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Vagabonding

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    Lodz - A bit broken but cool

    30 de julho de 2023, Polônia ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leia mais

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    Elk

    31 de julho de 2023, Polônia ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leia mais

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    Gdansk

    9 de agosto de 2023, Polônia ⋅ ☁️ 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.Leia mais

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    Finish of Poland

    12 de agosto de 2023, Polônia ⋅ ☁️ 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    Leia mais

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    The kids in my life

    12 de agosto de 2023, Alemanha ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leia mais

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    Schmilka, at the frontier

    15 de setembro de 2023, Alemanha ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    On the last few metres in Germany, I meet my parents again. We hike in this 'Grand Canyon' of Germany and have a very nice time. I couldn't have imagined a better start to the next phase of my journey.
    (Compared to the very first, unspecific start where I just left home, I definitely prefer this kind of 'goodbye' :) )    Leia mais

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    Personal development

    26 de setembro de 2023, Hungria ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Budapest is becoming an enriching experience for me in several ways. On the one hand, I like the city life and architecture there very much and I walk through the city almost daily with my camera to take more pictures of the architecture.
    On the other hand, the time in Budapest brings me a lot further in my personal development after I get to know two people there.

    Gabriela has separated from her senior hiking group and instead of flying home immediately like the others, she prefers to visit Budapest alone, having been here before. It's her first holiday alone and none of her friends wanted to join her, but she didn't want to miss out on it either.

    Hundreds of questions buzz through her mind:
    Why go on such a long trip alone?
    Doesn't one feel lonely?
    Aren't the relationships you make on the road too superficial?
    How do you deal with insecurity?
    Why don’t you use slippers in the communal showers? 😂

    I admire her courage to make such a radical decision at her age and rather travel alone than not at all. I share my experiences with her and she helps me reflect on past situations and adopt different perspectives with good conversations.

    On another evening, I meet Caro. She is also a long-term traveller and we share some stories and experiences. Among long-term travellers, the conversation is completely different than with passers-by or weekend travellers, because you often have had similar experiences and the general initial questions (see above) are unnecessary.

    Getting to know each other awakens new questions in me, old questions are answered anew, priorities of my principles are worked out, questioned and re-sorted.
    This time I am also breaking through several hurdles that have been building up in me for ages and that have stood in the way of my development so far. It is an incredibly power-sapping process that is triggered every now and then and leaves me each time with a better understanding of myself, my life and my principles.    Leia mais

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    🎶 … Right before the end of summer

    12 de outubro de 2023, Hungria

    The weather so far has been so incredibly good.
    In Budapest the temperatures were often above 20 degrees and on my way to Lake Balaton it is also summery warm. I drive along the lake for two days and can use the last warm days to swim in the lake.

    In Heviz I meet my aunt and my grandparents who are on holiday there and we enjoy the wellness facilities and the good food together.    Leia mais

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    Zero degrees

    16 de outubro de 2023, Hungria ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    In preparation for really low temperatures, I need to know what the equipment can and can't do. So today I'm heading out into the wilderness despite the forecast night-time temperature of 2 degrees.

    Unlike my family, I'm quite relaxed about these temperatures.
    I remember a hike in Saxon Switzerland with a friend that ended in a (planned) overnight stay in the countryside. At the time, I had spent the night without a tent in a similarly insulated sleeping bag.
    I tucked my head deep into the sleeping bag and only had to fidget once at night to keep warm for the second half of the night.
    The feeling in the morning of having spent the night outside in these adverse conditions is fantastic. I feel alive. It feels less fantastic, but no less alive, to slip my feet into the cold shoes. 😄

    This time I still have my tent as wind protection, various textiles to bury myself under and my secret weapon:
    Mum's home-knitted hat.

    Nothing CAN go wrong with that.    Leia mais

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    Zagreb

    18 de outubro de 2023, Croácia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    18 October
    Still spoilt by the cycle paths in Hungary, I particularly notice in Zagreb that cyclists and, to a certain extent, pedestrians have to subordinate themselves to car traffic. ☝️👮‍♂️
    As I cycle through the industrial areas and fight my way into the city, I switch from the pavement to the road and back again every few hundred metres. Nothing is signposted here. You have to find your own way.
    The roads are wide and many drivers make no secret of the fact that they couldn't care less about a collision with a cyclist. I have to slow down on the pavement on almost every street because the kerbs are too high to simply ride over them.

    To summarise, I would describe it like this: the city gives me the finger and the tongue. Then she jumps in my face with her bare arse.
    Thanks for that!

    The first day in the city confirms the suspicion that nothing here is made primarily for pedestrians, as some really big streets are so remarkably woven into the cityscape that you simply can't get away from them when walking.
    Feelings of Stuttgart come flooding back, but even Stuttgart had the decency to put small side streets here and there to escape to.

    I spot the nearby railway station on the city map and my first thought is: When does the next train leave here? Where do I go from here?

    Well, maybe I'll warm to the city. 🤷‍♂️

    21 October

    Many buildings appear to be built in the square-practical-good(?) style - very functional. In the old town you can still see the effects of the severe earthquake of 2020, in which buildings in the old town in particular were badly damaged.
    It is said that Zagreb is a city of artists, but I have yet to find any evidence of this. Instead, a large number of museums.

    22 October - better an end with horror than horror without end

    Met Tim 31 hours ago. Good Man and fun to hang around with. Last night and all day today we discussed all the important topics from asylum policy to cypress cultivation and at night we made a 'shabby' club and its guests unsafe.
    Conclusion: very good discussion partner, which hopefully encourages me to speak to more people myself.

    23 October

    The art of getting the right coffee

    I've been going to the same café to work for several days now. I always order a Café Americano, hoping to get a large cup of coffee - but there is always something else. Usually more of an extended espresso, today a latte....
    Of the three waiters here, only one has understood me properly so far, but she's not working today so I have to take what I can get ☺️.    Leia mais

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    The Croatian Countryside

    24 de outubro de 2023, Croácia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After the time in the city and the conversations there, I take the time to process everything again and drive through the countryside. There are some abandoned villages and houses here that are reminiscent of earlier times and the old agricultural equipment standing around looks like an open-air museum. 😊Leia mais

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    Beyond Wet

    26 de outubro de 2023, Croácia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    It rained all day today and I made an interesting discovery:
    There is a correlation between the motivation to cycle and how wet you feel.

    At the beginning you have to overcome a certain mental hurdle to get started. As you get wetter and wetter, it becomes increasingly difficult. Motivation drops and you have to push yourself even harder to ride.
    At some point, you reach the point where you can't get any wetter. Everything is damp/wet on the outside and inside.
    From this point onwards, your motivation doesn't drop any more, because everything is wet anyway and it doesn't get any worse.
    So if you get past this point, you can continue riding for a very long time (as far as I know). =)

    If you listen to music and sing, you can keep your spirits up for quite a long time.    Leia mais

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    Live Music in Split

    28 de outubro de 2023, Croácia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    At dinner in Split, I meet Johannes, who has already travelled by bike in several countries and can give me a few tips. He tells me about two other cyclists who use a swimming noodle to keep all motorists at a distance. Top.

    I wander through the town and explore the small, winding alleyways in search of my accommodation. I finally find it, open the door and find two bicycles and a water noodle in the ground floor - this is how I meet Jolanda and Andreas, with whom I quickly make contact, which turns into an evening of singing and guitar playing together.

    I really like the architecture and the integration of the cultural scene into the city - there is even a square here that is used by the neighbouring wine bar for live concerts.

    The weather here is still warm enough to swim in the Mediterranean and - for the first time in my life - I manage to float like a dead man in the sea.    Leia mais

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    Oops I did it again 🙊

    2 de novembro de 2023, Bósnia e Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Bosnia is my second non-EU country and my virgin passport finally gets a stamp again! 🎉
    Before crossing the border, I undergo the obligatory security check for prohibited imported goods. A quick check that I'm not carrying any stray dogs, handguns or drones... alright.
    As always, my familiarisation with the new culture begins just after the border. Every time, I'm particularly attentive and try to quickly get an idea of the 'situation', i.e. find out how people react here, how much I have to look after myself and my belongings and the like. Once again, there are no major differences and I quickly feel at ease.

    In the afternoon, the sun comes out for a short while and I spread out my tarpaulin to dry. I hear a man shouting from the balcony of a nearby detached house. He says something that sounds like 'beer' - but it's only just after 11 o'clock 😯. Eventually I understand that he wants to invite me for a drink - and without further ado I sit on the swing in his driveway and eat sandwiches and fruit. I am introduced to the family and give an insight into my journey - with little pictograms and drawings we overcome the language barriers and have a lively discussion, which ends with him test riding my bike for a few minutes and firmly refusing to consider travelling on a bike like that. 😁

    Finally, I continue on to my first stopover in Bosnia - Mostar.
    Anyone who has been following my travel blog in Morocco already knows the story of Dolph. I met him in Seville and, after several months without contact in Morocco, found him again in one of the biggest cities and one of the biggest souks. =)

    The story repeats itself when I check into a hostel in Mostar. I meet Aun, a Malay cyclist, with whom I have a good chat.
    After shopping, we return to the hostel and Caro, whom I had already met in Budapest, is sitting there.

    The three of us take a look at the city centre, which is admittedly tiny. My two-day stay here is definitely too much of a good thing, as you've seen the most beautiful corners of the city within half an hour and the weather isn't really inviting either.
    There's nothing left to do but photograph Bosnia's most famous bridge at all times of day and in all weather conditions.    Leia mais

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    Sarajevo

    4 de novembro de 2023, Bósnia e Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    It is impossible to visit Sarajevo and not be confronted with the city's history. If you walk along the Miljacka through the city, you will inevitably pass the Latin Bridge, which became sadly famous for the assassination of the heir to the throne Franz-Ferdinand and the subsequent First World War. Bullet holes in the walls of some of the houses bear witness to the war in Yugoslavia that raged here less than 30 years ago. From conversations I get the impression that the conflict is too recent and was too cruel to be depicted with abstract data such as the duration of the war, the number of people killed and the parties involved. The museums here in Bosnia (and presumably in the Balkans as a whole) therefore do not offer an abstract overview of the topic, but tell the events from different perspectives using personal stories that give the war a name and many faces.
    Together with two friends, I then visit a museum that uses many small details to bring the war very close and emotionally stirring. I can't stay there for long, the stories told there are too dramatic for that.

    Fortunately, walking around the city takes my mind off things and it's hard to realise that today - after all the atrocities that have taken place here - I am able to move freely and unharmed through the city, whereas a few years ago it was still hell on earth.    Leia mais

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    foca

    5 de novembro de 2023, Bósnia e Herzegovina ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Sarajevo was a nice stop on my journey, but I've been stationary for a long time and want to experience nature again, to feel the freedom. Driving through small villages, having great views, drinking coffee in the smallest village bars and being looked at by everyone because I'm the only tourist in ages. I want to order something in a foreign language and then be helplessly lost at the first counter-question because my language skills are inadequate.
    I want to have this little misunderstanding about tipping and spend several minutes arguing with the waitress until she understands why I want to pay more than the bill says - and resolves the situation.
    These and other situations are the surprising things that make this trip so varied and, among other things, the reason why I set out on this journey.

    Two possible routes lead in the direction I want to go: along the coast or through the mountains.
    The coastal route would not do Montenegro justice. The mountains are part of the country, so I want to cross them.
    After a long time in Sarajevo, where I've had all the comforts, it's time to take a risk again and allow the unexpected to happen.
    It's going to be chilly, but I'd rather find out my lower limit regarding the temperature now and know where it is than be surprised later on my journey.
    If I can make it through the mountains under these conditions, then I can also make it through this autumn.

    My route takes me through picturesque hilly landscapes. Forests cover these hills as far as the eye can see and are bathed in a wonderful light by the autumn sun.    Leia mais

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    Dangerous little creatures

    6 de novembro de 2023, Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    In the Balkans, you are always warned about bears and wolves. So far I haven't seen either of them, but I have seen another dangerous animal.
    The little cats from the farm where I'm staying tonight like to jump into the tarpaulin with their claws extended and are not fazed by the fact that you make them realise that they are not wanted. Talking them down doesn't help and they don't take the grabbing and throwing as an invitation to stay away from me. Maybe they even enjoy it, because after every throw they just snuggle up to me even more, stick their noses in everywhere and paw around - even in the cooking pot and food.
    In the end, the only thing that helps is a splash from the water bottle 💦 - for five minutes. Then they're back again. 😩

    I finally enter Montenegro (new stamp!!). The first few kilometres are really mountainous and full of tunnels. My legs have a lot of pedalling to do and are pretty tired. The altitude information on my planned route simply can't be right, because I'm cycling from 7.30 am until dusk that day and I'm working so hard that I can't believe I've 'only' covered 1000 metres in altitude.

    Throughout the day my fear of starvation seems to occupy my subconscious, because although I'm not really hungry, I stock up at every opportunity even though there's still food in my pockets. 😅    Leia mais

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    Three days of Pizza

    14 de novembro de 2023, Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Since I've been in Montenegro, the supermarkets and shops have been closed. I arrived in the country on Sunday - it's understandable that the shops are closed. Monday was probably a public holiday here - okay.
    When the shops still don't open on Tuesday, I start to worry.
    I've been eating in restaurants, cafés and bakeries for days - it's only on the day of my departure that I have the chance to go shopping in a supermarket. 😂

    My summary of Montenegro :
    Wonderful nature, the cities (Niksic and Podgorica) are... well ...
    not to my taste.
    If you're interested in the brutalist Soviet architecture, Podgorica is supposed to offer exciting motifs, but I'm drawn to Albania 🇦🇱.    Leia mais

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    Shkodër

    15 de novembro de 2023, Albânia ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    "Welcome!" says the Albanian border official as he hands me back my passport. I'm surprised and feel a little guilty because I know so little about his country that I'm not even able to say thank you in the local language.
    I have arrived in a country that I know nothing about, except that it lives out its strong national pride in huge motorcades during the football championships.

    Today it is cloudy and all the colours have the same basic tone: grey.
    Despite the drizzly weather, I can see the mountains in the distance.
    From my saddle, I roll through the small towns near the border to good music and take in the colours and shapes that pass me by: the cheap, poisonous green plastic chairs of a street café, the blonde or black-coloured stray street dogs, museum-worthy agricultural machinery. Unfortunately, rubbish bags and plastic packaging on the roadside are also part of the picture.

    Later I realise that many Albanians speak German. On a walk, for example, I meet Niko, who draws my attention to the good job offers at the Austrian school in Shkoder, which trains computer scientists.
    The Albanians are very fond of the Germans and German export goods - as can be seen, for example, from the fact that there are special shops selling German goods and there are almost as many Daimler vehicles on the roads as in their stronghold of Stuttgart. :D
    (In contrast to Germany, however, they tend to be driven here with a mileage of 300,000 kilometres =) .)

    I quickly learnt my first words of Albanian and integrated them into my vocabulary. Then I made the shop assistants at the cheese counter giggle with my rudimentary Albanian. :D    Leia mais

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    Tirana

    18 de novembro de 2023, Albânia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    The hostels in Tirana are in a category all of their own and I have the great honour of experiencing two of them first-hand.

    1. accommodation

    At first glance, everything seems to be fine:
    the facilities are generally in very good condition - with a communal kitchen, lounges, terrace ... wait a minute… the description of the hostel room is not correct. The promised 4-person room has no dividing walls to the other sleeping alcoves in the same room. Only a curtain separates the alcoves from each other. 🤨
    My bed is between the entrance door and the toilet - so I can hear every movement in the room 😕
    The emergency exit sign illuminates my bed throughout the night - and OF COURSE one of my neighbours snores. 😖
    Rating: 2/7

    After that night, I notice the many small bites on my body that the nasty bloodsuckers have left behind. During the course of the day, the itching increases so much that I have to sigh a little with every step I take on my walk through the city - or, to be precise, with every second that I don't move - because the itching starts again.😬

    2. accommodation

    This room can be locked and has solid walls - but the insulation of the outer walls and the door leading to the outside is so poor that the inside temperature is no different from the outside temperature and I sleep with my mum's knitted hat on at night.🥶

    One day I'm sitting bored at the kitchen table in the accommodation. I have to decide what to do today. A difficult decision for which I have no preference.
    Today, a good friend of mine will make that decision for me. He gives me the task of not leaving the city until I have eaten with the locals.
    Challenge accepted.

    I wander the streets for half an hour in search of someone to talk to. That young man over there looks nice. Or that one?
    The search makes me hungry. I'm about to buy an apple in a minimarket - the shop assistant tells me to just take it with me - and the conversation begins.
    Thirty minutes fly by and I have gained a few impressions and two free apples (and an invitaion to take tomatoes as well).
    And once again I have the confirmation that there is a story behind every person and that we all strive for similar things, no matter how differently we look and live.    Leia mais

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    Coffee with Q

    21 de novembro de 2023, Albânia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today we're heading out into nature!
    After a long time in the city, I'm incredibly motivated to finally spend the night outside again and spend some time alone.
    It's already getting dark, but I still have to get over this mountain to be able to enjoy a spectacular view from the ridge. On my way to the top, I hear a 'Hey!' from the left. A little man is standing in front of a restaurant and waves me over.
    His words and hands are asking me "Where are you spending the night?". He refuses my plan of finding a place in nature - the meadow behind his restaurant is much more suitable and he is happy to offer it.

    Shortly afterwards, we're sitting in a cosy room with a wood-burning stove. The interior is reminiscent of a mountain hut: wood panelling, old oil paintings on the walls, historical farming tools.
    We don't speak the same language, but our mutual interest and the possibilities offered by modern translation tools lead us to talk about a number of topics. What a great situation, what a wonderful country.    Leia mais

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    Berat

    22 de novembro de 2023, Albânia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    The Albanian apple trick works here too - they gave me another apple. 😁

    Berat is a pretty little village, but for me it only serves as a shelter from the rain. I spend the evening playing computer games and am kept company by the hostel cat. My nose hasn't figured out that she's there yet-ssht 🤫Leia mais

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    60.Km.Gravel

    24 de novembro de 2023, Albânia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    The day started well - with a view of a spectacular sunrise with panoramic views of several peaks. 🤩

    My route was to take me 60 kilometres through the mountains and then 20 kilometres on the main road. Together with the expected climbs it was a challenging tour, but doable.

    In reality, it turned out that I was dealing with a 60 km long gravel road and my tyres were already spinning on the slightest climbs. 😬
    It was easier to push the bike then to ride it.
    In total, I pushed the bike up the hill for an estimated 90 minutes, threw it to the side twice (three times?🤔) angrily and yet continued each time.

    In the end, the views were worth every metre I pushed.

    When I had tarmac under my wheels again in Buz, I almost kissed it (an old tradition on every bike ride with Julius that I've survived 😋 ).

    After having a cup of the best tasting coffee in Buz, a very (very!) fast and beautiful descent into the valley followed and when I hit the main road, it started to rain. A downpour. 😑
    Then - for the last 90 minutes of the day
    the dust of the gravel track was washed off my body.
    In Gjirokaster, torrents of water came towards me on the polished old stones due to the lack of drainage and I ended the day as I had started it - pushing. 🤭    Leia mais

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