• TakeMeFurther
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Aug. 2022 – Aug. 2025

Vagabonding

Ein Abenteuer von TakeMeFurther mit offenem Ende Weiterlesen
  • Natural Park Bahía de Cádiz

    9. Februar 2023 in Spanien ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Today I get to learn an important lesson from Roberto about cosiness.
    When writing this text, I have to smile at myself because my behaviour sounds compulsive in contrast to his 😅.

    The following situation:
    We have an appointment in the morning to pick up a rental car.
    We have to travel 30 minutes by bus to the meeting point. Now it's 45 minutes to the meeting.

    Roberto leaves the hostel, looks around briefly and walks ... to the left.
    I ask him if he knows where the bus leaves.
    "No, but this is the way to the water, I'm sure it's the right way".
    (I check this for myself. I want to avoid unpleasant surprises... excitingly, he is right and we are on the right track. )

    Arriving at the bus stop, I ask which bus we are going to get on.
    "I don't know, but they are all going in our direction somehow! 🤷‍♂️
    (You have to know that Cádiz lies on a narrow strip of land that is about 6 km long but only about 1 km wide. So the chances are actually quite good that we are going in the right direction.)

    We sit on the bus for about 15 minutes and I get a bit nervous and ask him to look up where exactly we have to get off, as he makes no effort whatsoever to find out. Secretly, I'm almost 100% sure that he has exactly the same information as last night: the key handover is at some hospital. 😄
    With only a few minutes delay we arrive where we are supposed to be and I've been wondering ever since how the journey would have gone for us if I hadn't kept intervening. 😄

    Finally, the owner of the car shows up and tells us that a workshop light has just flamed up in the car and that we should therefore rather take another means of transport.
    We take a bus to our destination and try to find chameleons there.
    Unfortunately we don't find them (I can't blame them, the "nature park" is really not nice...). ).
    In this case, the journey is the destination and we had a lot of fun.
    Weiterlesen

  • Alcázar of Sevilla

    31. Januar 2023 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    I am in the Alcázar of Seville, a centuries-old building in which many kings have come and gone. To this day, the Spanish royal family stays here whenever they are in Seville.
    The pictures I was shown really don't come close to my own experience of the place.
    The decorations on the walls and archways: magnificent.

    Peacocks walk through the pleasure garden.
    It's a small paradise. ☺️
    Weiterlesen

  • Doñana National Park

    29. Januar 2023 in Spanien

    Roberto and I are going on a road trip to the national park. He heard that there are lynxes and other wild animals that he would like to include in his photo collection. He's been nagging me about it for days and now we're really going there to see THESE STUPID BEASTS! 🙄
    All joking aside - I want to go there too! 📸😆

    From a bird watching station we shoot flamingos 🦩 , shimmering ibises and everything that moves.
    Unfortunately, I can't get the birds as close as I'd like with my lens and squint enviously at Roberto's glossy photos.😏
    After several hours we leave the place to enjoy a bit more of the rest of the park.

    The highlight of the park is the ride in a safari bus. I am not exaggerating when I write that it is a vehicle in monster truck class. The tyres alone are as high as a man and you sit in it at a height of over two metres and look down on the environment.
    We're rocketing along the beach at 70 kilometres per hour. 🚌💨💨
    It doesn't quite meet our understanding of undisturbed nature observation, so the drive is ambivalent for us.
    Interestingly, the animals we meet along the way seem less disturbed than if we were on foot. We see a few deer that look interestedly at the large vehicle but do not flee, instead calmly allowing us to take pictures.

    Today's snapshots:
    - Flamingos
    - Sickler /glossy Ibis' (long beak)
    - Mallards
    - Coots (black, white beak)
    - Iberian Chiffchaff (small greenish-yellow bird)
    - Probably Arctic terns
    - Oystercatcher
    - Sanderlings (small, on the beach)
    - Herring Gulls(?)
    - Osprey (sitting on the red tower)
    - a hungry Chilean
    Weiterlesen

  • Sevilla Cathedral

    27. Januar 2023 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    In one of the hostels I stay in, I meet Roberto from Chile, who has been travelling through Europe for several months.
    He has a soft spot for photography and design, and we go to see the cathedral together. It is the largest Gothic church in Spain and one of the largest churches in the world. It looks enormous from the outside and it's easy to get lost inside.

    We easily exceed the recommended 90-minute stay and take great photos of the ornaments (gargoyles!!🐲) and the abundant gold. Unfortunately a bit too lavishly used in my eyes, but it's not my flat after all 😀.

    PS: Chistopher Columbus is buried here. He is carried by four people symbolising the kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon and Navarre.
    Weiterlesen

  • Sevilla - Heart of Andalusia, Pt.1

    22. Januar 2023 in Spanien

    Actually, I came to find shelter from the cold only for a few days. At night, the temperature is between two and five degrees and thus a tiny bit below my body's own comfort temperature. :D

    I've been here for a fortnight now and a lot has happened. So much that I'm going to divide the Seville section into several steps to better separate them.

    When I pay for accommodation, I want my most basic needs to be met. The most important things for me in this case are a good night's sleep, electricity, internet and also a hot shower.
    Well, let's say I had to do without one or the other at times.😛

    The first night, my roommates talked until the middle of the night and I heard their delicate voices through the equally delicate walls. After I had a brief de-escalating conversation at around 1 am, the power subsequently went out. Now, one or the other may certainly justifiably object that a power cut at night does not significantly restrict one's night's sleep. Until that night, I would have believed the same, but the strange electrical system of the room taught me otherwise:
    a bright lamp suddenly illuminated my room.
    To this day, I haven't found out why it came on or where it got its power from. I flicked all the light switches, hoping to turn it off. I deactivated all the fuses in the fuse box in my room. Nothing helped, the lamp stayed on.
    I was told at reception that they were working on a solution and expected the electrician within the hour.
    When nothing helped, I put a cloth over the lamp and finally there was darkness.
    The next morning, the electricity had not yet returned to the sockets and my hot shower failed. I spent the day in town and returned in the afternoon. The reception was buzzing with excitement: the power had just been restored.
    It lasted for about half an hour until it failed again. 🥳
    Later that evening, everything finally worked again, but I had already decided on a new accommodation.

    The next day was laundry day. I loaded my bags with all the textiles and drove to a laundry. A boy and a girl stood in front of the entrance smoking and greeted me. I went inside and loaded the machine. Outside, they were talking, laughing, looking over at me and asking me if I was German (I seem to have a German aura, because several people have already managed to guess my nationality accurately).
    As we all had to wait for our laundry, I invited them for a coffee and we talked about the peculiarities of our respective cultures. Shortly afterwards, two of their friends joined them and I was invited to lunch in their shared flat. We discussed, asked each other curious questions - it was really nice. The evening continued in a student pub. Five of us sat at a table and played a card game. Eventually, the neighbouring table, which had just been strangers, joined ours, then another neighbouring table, and then another. In no time at all, a manageable group of five people became a group of thirty people discussing across the room. Only a few knew each other, but what does that matter when you're having fun together?😊
    Weiterlesen

  • The beautiful and the ugly

    21. Januar 2023 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    La Palma del Condado - 'the palm tree of the county' - has an apt name. I might even have called the town the pearl of the county (La perla del Condado).

    In the market square, the beautifully painted and decorated church immediately catches the eye. Even the storks feel at home here and nest in the upper floors of the building. (A detail that can often be observed here in Andalusia).
    Every now and then, the clattering echoes through the streets.

    Directly behind the exit of the village is a disused factory. Places like this exert a certain attraction on me. At one time this was a lively place where goods were produced and people worked day and night, now the workers have scattered in all directions and only the walls bear witness to the former bustle.
    The area is known for its wine growing. In 1502, the first wine was shipped to America from neighbouring Villalba del Alcor. So this could be a historical wine production site. Perhaps there is still a bottle or two in the cellar? 😋
    Apart from a hat and a jumper, however, there's nothing left here.
    With a growling stomach, I continue my foray through the Andalusian steppe.
    Weiterlesen

  • Niebla and Río Tinto

    21. Januar 2023 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Back on Spanish soil!
    In contrast to the north, it is much better to drive here: for one thing, the landscape is so beautifully flat and for another, the main roads are not so busy.

    I pass feeding flamingos (my first sighting in the wild!) and arrive in the town of Niebla.
    The town of just under 4 000 inhabitants has an impressive fortress and the question arises as to what is being guarded or protected there 🤨.
    The Río Tinto, the 'red river', flows through the town and plays an interesting colourful game with the blue sky...
    Weiterlesen

  • The search for chamaeleo chamaeleon

    18. Januar 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Damn, the animals are well hidden. I don't find any chameleons here, but I do find representatives of other species.

    In the evening I lie in the forest and look up at the starry sky. Orion is above me, moving further west with each passing second. I feel the warmth of the ground against my back and am amazed at the endless expanse above me.
    I listen to the favourite music of my youth and feel more self-centered than I have in a long time. ☺️
    Weiterlesen

  • Broken spokes in Olhão

    16. Januar 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    The journey continues. It wasn't easy to say goodbye, but at the same time I was drawn back out onto the road.
    The cycle paths are super easy to ride and the weather is fantastic.
    On the way, I try a prickly pear, which grows by the roadside here. It reminds me of a kiwi. Tastes great! 👍

    Shortly before Olhão I notice broken spokes, which I have professionally repaired.
    At the hostel I meet a few other tourists with whom I have a nice evening. It's great fun and I learn that there are wild chameleons in the Algarve. I really want to find them!
    Weiterlesen

  • São Bartolomeu de Messines

    14. Dezember 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    I arrived at my uncle, aunt and cousin's house. They live amidst the orange and nectarine fields.

    I came to rest, I left beyond with deepened family ties and a wealth of memories. I got to know my cousin, my uncle and my aunt, who have been living outside Germany for two years, from a closer perspective.
    I had my first experience of camper life and thought about possible future accommodation. I will try out what life in a Tinyhouse feels like in the future. Maybe I will build out a camper myself?

    Through a telescope I saw the moon and its craters in greater focus and detail than ever before, and got to thinking about the importance of our place in the universe.
    I saw Mars, Jupiter and its moons and some distant star(s).

    We solved puzzles together in an abandoned hut and a maze.

    I tried my hand as a substitute DJ during a party and quickly took a liking to it. I always wondered what they were doing so concentrated at their mixing desks while everyone else was having a good time. Now I can say that it is quite a piece of work to mix the right songs and effects together and create a live composition.
    Weiterlesen

  • South point of Portugal

    13. Dezember 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Here I feel the power of nature.
    The wind shakes me.
    Salt mist envelops me and settles on all surfaces (my bicycle chain, only a few days old, is already rusty).
    I better continue riding on before my bike decomposes further. 😄Weiterlesen

  • Crazy Weather

    12. Dezember 2022 in Portugal

    The wind is merciless and hits my bike here directly on the coast almost unhindered and pushes it backwards. Too bad I want to go this way and there's a strong wind for the next few days. 😊
    The only thing that helps is to downshift. Music lifts my mood and makes me feel like I'm doing a power exercise.

    The weather forecast is not a reliable aid to decision-making at the moment. Normally you can predict rain and showers a few hours in advance. At least the weather radar has always been reliable here in the past.
    With this in mind, I try to plan the next two days and create an hour-based timetable between the wet phases. My three meteorological sources give me three different answers. All forecast a mix of rain, thunderstorms and drizzle. 😂
    The Portuguese civil defence sends me a short message warning of storm surges in my region. 😬

    In the end, I just set off - with the chair-dancing strategy: make fast progress between the villages and check each time in the villages how the weather will develop.
    The gloomy forecasts do not match my own observations, because the sky is overcast but so thin that I can see the sun shining through now and then.

    Sure, it drizzles from time to time, but it's not as bad as forecast.
    However, I can rely on the headwind 😉 .
    Weiterlesen

  • Gert

    11. Dezember 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    On the ferry to Tróia I meet Gert, who is also heading south. He rides a Gazelle road bike, which bends quite a bit under the weight of his luggage but holds up bravely. Unlike me, he has managed to keep up his hobbies - accordion and knitting are stowed in his bags.
    We ride together for a while and exchange stories over coffee before parting ways again.
    You always meet twice in life. 😊
    Weiterlesen

  • Lisbon

    2. Dezember 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    I have arrived in Lisbon. My overnight spot near the lighthouse is close to the cliff and I watch the powerful surf for some time.

    In town I meet my uncle, aunt and cousin who live in Portugal. My sister joins me from Germany and we explore the town together.
    I have only seen a part of it - a part that I like very much. The city is very mountainous and the streets wind along the mountain slopes, which makes orientation difficult. =)
    There is a lot to discover...
    Weiterlesen

  • Western point of continental Europe

    1. Dezember 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    The way here is an adventure again: up and down hills, off-road through the mud and then I am rewarded with this spectacular view.

    At a petrol station I make a routine pump-up stop and notice the loose spokes on my rear wheel.
    I've always been suspicious of bicycle spokes, some people think lacing is a mystical process, others always lace everything by hand. I, who have no idea, cheerfully tighten the loose spokes one by one. (Author's note in retrospect: here I should have paused again and reminded myself of the mechanics).
    After 60 minutes I have tightened some of the spokes, but there are still some loose ones and I notice that the wheel is now wobbly. Yay! I've fixed it broken! 😅
    But as long as it's still rolling, it has to carry me.
    Lisbon is not far away, I'm sure I can get some help there.
    Weiterlesen

  • I hate this rain ❤️

    30. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    In the preliminary talks for my trip, I was asked again and again what I would do in certain situations:
    What would happen if I encountered wild boars?
    What would happen if I didn't get any money from the ATMs?
    What would I do if I had to fight a pack of snarling street dogs uphill with a flat tyre?

    Today's question is much more banal and is:
    How do I behave when it is raining and I have just broken the zipper of my rain jacket?

    My first idea, to tie the jacket with a piece of rope, lasts about 5 minutes, then the rope is so loose again that I might as well leave it alone...

    I envy the drivers who come towards me in their warm and protected cocoons.

    The second half of the day is much more pleasant because I have a great restaurant dinner (with dessert!) and move into a surfer's hostel in the evening. It's raining buckets outside, but I don't care. A little rain 🌊🌊🌊 is also good for nature. 🤪

    The wet memories of the rain will eventually fade, while the memories of the conversations in the hostel and my new resolution will remain:
    I will learn to surf. 🏄‍♂️
    Weiterlesen

  • Obridos

    30. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    They have their castle gift wrapped!!! How cool is that!
    I would love to be here at Christmas time, it must be really nice when a child gets to open the huge bow of the present.

    Just past the village I pass a brick factory. Everything is terracotta-coloured. 😄Weiterlesen

  • Wave physics

    29. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Check out this cool coastline! Here, access to the ocean is only in a narrow spot between two cliffs, behind which is the semi-circular beach. The waves reach the beach at virtually the same time at every point. And they are so tiny 🙂 .
    It brings back memories of physics class....
    Weiterlesen

  • The big waves of Nazaré

    29. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Nazaré is said to have the biggest surfable waves. The current world record was set in 2013 on a wave over 23 metres high by Garrett McNamara 😳 (the video is on the internet and is mega impressive. A photo of little Garrett is in the gallery).

    During my stay there is no surfing and the waves are unfortunately (or fortunately?) not that huge but it is great fun just to watch them land. How they pile up, get steeper and bigger, the top edge gets caught by the wind and turns them into fine mist and finally they break and fall into chaos.
    Weiterlesen

  • Francisco, the hiker

    25. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I'm lucky with the weather again. The sun is shining and life is good. ☺️
    But the real highlight today is Francisco, who is cycling around the Iberian Peninsula. When we meet, he already has more than 3500 km of the total 5000 km under his belt. He has been on the road for a year.

    If you want to follow him: he's on Instagram: @frabano
    Weiterlesen

  • The streets of Porto

    23. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    If you want to get to know a new city, it's best to use its local transport. You get much closer to people that way, you can talk to them or have a discussion. Like the good elderly lady to whom I just offered my seat in the metro and who declined with thanks and then continued talking for another two minutes before I confessed that I hadn't understood a word. She thanks me again, that much I have understood.

    Then I'm in Porto and wander aimlessly through the neighbourhoods. It's hilly - that should make for some nice views, I think to myself (I have no idea yet how nice the views will be!).
    The neighbourhoods are to my taste: there are many crooked streets: you don't see everything immediately, but you will be surprised around every corner.
    Many houses are tiled on the outside and thus probably well protected from the weather, and overall in good condition.
    I notice that many artists play music here (today) and I notice how positively that influences the atmosphere.
    Almost at the highest point of the city, the bridge of Luiz I spans 400 metres over the Douro river and offers me a beautiful view of both banks. On both sides the waterfront promenade stretches with shops and more artists (you can even hear the music up here! 🥰).

    The promenade is also worth a visit. Among the many market stalls selling cork handicrafts is the largest collection of tin cans I know of (see gallery).
    Weiterlesen

  • Matosinhos

    22. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    I work my way forward. Piece by piece to my package and through the rain.
    The weather forecast predicts that the sky will soon run out of water. 🤞

    As a highlight, I eat in a really good Mexican restaurant. It's easier to get something vegetarian there. 😄Weiterlesen

  • Póvoa de Varzim

    18. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    The quest for the special tool continues. It has already arrived in Madrid and has to be sent on its way to me in Portugal. As I am already ahead of the shipment, I have to wait a few days.
    Meanwhile, the weather is worse than ever. It rains every day for a whole week, alternating between showers, normal and heavy rain. 🌦️
    At first it's still bearable because my clothes dry out in between, but in the meantime, after five days, the sun is too rare and the air is too cold and damp for my clothes to dry well.

    I make an unexpected observation about my waterproof frame bag during the downpours: it lets water in and then doesn't let it out again 😂 I hadn't really imagined it to be waterproof. 🤨 After two small cuts with the knife, the water now runs off again...

    The room I took for the rainy season here has no heating (I don't think it's that common here in Portugal), which is why I lie covered in bed for most of the day. That's an interesting experience and I don't mind since I don't miss anything outside.
    During the breaks in the rain I go for a walk and once I even try jogging.
    Not such a good idea, as I realise after 10 minutes when my right and then my left leg cramp up badly. With a limp I turn back.
    And then the next rain shower comes. 😓 Great.
    Weiterlesen

  • Viana do Castelo

    17. November 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today will be a special day:
    I found José's name in the cyclists' network 'warmshowers' and asked for an overnight stay - he agreed.
    Together with his wife Maria and their dog Nuka, they welcome me like a member of the family: I am invited to dinner and then allowed to spend the night in one of the former children's rooms.
    This is especially nice because the weather outside is changeable in April and I want to get dry again 🙂 .
    Weiterlesen