Duisburg swing

The long ride yesterday had it's effect and I slept in till late. My thighs were lightly aching. Interesting to feel the physical challenge even after so many months of cycling. Last time I did this left me with an injured heel for several days.

That memory changed the arithmetic of continuing north if I wanted to get back to Bremen without a limp. So a bit north from Venlo, I swung eastwards towards Duisburg. Riding through the back country off the bike paths brought back the little details of being back in Germany.

One such familiar detail was the familiar delays of the Deutsche Bahn, because even the direct train line to Osnabrück was much delayed. So when I stepped out in the middle of the city, I was hungry, it was already almost dark and I had no plan of where to go.

I rode in the dark until I found a singular bench between farms outside of town. Under the light of a large moon, I ate the wrap I had brought with me. I had not expected it to be so built up along the roads. After riding on a by-road with potholes, I found a field where the grass was so tall that it fell over. With the right tilt of the head, it even looked flat. So I pitched my tent on the soft damp grass silvered by the moonlight and lay down wondering if the ride with the train had been worth it. Not the first time for this thought in Germany.Read more