Sightseeing in Tramore and than beeming up to Youghal

Monday, 29th of August. Instead of going straight on my bike after the doctor thing was done, I stayed for some food, some talk, some Internet, and then we (the four of us) had a sightseeing trip. Mark showed us around with the car and we stopped at some nice places to go and look around. And it was quite worth it. I especially like the Metal Man, a large cast-metal figure pointing seawards, set on top of one of three pillars, which was erected in 1823 to warn seafarers away from dangerous shallow waters. But I call him Elvis, and he has such a cute ass… By visiting this place I also did one of the points of interest which are shown on my map….

It was a good thing to see something more than the house with its great outlook and the streets we used when going to the doctor, the supermarket and the pub. I'm generally not so much into walking around and doing touristy stuff, beside my host would like to show me around. To me staying is much more about relaxing, spending time with myself, being with my hosts, especially when they turn to become friends. Just staying is part of this journey inwards – why try to get further impressions and experiences, when you also need time to digest what you have experienced and thought and felt while cycling?

When I finally thought about actual leaving, I suddenly realized how late it was (half past 5), so there was no way to arrive at my next couchsurfing host's place in Youghal (70 kilometres away) within admissible time. So Mark gave me a lift with his car up to Dungarvan, where we passed the Eden Garden Center (!!!). The remaining 30 kilometres I cycled within 1.5 hours (the first five kilometres uphill and the rest downhill by trend). Arriving in Youghal around 8:30 P.M. I had some problems to find Lobsang's place as he didn't live at the number he had given to me (or I thought he had given to me). But a very nice man lived there with whom I had a nice chat about Germany and travelling, and he had an idea about which place probably could be meant and he even guided me. It was still not easy to contact Lobsang, as there was no reaction when I rang the door bell and his telephone was also dead. But shouting his name finally helped.

Lobsang was very nice, he made some egg based sushi for me, strove to give me the best time while offering food, Internet and everything one could probably need to feel very comfortable, although he had a bad hangover. Therefore he excused himself to lay down in a dark room, but later he asked for some guitar music, so we had a nice relaxed evening. He is also an extremely good musician, playing in a tradition eastern style and he also owns lots of traditional eastern instruments. I would have loved to listen to him much more.

Back to stereo!

Monday, 29th of August. This morning my ear got cleaned – what a difference! What big change in the hearing experience! Back to stereo! (There's still a redness inside, so they gave me some drops to cure, but it feels so much better now.) The ear irrigation wasn't that uncomfortable as other people had said it could be, but it was downright comfortable. And another very nice thing: Once again I didn't had to wait, we were in the waiting room for maybe ten minutes (Mark was with me to give me a lift and some company. I will miss him and Patti…).

Mark and Patti spoiled me so much… I think they really like their seahorse… – and I also think we care a great deal for each other. As they know about me loving cakes and biscuits they brought this one yesterday, just to make me happy – look, it smiled at me!

Yesterday evening another couchsurfer arrived and we had an nice late lunch together (I cooked a vegetarian casserole which was okay, but not as good as it could have been as it wasn't fully done, but we were hungry…) I'm curious how this being very familiar with each other and do lot's of jokes and banter with each other, what Mark, Patti and I did, acted to Katharina. After lunch and a delicious dessert Katharina made of fresh pineapple, strawberries and grapes, she, Mark and Patti went to the Bluegrass festival we planed to join since the day I arrived but never did the past days, but I was so tired I stayed at home and went to bed really early.

Katharina is a very nice, very polite person, especially when coming in at first time, when one still tries to find out how things work at the host's home. But she became very warm and enthusiastic quite fast. From talking to each other I think she's an very intelligent and open minded person. And she causes a new cognition: I did know, that as a German native speaker without that much practice in English usage I often say or write German sentences, that means sentences which are word by word translation from German into English. But I didn't know, that this can also happen in the other direction! Normally I speak a mixture of English and German when I meet other Germans (it depends just on what comes first to my mind), but today for the first time I did speak German sentences which were word by word translations from English into German! German sentences with an English grammar. Just unbelievable. Very curious experience.

I had such a great time while staying with Mark and Patti. Thank you so much to make me part of the family. It's a pity your home isn't around the next corner – but otherwise I wouldn't want you to live at another place as you do, so close to the sea and with this fantastic outlook. I like the way, Patti and Mark are with each other. He is on first sight more quiet, somehow calm and maybe also supinely (Patti called him a procrastinator) and Patti is much more energetic and talkative and in that way also aggressive (that's how she called herself). I know such relationships which are often much more about domination and repression, but with Patti and Mark you can feel so much love, so much care for each other, and of course both have a big sense of humour which makes it easy to handle daily routine and get on because this humour takes the edge off something. Surely they still have to take it seriously, and it's my impression that they do. I hope their relationship will go on like this and that they still will be able to complement each another in the way they do now: She's giving him more energy and direction and he calms her down, whereby she is able to be more softer. I would like to hear much more about Patti's past relationship which from the few facts I have heard seemed to be very destructive. I'm glad they found each other.

Enjoing the sunrise

Sunday, 28th of August. Today I woke up at 7 A.M. because I had to pee and wanted to go straight back to bed, but then this great sunrise started. So I stayed up. Therefore right now I am so tired, I could immediately fall asleep.

To my great surprise…

Sunday, 28th of August. To my and all the others great surprise I'm still with Mark and Patti and will stay with them in Tramore until Monday, so I am able to paint a seahorse on their bathroom door, which is an honour and a pleasure to me, and also to see the doctor once again to let him clean my ear.

Since some days I had and have problems with my right ear. It was somehow odd since I started cycling, I forgot to protect my ear from wind during the first days, then one evening I wasn't so sure if the cotton wool I usually use for protection was all removed. Since then I used a little part of tissue for ear protection. After having a shower in Oxford at my couchsurfing host's place (all hail, Alison!) my right ear felt completely sucked with water which caused much pressure and an awkward listening experience. And it didn't clear out (I had this full of water feeling the days before, too, but not in this intensity and just for some minutes). In Mitcheldean my ear stated to hurt and went on doing this for the next few days, sometimes heavy and very painful, sometimes just somewhat or occasionally not a bit. But constantly there was this ear pressure so I started to worry about that and in Llangadog after talking with Jane I decided to see a doctor as far as I would be in Ireland. The nice young (and attractive) doctor we visited in Tramore on Friday declared, that my ear was full of wax, which has to be removed but first has to become softer. Now I cure my ear before falling asleep by inserting 1 ml of olive oil with an injection.

Yesterday Patti asked me if I could paint a seahorse onto the toilet door. She had some colours at home, because she and Mark are planing to paint the walls. They are living in this house just for several month and wanted to take the time to let things simmer. So there is still much work to do with the house, although it doesn't look like that. It just appears like a cosy home.

  
  
  

Certificated

Sunday, 29th of August. My companion in life Klaus made me a certificate about arriving in Ireland. Thank you very much! During my absence he is blogging, too, so I can see how he is doing.

Collecting Points of Interest in Ireland…

Saturday, 27th of August. Sometimes people I meet make suggestions for great places in Ireland I should have seen. For example

• Franzi mentioned Coral Beach close to Carraroe
• people from Wales and Ireland have said the Ring of Kerry is most worth to see and cycle
• Matt, whom I met at Rosslare Harbour where he offered me a place to sleep, said I shouldn't miss the Skellig Michael Monastery
• very much people rhapsodised about Cliffs of Moher
• Allan is of the opinion I have to cycle the northern part of Ireland, because it's the best (but not very much people know)

Further suggestions are welcome!
Please write a commentary…

Just being there

First stage: 25th August, 75 km from Rosslare up to Tramore, 4 hours (only cycling). View Larger Map

Saturday, 27th of August. Meanwhile I stay since two nights at Mark's and Patti's place a nice house with an amazing unbelievable outlook. Today was a very relaxed day, I spent much time at the computer like they also did, while also having some chit-chat from time to time. In the evening they cooked a delicious meal and after that we played the guitar for a while and sang together. It's a good place to stay and to relax. From the living room window you look straight onto the sea and also onto a small amusement park, the second one I've ever seen at a coast.

Finally Ireland…!

Thursday, 25th of August. This ferry from Fishguard Harbour railway station up to Rosslare Harbour was right how a ferry should be. Quite small (compared to my other ferry experience downright tiny). Many travelling pedestrians. The car deck looked much more like a small parking garage with nooks and crannies, not available for trucks (this Stena ferry goes three times a day up to Ireland, I took the express line, I suppose the slower lines are for trucks, too, as I saw some trucks waiting in the harbour yesterday). It's so much better than the last ferry! The ferry's windows are made to afford a good outlook, you are really on a boat, not within one of these synthetic autonomous universes on its own. Most space is used to offer different areas to sit and chat. And… you are able to go outside!

It was an extreme and intense up and down on this ferry, although the staff said it's quite normal. Nevertheless all of us passengers had very funny walks and you could hear some laughs about this and the rocking ship at all – maybe this amusement was also caused by lots of alcohol… – "[Pirates] drink lots of rum and after that they stagger and when the ship is rocking as well it evens out…". Other people appeared to be sea sick, sometimes I wasn't so sure about me, too, but I did it well already.

I really like this ferry company which seems to care a lot about their passengers and they cared perfectly about the bikes, too (there was one more bicyclist at the ferry who started in London and will now cycle through Ireland for two weeks), it just felt like great service.

Even the crossing was cheaper as I had thought from looking at the internet – quite the contrary to the other company DFDS Seaways, who charged my nearly double price. They reasoned this because of no online booking. (Okay, by total numbers it's not such a big difference: 39€ instead of 21.50€ for me and my bike to do the 63 kilometres from Dunkerque up to Dover in two hours, and 34€ – or 28£ – instead of 38€ for the 106 kilometres from Fishguard up to Rosslare, also in two hours.) I bought a nice traveller's map in the ferry's shop about Ireland which had a fair price (and so I was able to get rid of my last English money). This meant I didn't had to think about this anymore and was able to know how to navigate from the first moment in Ireland.

When we reached the harbour I first thought: oh, we already arrived (it was such a quick crossing), not till then I thought: Now I am in Ireland! I had a stop at the harbour to correct my luggage, when a guy come up to me, asking about my tour, and then he offered me a bed for the night in Curraglass because he did much hitch hiking in the past and was familiar with the needs a traveller has. I already have a host in this area so I had no usage, but I had a nice talk with Matt and his girlfriend Kylie who I met, too, and I invited them to join my blog and to stay with Klaus and me in Bamberg if they ever come to Germany again. I would be glad to hear about them again. Thanks for the great welcome in Ireland!

Even the way how Ireland received me was so much nicer in comparison to England who even didn't received me. But in Ireland there wasn't this heavy traffic at the harbour, instead of that there were likeable signs who remembered anyone about the left-hand driving in three languages (English, French and German). From the first moment I was so enthusiastic and thrilled about being in Ireland. I cycled the 75 kilometres up to my this day's host Mark and his wife Patti within four hours, just flew through this great landscape and felt happy. Small roads with nearly no traffic – my main image of Ireland is about freedom. I'm so glad to be here.

PS:
When I had to pee I used a place behind some bushes – and was amazed when I revolved to see this herd of young cows who were so curious about me that they all had come to the gate. I love cows for being so interested and observant. When I started cycling again, they followed me doing gallop as long as possible. Cows like to play and are anything but dull.

Last stage and last night in Great Britain

Wednesday, 24th of August. I started in Llangadog with sunshine at 9 A.M., but this sunshine was just at Jane's place and resumed in the region I cycled yesterday, but in the direction I had to cycle now it was overclouded – big, dark and heaving clouds all over there. And you know you have no chance to escape from that…

First I crossed Llandeilo, a nice little town which is placed around a hill – it starts at the hill's bottom and it ends at the bottom on the other side of this hill. And I had the pleasure to cycle this twice, because I overlooked my route branched off immediate at the boundaries. Shortly after that I reached the rain. And what a rain. It rained cats and dogs. And it was extremely cold, too, so for the first time during my tour I needed an extra pullover. It rained really bad. Rain from above (as usual), rain from the side (especially when cars passed), rain from below (because the streets had turned into lakes). Occasionally I thought about hitchhiking, but otherwise this wasn't the best route to do so (once again good ole A40) and also there was no place to stay and ask some truckers. I cycled one hour through this extreme, intensive rain, then another half an hour just through usual rain. Close to Carmarthen the rain stopped and some shafts of sunlight showed up. And in Carmarthen I suddenly realized that I was no longer able to cycle with usual speed. I haven't noticed before this had been really exhausting.

So I had a break and my first fish and chips – and now I finally know, what this actually is. When I was young I imagined it as something like French fries with kind of fish fingers or fish nuggets, served in a paper cone (which is a practice I couldn't understand. In Belgium fries were originally served in a paper cone, but now this changes. Bart told me the paper cone thing was the best, because the grease can accumulate at the bottom). Later I didn't thought about it any more, so I never looked up. My fish and chips looked like these you can see in the photo, but were served on a plate together with different packed sauces.

Then cycling went on and the weather was okay now. The route wasn't as interesting as the day before and it wasn't that hilly, so much more cycling to reach today's goal, the coast. All in all I cycled 125 kilometres this day, and I made a new speed record: 64.5km/h. In the afternoon the weather became really sunny. I had a nice break at a quiet resting place, the lady in a take-away van had closed, but anyway she sold me a cappuccino, we had a nice chat about my tour, and she donated me a small pack of this delicious Welsh cakes. I had a really nice break while sitting in the sun and feeling good.

While approaching the coast I felt exited – so close to the sea, so close to Ireland. The last 20 or 30 kilometres it was once again very hilly – so once again the landscape became very interesting – and I looked forward to see the sea which maybe would appear behind every lift. And then it did.

Fishguard is great, lovely, a real seaside town. First I crossed the town to have a look at the ferry harbour and see how it works. Then I looked for a place to sleep and found a lovely old hotel, that was run by an older lady (Cartref Hotel). Very fair price and even a small water boiler next to a box including some tea bags plus sugar and milk packages in my room – I suppose other guests usually don't use them as much as I did… Later I tasted a Horlicks malt, what seems to be very popular especially in Wales as a night drink (I don't know why). I also went out to enjoy the coast, the town and the sundown and had a tasty Welsh stout and a nice little meal in a pub, where they gave me a wooden spoon so the waiter could find my table.

PS:
Meanwhile I have learned Cartref is Welsh and means home…

Lovely Llangadog

Llangadog, Wales. 22th–24th of August. One day to rest. Get an impression of Walsh people. No diffidence at all. Everything works fine.

During the first night I had an interesting talk with Jane about couchsurfing experiences, especially not so good experiences (which are seldom but do happen). I never had a bad experience (at most weird, non-personal requests), but Jane has had and we talked about how to act with these things and their relation to different (said and unsaid) expectations. Jane didn't wrote negative or even neutral references, in this case she didn't wrote a reference at all, so we talked about the reasons and if it's good to act like this – a negative or a neutral reference doesn't mean the other one is a bad person or I want to inflict damage on somebody. Just try to be fair and tell what didn't work, so others are able to get an own idea of something respectively someone. (Meanwhile I had another talk about this topic, and the other person also decided better not to write a reference then a neutral or negative reference – if you can't say anything positive about someone better say nothing. But this doesn't help the community.)

Jane is an interesting, open woman, also somehow weird in a positive sense – easygoing and gridlocked at the same time… ;-) She is very kind and always willing to open her heart and soul. It's very easy to deal with her if you are generally interested in other people's life and character. It's worth it to spar with her.

I spent a very relaxed day together with her, having some walks through the lovely landscape. I also made friendship with her cat and dogs, especially "Fraggle Dog". Thanks for some time to rest without caring about past or future.

I ♥ Wales

Monday, 22th of August. 130 kilometres of great cycling, great unbelievable landscape – I love Wales. The nature, the smell of all this green, the structure, the hills… I think it's the best one can do if one wants to cycle through Ireland to cross Wales first. Just the language is weird, I mean the signs and all these names. I have no idea how they can be spelled, maybe if you have a laryngitis… (to proof my theory, doesn't even this word looks like a Welsh word?). All of a sudden I didn't understand nothing, but fortunately most of the signs and names are bilingual.

It was good to rest at Deborah's place yesterday. It was a really nice garden party with interesting and interested people, all of them so curious to learn more about my tour, the backgrounds of my tour and my life story at all. I think (felt) some of them really liked me, I felt very welcome. It's a good thing to be hugged or patted. During this party I became a chocolate-chilli ice-cream addict but was also able to get over it (it's just a question of how long and how much, and the latest version of the ice cream was definitely too mild – I can't believe I am saying this, but only chocolate without chilli isn't enough).

Today (now it's 2:30 A.M. but I haven't slept, therefore the new day hasn't started…) I was on the road before 10 A.M., still within Forest of Dean (A4136) which means still hilly. I made a 11% uphill (even though I needed one or another rest). I had some problems with my lungs, maybe because of the weather. The hole day it was bright sunshine, best weather for cycling. From Monmouth up to Abergavenny I cycled the B4233 – what a lovely, beautiful little road, nearly an asphaltic path. Very hilly, very green. It even smelled extremely green. You know about the beautiful outlook, but not often you are able to see it, because the road path is lined with high hedge and bushes, all of them so bulky. The good thing when you cycle such a hilly road where only every five or ten minutes a car passes you are able to cycle switchback.

Up from Abergavenny I cycled the A40. I cycled lots of hills! Not only constantly ups and downs but really uphill, so you can feel the height, the wide, the wideness, which is so great to see. Such an interesting landscape… I think I can say I cycled mountains! And it was easy cycling! Definitely a good day. I met two racing cyclists while cycling, Dave and Tom, and had some nice chit-chat, did some slipstreaming (it doesn't really help when the route is just hilly, but I was motivated to do some fast cycling for a while). I saw army men who jogged uphill while carrying a big rucksack. I go on seeing lovely old VW buses. Car drivers still greet me with their hooter, too (and even other cyclists greet). I saw a scooter who surely had some Harley Davidson relatives, as he had loads of extra mirrors on both sides of the front. Never before I have seen so many sheep. And the last ten kilometres up to Llandovery it was all slight downhill, so I was able to do easy cycling with 24 up to 36 km/h.

In Llandovery I had to learn, that my host's place isn't there but in the next village Llangadog, but who cares about another ten kilometres? When I arrived at 7:30 P.M. Jane wasn't at home (she had told me this could happen). But her neighbour David cared for me, first he brought me a hot chocolate while I was sitting at the stairs of Jane's front door, half an hour later he invited me into his flat, Jane later said this was an honour, normally nearly nobody is allowed to come into his place. But we just had a nice chat, another hot chocolate and actually he offered me his couch in case Jane wouldn't come back home, but she did at 9 P.M. I will stay here for another day, so Jane and I can spend some time together.

An all weathers day

Sunday, 21th of August. Yesterday I cycled 100 kilometres from Oxford up to Mitcheldean, that is close to Wales. It was an exhausting day, so today I stay for an extra day at my couchsurfing host's place, where a garden party will happen today. Deborah is preparing all the food while I am writing my blog on her computer (but I will also help her after writing…). It's just great here – great nature, great outlook, great garden and very great house with lots of personal design to discover.

I had an all weathers yesterday. It started with sunshine, so I was able to navigate by position of the sun (what I did also when I left London – and I did it pretty well!), then it went to be very cloudy and windy. I cycled A roads most of the day, which were really nice most of the time (mostly A40 road, then A436 when it splits up, and from Gloucester once again the A40 road. Then the very hilly part of that day's stage began when cycling the A4136 road).

Since I had left Oxford (and surely inside Oxford, too) in his area the people had (and of course still have) real stones at one's disposal to build houses. Therefore the main colour of the houses is a mixture of beige, ochre, grey and white. Very convenient. Once I cycled past a church with a sign in the front garden. While reading "an open meeting to discuss the future" I stopped, because it's a great idea and highly fascinating, to discuss the future (especially in a church). When reading the rest of the sign, it was only – but still – interesting, because it offers an insight into the actual proceedings.

I was in a bad mood during forenoon. Once again having no idea why am I doing this. Now it's kind of boring, just routine and somehow futile. Maybe this is normal change while doing long-run cycling. I didn't cycle more than two weeks without interruption before. But I also have a feeling of futile in general, about don't want to have any responsibilities at all and just doing nothing (especially no work). Then I think about quitting the tour. Otherwise I'm close to Ireland now, which is the main reason for this tour, and doing the French part of the tour will mean just going home. But I feel more and more depressed and desperate (close to cry while writing this). I am afraid about this, because I'm not able to classify.

It rained two times yesterday. But when I cycled the A4136 road the sun came out and also with the hilly landscape the route went to be much more challenging. This all together gave me a good feeling (good to know the surrounding can have such influence). When I claimed the main up-hill, the street stayed at this altitude while still doing some up and downs – and the outlook was just fantastic. And I had two great downhills with more than 60km/h (so now I have a new record with 62.4km/h). Then once again the rain came and at this time I was pretty exhausted. After five more kilometres I arrived at the lovely house of Deborah's.

It was a nice, relaxed evening. I tasted self made chocolate chilli ice-cream (the mild version), which was very interesting and the best chocolate ice I ever had. I went early to bed and slept quite long. Today it's a sunny day and I'm looking forward to see more of the surrounding area, to spend time with Deborah and meet new people at the garden party – once again I think it is good to have the guitar with me.

Deborah is very spirited, always laughing, she's – like me – so attached to little details to prettify the environment and to make the world a place where you can discover surprising, beautiful, interesting and special things all the time. It's good to be here.

PS:
I feel homesick and homeless and I really would need a long time hug and the possibility to cry while laying in ones arms.

PPS:
The garden party was very nice. Had some good talks and met much lovely people…

A bright sunshinin' day up to Oxford

Friday, 19th of August. Woke up quite early from the warm sunray, so cycling was pleasant. Once again: People can't believe, other people do long distance cycling. I asked one man in Camden (or Barnet) about the direction up to Oxford and he asked back if I meant Oxford Street and when I negated he wanted to explain the route to the next railway station.

I cycled lots of bike paths and A roads – they are so different! In the village areas the A roads are just great. Cycled the first 50 kilometres very snugly, then I told myself to do some real cycling. A good, relaxed day, where I was constantly surprised how easy all these kilometres were done, suddenly I reached kilometre 60, also suddenly kilometre 70… although I didn't do anything. I just felt somewhat weary, but there have to be some side effects from the last view days… At kilometre 80 some problems with my left calf started. I got off my bike and suddenly for no reasons my muscle was pretty hard and aching. One will see how this feels tomorrow. Apart from that I'm somehow uninterested in gathering new impressions during the cycling. It's good to be involved with something during the day, but on the other hand it's kind of always the same respectively I'm not able to inspire myself.

From London (Camden) up to Oxford I cycled 110 kilometres this day. Had a warm welcome at my couchsurfing host's place. Alison had made some tasty food and we had some nice chat about politics and education and social system in England, Scotland, Germany and Australia, talked about Australia at all, 'cause she is a big Australia fan and wants to go to this country after finishing her PHD. We also talked about long time bicycle tours as she is very experienced in that, too. It's not always easy to understand her Scottish accent, but she is able to speak common English, too… When it went dark she showed my around. Oxford (that means the University area) is so lovely, so many nice old buildings, so much young people, so much life. And the Oxford urban planner know how to work with light.

London Calling

Thursday, 17th of August. Being in London. I arrived at Sunday (Monday), 15th August, 2 A.M. and will leave tomorrow morning, Friday, 18th August. Worth it all the time.

After staying at Dagnis' and Dagmara's place on the first day to have a long sleep, to do some computer stuff and just to relax, I went to Inner London, but after the first four kilometres the old tyre hole break up again. So I switched to public traffic. (I like the tube of London. It's placed so deep under the town…) Later I brought my bike back home and as I had to carry the bike's front it was pretty exhausting – one of the moments where I'm not totally glad about having a steel frame… Dagnis was so glad about being allowed to fix my bike, as he loves to do mechanical things but normally don't has the opportunity to do it. He was sad when he wasn't able to find something to repair.

To be a pedestrian in Inner London is great. Now there are lots of signs, and you are moving like one flow. Nobody waits longer then necessary at a traffic light, the green and red signs are much more an offer and there's no singled person who suddenly crosses the road, it's a great working mass communication. And nobody is disturbed or mad about this traffic light usage. And all these people, even if they move fast without any waiting, are still very friendly. Whenever I asked one of them for an information, same thing happened: If they didn't knew the answer they themselves asked another person, to be able to tell me instead of sending me to the other guy…

I like this town, I wouldn't have thought this could happen, as I had give a damn about London while planning my route. I just thought, it's on my way, so it would be weird not to see and to stay for a while. But it's just great. Nice atmosphere, much structure. London just has style. So great colours, the red buses (that sadly are no longer this originally old ones), all these colourful alternative markets, somehow flower power is still alive. And another funny thing: I start to think, I become able to understand English movies much better – right now I'm in such a movie. It's easy for me to discover unusual sights and details – so I hope the photo I took from Picadilly Circus isn't that much touristy.

Camden, where Dagnis and Dagmara are living, was definitely the right choice, especially for this Stable's Market (and also Camden High Street)! I get an idea what aspects of old Passerelle in Hannover I miss so much, where now there is no longer a Passerelle but a Niki-de-Saint-Phalle-Promenade. I feel pretty good in this town, this country. (But sometimes this feeling pops up about having no – reachable – home. Then I start to loose balance – that’s kind of scary.)

Everywhere in London you can see the the promotion for Conan the barbarian remake. I have no idea, why there has to be a remake as the old one still works very well and is also that much connected to young Arnold Schwarzenegger. They even don’t mention the name of new Conan. But it's in 3D.

The other day I really cycled through London, a totally different experience, pretty hard to have some orientation plus extreme much traffic, so much vehicles, and all this standing still while waiting for green traffic light. There are not so much cyclists in London traffic, but those who are there most of them have a racing bike. And we all cycle fairly risky, but nobody cares about that. In Germany they would constantly tot and shout at you how dare you to do such things (and I think it's mainly this reaction what makes the situation much more dangerous).

This day I visited Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and Notting Hill with its
lovely Portobello Road. And I also saw this Traveller's Bookshop which was archetype for the cute Hugh Grant's shop in the movie Notting Hill. Another place I visit because of a movie. (Did I mention that in Brugge there’s a guy who offers In Bruges guiding tours?) Meanwhile I have a pretty good idea of some area's map (and I am also totally used to cycling left hand for quite a while. Now I can’t understand why I had such weird feelings the first time). In Regent’s Park I got the first free hug in my life! A boy and a girl were running around calling out crossing people if anybody would like to have a free hug. Older people normally ignored that or went away, but I was so glad about – both of them were affected I get off the bike.

Staying with Dagnis and Dagmara was just great. All the days we had interesting talk about relationship and love attachment and also other stuff or we just relaxed together while sharing some thoughts sometimes. I gave some juggling lesson and we made some great music, really good playing on my guitar so both were really hooked, they danced, they made some rhythm and other escorting sounds, they even sang although both of them claimed they are not able to sing before – and it sounded fantastic. Just great atmosphere, cosy and intensely. Dagnis and Dagmara are such a lovely, warm, cute and attractive couple.

Last words:

• …Who said London would be expensive? Things I normally buy have same price or are cheaper as in Germany.
• …Since Tuesday my guitar is once again a six string guitar. It's an interesting sound when played. Different but good. Just after this all time playing the last few days my fingertips start to hurt.
• When I visited London (Hyde Park, Notting Hill, Regent's Park) I cycled 42 kilometres, and I also reached the 1.000 kilometres survey point
• …All over this country there are so many old two-coloured VW-busses (V1 and V2) still driving, that’s so nice! Some of them are so old, they actually have a splited front shield.
• …Just for the statistics. Yesterday evening some rain felt down – the first time I saw rain in whole England. Today is just a rainy day. Main reason, why I'm still here.

An addition related to Martin's commentary