• TakeMeFurther
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Vagabonding

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  • The kids in my life

    12 sierpnia 2023, Niemcy ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    On this long journey, contact with friends and family gives me enormous support. Nothing can replace direct contact, but with phone calls, videos and messages, the distance I feel is shortened enormously, no matter where I am.

    Keeping in touch with kids is more difficult, because they are definitely not that interested in long conversations :)

    I love spending time with them because they have an unbiased curiosity about things, they are much less judgmental. They try, marvel, learn and are happy about the smallest things that have become part of everyday life for many adults.
    They give me the opportunity to engage in a change of perspective as well.

    During my 'home leave' I will spend a few days each with my two nieces and also with my godchild.
    It is a joy to see how they have developed, what they have learned and how their character is formed.
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  • Finish of Poland

    12 sierpnia 2023, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Shortly before the Polish-German border, my backpack is actually stolen. After almost a year of travelling and 10,000 kilometres covered, this is a bitter setback.
    I was careless once too often - I'll remember that for the future.

    Days in the country: 25 1/2
    Kilometres travelled: 555
    Metres in altitude: 3648
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  • Gdansk

    9 sierpnia 2023, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Gdansk is such a wonderful city in which I spend far too little time. This time I put off my train bookings too much and have to take what I can get.

    The city has fantastic architecture, criss-crossed with canals and a nightlife that I really enjoy. There is live music everywhere, the chic old town is beautifully lit and allows me to take great pictures. Czytaj więcej

  • Elk

    31 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    A crime novel drew my attention to Masuria and a little research aroused my curiosity. The country is dotted with small lakes and covered with many forests.
    Since I'm already in the area, I pay a visit to the grave of Nicolaus Copernicus, who bequeathed us the heliocentric view of the world.

    But if I could wish for one thing, it would be better roads. The side roads here have such an unpleasant undulation that my bicycle starts to vibrate dangerously and rattles as loudly as if it were a car.
    and rattles as loudly as if I were riding through the area with a belly-load of dishes.
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  • Lodz - A bit broken but cool

    30 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Fortunately, first impressions are not the only things that count.

    Lodz has profile, has depth. The surface is rough, scuffed. The facades are cracked, here and there the plaster is crumbling off the walls.
    My gaze wanders over the countless potholes. Then the street in front of me is completely missing, only the stumps of the sewage system still protrude from the ground, reminding me that a street once covered the ground here.
    Then I move from one quarter to the other and experience the other Lodz:
    Bright, modern, clean.

    Lodz sinks its former wealth into the huge textile factories that were built here in the early 19th century. The halls are still standing today and the largest factory site has been rededicated and now houses a shopping centre.
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  • Into the Mines of Wieliczka

    24 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    As the temperatures above ground are still stifling, I escape underground.

    Salt has been mined in Wieliczka for over 700 years. Around 7.5 million cubic metres of salt have been mined. In 1978, the mine was included in UNESCO's first World Heritage List and salt was still being extracted from it until 1993.
    During the guided tour we climb 135 m below the surface.
    We are assured that a lot is made of salt down here. The floor and walls: made of salt
    The stairs: made of salt
    Chandeliers: made of salt
    Sculptures: made of salt
    The altars, chapels: made of salt
    The supporting structures: of wood (very exotic material down here!)

    Impressive what you can do with this material, if you use it for more than just salting food!

    It is no exaggeration to say that human development can be seen here like under a burning glass:
    As soon as we humans had a full (salted ) stomach, we were able to develop elements of high culture (pictures, statues, decor). ☝️🤓
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  • Full speed ahead

    21 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The 'vale of tears' of my dissatisfaction is broken and my motivation is rising again 🥳.
    The temperatures are finally dropping thanks to the thunderstorms ( my tent is leaking again! 💦) and I am therefore making progress again.

    A big motivational boost these days is the concrete research for sights here in Poland. In retrospect, I let myself drift a lot and drove through the countryside rather unplanned (the main thing was to drive around the mountains ). In the last few weeks, the heat also made it difficult to make progress and plan wisely.
    Now I know which beautiful areas and places I want to visit in the coming time. I have a goal and a limited time window. In combination, this helps me to better choose my goals and reminds me that my time - however long it may last - is ultimately finite and that I would rather fill it with exciting experiences than sit it out.
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  • Česky Tešin

    15 lipca 2023, Republika Czeska ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Česky Tešin is a chic place. Unfortunately, it's been around 25 degrees since 8 a.m. and I don't feel like visiting the city at all. 🥵

    The last few days didn't go as smoothly as most of the other days. The heat is really getting to me and it's hard for me to sit by the lake for 7 hours and read a book until the temperatures have dropped to acceptable levels again.

    Since I can't cycle anyway, I spend two days here. One day I work in a café on the Czech side and the other in a café on the Polish side.
    Both times I have to get used to converting all my purchases from the respective national currencies. In a supermarket, the whole thing became completely absurd when I converted the price of a kilo of tomatoes to about 50 cents and found that somehow that couldn't be right🤨 .
    After some initial confusion, I realise that I've already crossed the border - and everything is fine again. 🤭

    Days in the country: 5
    Kilometres travelled: 91.49
    Metres in altitude: 1045
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  • Train ride 🚂

    13 lipca 2023, Republika Czeska ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The stretch to Pribor is the longest I haven't cycled so far. Until now, this option was not so present in my mind, but the heat is just not bearable any more.

    Since I made the decision to ride my bike to Berlin for the family reunion, my motivation to travel long distances or to seek out the unknown has diminished considerably and I find it difficult to get involved in new destinations.
    I wrestled with the decision for a long time and finally decided to travel as far as possible (and necessary) by train.
    Now I'm heading north.
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  • Kuty - Finishing Slovakia

    12 lipca 2023, Republika Czeska ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    The heat wave just won't let up and I'm tired of hiding in the shade for hours. Driven by the heat, I take the train north. No matter where, everywhere in Europe the picture is the same. Only in the Baltic States are the temperatures more pleasant.

    Days in the country: 10
    Kilometres travelled: 70.3
    Metres in altitude: 194
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  • The bike thief

    10 lipca 2023, Słowacja ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    After leaving Bratislava behind, the summer heat chased me relentlessly. Every day the thermometer climbed to over 30 degrees Celsius, forcing me to stay in the shade. Already in the morning it became oppressively warm and I only got as far as Senec, just behind Bratislava. Most of the time I stayed in cafés and did some work, but even here it was so hot that one was slowly cooked through.
    Every day I went to the city lake and bathed. I don't think I ever felt greater pleasure than on those occasions.
    One day I didn't want to go far out of town to camp, so I pitched my tent on the shore of the lake. Some night fishermen had positioned themselves on the shore and I was left with only an exposed spot by the wayside. I don't like sleeping so close to strangers, but I was too tired from the day to look for another place to stay. I fell into a light, unrestful sleep; after all, I had to keep an ear on my bike and the bags.

    In the middle of the night I hear a metallic noise and pull up.
    Through the insect net of my tent I see that my bike is floating past me.
    No, it is being carried!
    Still completely drowsy, I wonder why someone would move my bike out of the way in the middle of the night. Maybe it was blocking the way and is now being cleared?
    Very unlikely.
    I shout the question buzzing in my head out into the night:
    "Hey, why are you carrying my bike?"
    The guy stops.
    Weighing my chances, I come to the conclusion that this thief is probably not violent and I can take a chance on a confrontation.
    In my pants I stand in front of the tent and ask again.
    He looks at me, then lifts the bike and comes towards me. My pulse quickens and I am already bracing myself for a fight.
    Silently, he puts the bike down in front of me and holds out his hand. 🤨
    Puzzled, I lash out.
    Then he turns around and shuffles off into the night.
    I stand there for a moment and process what has just happened.

    Since this place to spend the night is now 'burnt', I look for a new one and don't return here.
    After this interlude, sleeping in the forest regains its previous high status.

    Shortly afterwards I have another uncomfortable experience of a special kind.
    Trigger warning - in the following I describe an experience with eight-legged animals that might be too crass for some people.
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  • Bratislava

    4 lipca 2023, Słowacja ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    In Bratislava I meet my sister, who is finally able to take a well-deserved holiday while she studies. Together we take a look at the city and come to the conclusion that we don't really warm up to it.
    Maybe we're just in the wrong places, maybe it's the constant heat that makes us sluggish and not very receptive... who knows. 🤷‍♂️

    Now that my sister has left and I'm back on my bike, I'm at the mercy of the heat - and good for nothing. 🥵
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  • MIMA!!

    19 czerwca 2023, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I am spending almost two weeks with friends in Vienna, distracting myself from my lack of motivation. Since I made the decision to take my bike to Berlin for a stopover with family (and I still have so much time to do it), the motivation for cycling has plummeted. It lacks the excitement, the adventure.
    Compared to cycling in Spain, Italy or Morocco, here it feels like I'm coasting around in Germany's front garden. 🥱

    Little Oskar, whom I last saw a year ago, can already walk and keeps me and his parents on our toes. Already in the morning he comes into the living room and calls 'MIMA? because he can't pronounce my name yet.
    Then my playtime with him begins. :)
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  • Finishing Slovenia

    18 czerwca 2023, Słowenia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Actually, I wanted to spend the night in two countries at once tonight - with my legs in Slovenia and my head in Austria. But then I would have been right on a forest path. The topography sometimes throws a spanner in the works. Maybe there will be another opportunity later.

    Days in the country: 16
    Kilometres travelled: 467.5
    Metres in altitude: 2998
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  • Ptuj

    15 czerwca 2023, Słowenia

    The road in front of me is closed - again!
    The Tour de Slovenia is slowly getting on my nerves.
    Yesterday it already forced me to take a few detours and also left a negative impression because of an overzealous policeman.
    He was assigned to keep the intersection clear for the approaching cyclists and did so very conscientiously - so conscientiously that he told me that all roads into town were blocked, that this intersection had to be kept clear under all circumstances and that there would be no traffic in town for an hour... yes, sure... 🤥
    Meanwhile, behind him, a caravan of cars was rolling through this very intersection, but I was not allowed to join it. After all, the intersection was closed and I should clear it immediately!
    Thank you, Mr. Chief Constable!

    Today I simply drive past the traffic guards. It goes down a hill, across a plain and I catch sight of a castle built on top of a hill, overlooking a small town.
    Welcome to Ptuj!

    A spontaneous tiredness overcomes me and I look for a café to get my caffeine balance back under control. The first coffee does the trick and is immediately followed by a second one. Coffees are pack animals, they don't feel comfortable alone. ☕️☕️

    At the top of the castle hill, I get a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and Lake Pettau to the southeast and also of the route already covered to the west.
    I can even see the chain of hills in the distance that I passed through at midday.

    The city centre is not big, but it is chic and I explore it in a cloverleaf pattern. Soon I have seen all the corners. I snack on a pistachio cake and wash up with a coffee.

    On the way to my super camping spot in the river, another cyclist accosts me.
    Mirrored glasses. Fast bike. Looks fancy. One of the fast kind, that's clear to me right away.
    He's been on the road for a few months and has crowned his tour with a lap of the Triglav National Park. All the beautiful mountains that I skipped so that my legs wouldn't fall off, he crossed completely. He also likes to take a route where you have to carry the bike. 🫣
    A crazy guy, but very sociable.
    We get on well and the short conversation turns into dinner and later I take him to my chosen premium campsite.
    Instead of driving on, we spend the whole of the next day back in Ptuj and can't stop talking.
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  • Free chocolade 🍫

    13 czerwca 2023, Słowenia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The biggest surprises are always waiting off the beaten track. Today, too, this rule is confirmed when I spot a castle in the distance on one of the mountains and drive towards it for an hour to take a nice photo. In one of the towns I stop for a short break in front of the supermarket and am taken aback when I see an unopened package of chocolate right on the crossroads. None of the locals are interested in it, so after a short wait I take it. 🍫

    The towns along the route are small and cute. With the mountain panorama in the background, it's certainly a good place to spend a holiday - or even to live.
    While I let my gaze wander over the wooded hills, I spot a ruined castle among the trees, which I also take a look at. There I meet two elderly people who share their life stories with me.
    Decades ago, they worked in Germany and then used their savings to fulfil their dream of owning their own house.

    I find an excellent spot by the lake for the night and enjoy the silence. And the chocolate.
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  • Show me your crow!

    8 czerwca 2023, Słowenia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Shortly before Ljubljana I find a crow lying on the road.
    It must have been hit by a car recently and I first get it off the road.
    I try to find out where I can take it - not so easy.
    Two passers-by find a phone number for me, which I then call. The doctor on the other end explains that he can't take the animal himself, but that I should try the university's veterinary hospital. The crow is packed up and then taken there as quickly as possible. 🚨

    There is a young man sitting in the waiting room whom I ask if I am in the right place to drop off an injured bird.
    He asks me what I have.
    "I brought a crow that got hit by a car."
    He: "Me too. Let's see your crow !" 😆

    We wait for a moment, then the steel door leading from the waiting room into the laboratory opens. A veterinarian comes out of the door and talks to the teenager about the condition of his crow.
    I don't understand a word and don't even focus on the conversation, because I'm completely distracted by the little bird sitting on her shoulder the whole time. 😳
    The woman must really have a special talent with animals. My crow is in good hands here. Who knows what tricks she can teach her!
    I'll leave her there in the care of the bird whisperer and on we go.

    To get to know the city a bit better in the coming days, I decide to look for a good camp spot. This is a bit more difficult than I thought, but eventually I find an abandoned plot of land with a ruin on it. Ideal for my purposes.

    The next morning I am just about to eat my muesli when a small car rolls onto the property.
    My gut feeling tells me that it could be unpleasant now (but it always says that when someone finds me camping. Most of the time I am ignored or greeted in a friendly way).
    I greet the man with a friendly 'Good afternoon', but although I don't understand the details of his reply, his annoyance at my presence on his property is clear.
    He is not put off by the language barrier and talks and talks. I tell him that I will pack up immediately and be gone in a few minutes. He continues to talk to me, I only understand the word policia. So that's who he wants to call. He makes some kind of phone call, I don't know if it's to the police or someone else. Meanwhile, I hurriedly pack my things, maybe I can soften him up.

    After a few minutes I am ready but the police are not there yet. He points at me and then at the exit. The message is clear.
    Before I leave, however, he doesn't miss the opportunity to wish the police, Homeland Security, the judiciary, the military, plague and cholera on me if he ever sees me again.
    I can understand his displeasure to a certain extent, but you don't joke about plague and cholera.

    I like Ljubljana very much, apart from the many temples of consumption that have been built there. The facades of the houses in the city centre are well preserved, the waterfront beautifully designed. I find a few cafés where I can work to some extent and wait out a few heavy rain showers. Once it hails - not too little - and I can free a few young people from a house niche with my tent tarp, who would otherwise have been soaked to the bone.
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  • Bled & Vintgar Gorge

    2 czerwca 2023, Słowenia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    South-east of the Triglav National Park, which I unfortunately skipped because of my heavy bike, lies Bled, the pearl of Slovenia.
    Of all the regions I have seen in Slovenia (Triglav would certainly have been the crowning glory), I liked Bled best.
    Unfortunately, the big disadvantage is the large number of tourists there and the regulations that come with it. On the day I visited, it was easily 28 degrees and there were not enough shady places, not enough benches to sit on, but instead signs everywhere saying "No picnics or walking on the grass! 😕
    If you manage to ignore the crowds, you have a beautiful panorama. In the middle of the lake is an island on which a church has been built. With the forests in the background, it makes a great motif.

    A few kilometres to the northwest is the Vintgar Gorge, which was made accessible in the early 19th century. It winds through the rocks for several kilometres and ends in the highest waterfall in Slovenia (16 metres high, not in the photos).
    Unfortunately, no old steam locomotive passed by during my visit, so I took a photo from the internet. 🤓
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  • Finishing Italy

    1 czerwca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    I always think I have found the best places on my journey by looking at a satellite map.
    This time I am not disappointed when I find the two lakes just before the Slovenian border. I struggle up the mountain, but the view is worth it. It reminds me of Lake Karer in the Dolomites, which I also liked very much.

    Days in Italy: 19
    Kilometres travelled: 373.6
    Metres in altitude: 2809
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  • Via Ferrata

    31 maja 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today we're going up a mountain with Julius. We have miscalculated several estimates.
    We need much more time than we thought. There is still a lot of snow covering our trail. Already uphill we walk a bit off the path and have to orientate ourselves again and again where the actual path is. We then climb up a few difficult rock sections.
    At the top we have a wonderful view, but then a difficult and long descent follows, over snow and scree fields.
    Without smartphone navigation, we train our orientation senses and also need a really long time for the descent.
    The route is classified as 'walkable with children'. I would like to meet these children...
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  • Botanical Beauties

    25 maja 2023, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I am terrible at remembering names of flowers. Really terrible.
    I remember times when my mother showed me around the garden telling me all those names but they just wouldn’t stick in my head. After some minutes I would mix them all up if I could remember them at all.
    So here we are. I can’t tell any more about those botanical beauties, only show them to you. Enjoy!
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  • Vacation at the lake

    24 maja 2023, Włochy ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    After Monaco, I get caught in a big storm that will flood northwest Italy for the next three days. I take refuge in a rainproof shelter and watch the rain.
    This early summer, some regions in Italy are flooded. In the Emilia-Romagna region, the amount of water that usually falls in half a year falls within 36 hours.

    To avoid the still unstable weather, I take a train to my friends Julius and Anja, who are on holiday in Italy with their campervan.
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  • Monaco

    16 maja 2023, Monako ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    From Morocco to Monaco. Since I'm already in the area, I wanted to cross the country off my list. ☑️

    The photos I take here show the largest accumulation of capital I have ever seen. Here, 30-metre yachts are lined up next to each other and all kinds of luxury cars can be seen on the streets. This is where the life is lived that advertisements and influencers so often play us.

    All the people are really chic - as if they'd come out of a catalogue - and some sports groups are steeling their bodies outside to the sound of training music. Plus the blue sky and all the luxury goods. If this isn't paradise for some!
    Today, however, the cars have to slow down because I'm cruising leisurely along the streets with the Black Pearl. ⛵️
    Drink up, pirates yo-ho.

    Due to the limited space available (and upper five-figure square metre prices), the principality uses every square metre very efficiently. The roads wind their way up the steep mountain slopes with the help of tunnels and bridges, among other things, and look to me like a wildly built roller coaster. I have a hard time keeping track of which level I'm on and how I get to the other levels, let alone my destination, because the direct route is rarely available.
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