Saturday 7 July 2012

So here I go!

The sky is blue and the autobahn is clear as I head North on my way to Travemünde.  After several years of racing back to the North of Germany following a weekend skiing in the Alps, the route is all too familiar.  Non-descript landmarks greet me like an old friend and trigger memories of days gone by.

Soon I pass the turning that would have taken me to bed and am surprised to find myself joining the route I used to take to one of my favourite places to work.  More landmarks, more memories.

As the familiar turns to the unfamiliar, my focus becomes the ferry and the journey that lay ahead of me, along with that eternal nagging doubt: what have I forgotten?

I pull up along side an eclectic mix of bikers and wait to board the ferry.  The Enduros, the Tourers, the Harleys and the Pedalers!?!  I chatted to a couple from Karlsruhe who are doing almost the same route as me – only they were taking five weeks!  My stomach knotted.   Have I bitten off more than I can chew?   I must admit, my approach to this trip could, at best, be described as laissez-faire.

We finally board the ferry and I strap my bike securely for the crossing. I then find my chair-bed and settle down for the night.

Distance: 432.9 miles

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