and data from my old phone (RIP).

Then we headed to a local restaurant recommended by the guys at Verizon, a place called Kerbey Lane.  Barb started us with an order of green fried tomatoes served with a tomato chili sauce, then had a chimichurri steak sandwich,  while I chose the torta Ahogada, a sandwich of pork carnitas served in a bowl of a spicy lime tomato sauce.   Everything was delicious.

We returned to our warmshowers home to find our host just about ready to head to work at a local emergency room.  We said our farewells and he left for work.  I finished up adjusting my new bike saddle and Barb pulled the dry laundry from the line.

Then we both napped for about 90 minutes.  It was a rest day,  afterall.

About 5 pm, we walked down to the Congress Street Bridge to watch the bats of Austin take flight.  Austin is the home to one of the largest urban bat colonies in the US.   About a million bats take refuge in the bridge every day, and take flight foraging for food every evening.  It's difficult to know exactly when the bats will take flight, sometimes a bit before dusk, sometimes a bit after.  Tonight they left rather late and while an impressive spectacle, not much of a photo opportunity.   We watched for about 30 minutes while a flurry of bats could be seen flying near the under-structure of the bridge and then vanishing into the night skies.

Then hunger called and we left the bridge for BBQ at Terry Black's Texas BBQ.   We each had creamed corn that would have left Paula Deen in awe, some BBQ brisket, and smoked sausage.   Again food was delicious.   We need to get back on our bikes.

We're now getting ready to sleep.  An alarm has been set for 6 am, and Texas hill country waits for us tomorrow.