The last (so called) stage

Tuesday, 6th of October. This morning there was a silent knocking on my door, hardly noticeable. When I boot on my lended computer to look for the time it was actually 8:18 A.M. – so I really had tu hurry, because my train would depart at 9:07 A.M. from 10 kilometres afar Nennig. Fast packing, fast symbolic breakfast… I angled my brakes more wide, so the wheel didn't hit so bad. My ability to slowdown wasn't so good now, but still working. And I also swapped the package of the panniers, so it was less weight on the carrier's broken side. Both helped.

I went on hurrying when I was on my bike, and surely it was uphill for a long time – but the outlook when being on top and also the high-angle downhill was great, and at this time I became more confident to catch the time. When I passed the German border – second border this day after first passing from France to Luxembourg – it was stormy and I felt some raindrops, so welcome back home! – but it were actually just this few drops. Nevertheless it was a cloudy and windy day.

As the station in Nennig was a very small one, there wasn't any lift but even no other help for people on wheels. I was quite impressed of myself, that I was able to shoulder my packed bike without any difficulty.

When I bought my ticket at the vending machine I was wondering, why it costed more than the railway website had informed me before. And when having a look at the itinerary it was also another route with less change but it would keep me via Cologne. I was wondering but just thinking this could maybe caused of the fact that I mentioned my bike when I did the internet search, so probably the vending machine had made his decision on shorter connecting times (but somehow in both cases I would arrive nearly at the same time at my destination – as I said, I didn't really thought about it). I needed the help of a train conductor to see my mistake: I had bought a ticket to Dortmund instead of Darmstadt, where I wanted to visit some friends and meet Klaus on Friday to visit the birthday party of his cousin. In Trier – first connecting station for both goals, so till then I was never the less in the right train – I had to go to the counter. Fortunately I had 25 minutes transfer time (but according to the line in front of the counter, I also needed this time). Surprisingly the Deutsche Bahn cancelled my old ticket and gave me the right one without any extra charge, so in the end I got some money back.

It was curious to sit in a German train. The people around me appeared to be grouchy, crabby, mopish. It's strange how prejudices and generalisation are working. I suppose half of my impression was caused by the fact, that I wasn't able to see my home country's people from an open minded curious view. In fact it wasn't that bad.

I visited some friends in Darmstadt and stayed overnight. Nice guitar session, interesting talks. Exiting sense of self, the changed me in a familiar context. Next day I met Klaus and we visited the birthday party of his cousin together. Great meal and many lovely people and all of them so fascinated about what I did. On Sunday another of Klaus' cousins who also had joined the party took us home with his car.

Being back is weird. Nice but very different. Live is easier when the only thing you have to do is cycling. Summer is definitely gone now. Things have changed. But I still contend with the same things I did before I went on my tour. I'm still learning to become free.

– THE END –

A daytrip to Luxembourg city

Wednesday, 5th of October. I slept until 10 A.M. and some minutes after waking up Pierre knocked on my door. When having breakfast he suggested to spend the day in Luxembourg, we would take the car and later pick up Jordane, who is working in this town. When sitting in the car I felt strange, somehow like a bad headache, but before the pain comes. My neck muscles were totally hard, I felt completely tired all of sudden. Because of additional noise and light hypersensitivity it could have been a migraine, so I took some medicine against that. But it wasn't really better when we started walking, so I asked for a coffee break and this really helped. We just sat and relaxed for a while and I tried two different types of coffee drink and after that I felt definitely better, so much better, that it was also distinctly and visibly for Pierre, because he mentioned that I seemed to be much more alive and also had a smile in the face and some glance in the eyes.

Luxembourg is really nice, it has lots of green, and the historic part is exiting. To me it was great discovering, I found lots of curious sights – I took many photos. And it was also fun to talk with Pierre. He told a lot about history when showing interesting places. When talking about favourite films and music we had also some excursuses about European culture and music theory – mainly the movies were much more a way to talk about things that were meaningful to us, no topic for small talk. And it really felt good to discover that we had lots in common, so I was and still are very lucky to meet him and also Jordane. When being altogether we went on having good talk on a personal level. I loved the anecdote, when a female friend of Jordane, whom she told they now would have their first couchsurfer and that it would be a woman, asked her, if she wouldn't be frightened that this woman could steal her husband.

Later we made some music together. Although both said they're just learners, both know a lot about music and also have extremely good equipment. Jordane is doing drums and Pierre is playing the guitar, and when he started to play it was really impressive – thereafter I first felt to shy to start myself. While to me the guitar is a way to accompany my singing, Pierre is able to play amazing turns and melodies, and he knows several styles – his sleight of hand is on a level I can only dream about. Curiously Pierre himself was impressed of my strumming technique and had problems to copy or do ordinary accord sequences. That's strange to me, but maybe it shows that it's just a question of practice – I definitely want to work on my guitar play and extend my abilities. It would be great to go on with music exchange (and of course exchange at all!) and I'm highly motivated to go on with learning from the guitar book I already have.

To me meeting Pierre and Jordane was very special and the best last hosts one could wish – just the right thing for the end of my trip.

A place to rest where one can be

Tuesday, 13th of September. Today is the first day where I feel generally okay again. I woke up early, awake, also it was sunny outside(!). The last days I felt terrible, was just down, ate all the time, felt exhausted, tired, flabby. Originally I had planed to stay for one night at Melanie's place but she offered me to stay as long as I want, so I'm still here, waiting for the storm to go away. And indeed, since this day it seems to become better. Thursday I will go on up to Castlebar, visiting my next host John, to whom I had contact from time to time as he was one of the people who said me welcome from the random request I made in Margate. So I'm looking forward to meet him finally. I also hope to see my towel again, that Allan has hopefully send early enough to his adress…

I think I wasn't a good couchsurfer the last days – one who is an enrichment for the others. I just felt down, depressed, bushed, cried a lot for no reason when I was alone. I was quiet, felt to be awkward. Just a boring person who's vegging out – most of the time in front of the computer. But this doesn't seem to bother Melanie. Her two boys are also just lovely – smart and sprightly. Melanie is doing a real good job as a mother. We had some very good talks, I took along what I could from her life story and once again about the question how to be happy without fulfilling society's requirements (and I still don't understand why this is rooted so deep inside of me…). I hope I could give a little bit back when teaching her some easy but impressive tricks on the guitar. And I hope she recognized how good all this did to me. Many thanks and much love. I'm still learning.

Crossroad Music Session

Saturday, 3rd of September. Sitting in a circle with lots of other musicians playing traditional Irish instruments like fiddles, accordions, whistles, drums and other rhythm instruments… I haven't been into something like this ever before. Wow. Stunning. Sometimes all the people play together, sometimes just one person offers a song and maybe some others get in. First I was to shy to join the other musicians, but later I took part. I played Hannes Wader's famous German folk song Heute hier morgen dort with lots of temporarily forgotten lines – but who cares? The applause was an amazing welcome into the group. And then I was able to join the others. Later some people did traditional dances. I love these easy dances, so full of movement, rhythm and drive, and even the ten year old can do them. When I played Hymn by Barcley James Harvest one of the guys shouted that I definitely have to be a German, because Barclay James Harvest was only well known in the part of England, where he came from, and extremely famous in Germany. Also interesting – to be indicated as a German by playing English songs…

  

Ireland opens my heart, opens my mind, opens my soul. It's not competition, it's just showing your skills to take part, to share. Lebensfreude.
This journey isn't about collecting experiences, it's about freedom.

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.

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

Having a time out in Margate

Wednesday, 13th of August. Long sleeping. Allan was gone and would come home not so early. As he had some appointments this day I had the day for my own. A break and some strange feelings inside. I was pretty nervous during forenoon, out of centre, confused, tense. Close to cry and come apart at the seams. Did not really new what this implied or why it was happening. I decided to stay in the flat for once – I was not really interested in outside experiences or new impressions at all. But I wasn't really sure what would be the (so called) right thing to do. It was so hard to relax, to calm down, just to be. And I wasn't sure if this was a good sign (because I was realizing something I normally don't notice) or if it would have been better to go outside and be able to come over this feelings. I cried somewhat, just to let go. Then I felt better.

Some thoughts about the reason why I'm doing this. I had some good talks with some of my hosts (or friends of hosts) who were able to see behind the adventure part of my journey and therefore could see some parallels to their own life and desires. I met also a middle aged woman in North Rhine-Westphalia who asked with a mixture of incomprehension or lack of understanding and curiosity:"Und wozu dat janze?!" And asking for a goal is totally the wrong approach. I wanted to stay on my own. I wanted lo leave my usual life context. I even don't want to have an "usual life context" (will be continued).

I went to the library and got a internet computer guest account for one hour, then an extra hour and then an extra half hour – and all for free. My Ireland plans start to take shape – I think I will cycle the coast clockwise and end up in Dublin and then probably crossing the country up to ferry harbour close to Cork, all in all around 1.500 kilometres. No strict plan but a mental image. I have gotten some nice replies to my saying hello to the Irish world – hi there, I will come to Ireland and stay for about a month. If you would like to get to know me, I will come to your place. Please answer so that I can plan my route.

Then I took a walk along the coast. Here in Margate they have one of these small amusement parks which are popular at the English coast. To me this looks somehow strange – but no so weird as all these casinos with lots of slot machines and other vending machines and robots, I only knew from Terminator 2 or Tron. German amusement halls have a totally different character, and you have to be at least 18 years old to enter.

I had a great sundown sitting on a wall in front of Allans house and also doing some Tai chi. A special moment. I was really thrilled

When Allan came back, we visited a pub were live music is played and we came for this special band Allan is friend with. The Zen Bicycle Band, playing a "free form flowing stream of connectivity between three players". To me it sounded jazzy – and very, very good. Eventually the right moment to do some also jazzy sketches. Allan and I had an intensive talk about our understanding of friendship, and I also did some drawings, which were signed by the musicians – the liked my work.

  

First day, first host

Tuesday, 2nd of August.I started in Bamberg on 1th August at 12 o'clock. It had went that late because I still have had to complete some stuff – and shortly after I broke open I remembered that I had forgotten to fetch some important orders from the chemist's shop, so I had to turn back. The weather was fine, the cycling, too. Up to Schweinfurt I took the Main river route I also had cycled some weeks before. After 20 kilometres an over 60 year old man joint me. He was curious about my guitar packed on the bicycle, so I had some company to talk to. He had dropped in to Bamberg for lunch and was now on his way back – altogether about 130 kilometres!

In Schweinfurt – after 65 kilometres of cycling – I lost my way several times – bad signposting in a heavy traffic area. Shortly after cycling went very hard – every climb was a challenge and I really slowed down. Once I had to take a break, and when I felt to be able to go on a nice bicyclist came away, asked if he could help and showed me a short cut… he even escorted me!

Time went on, I supposed to arrive at Uwe's place – my first couchsurfing host who expected me in Wartmannsroth – much earlier. After all I called Uwe when finishing 100 kilometres, but still owning 15 kilometres, and he picked me up in Euerdorf.

I was the first couchsurfer of Uwe and his wife Gerlinde, as they live in a very small village in the middle of nowhere. They gave me such a great welcome, were so much courteous! It felt like home to me, like being part of the family – a remote relative, which wasn't seen for a longer time. They were very much helpful and offered much more as one can expect from a dear host.

We spend a very nice evening, ate together (Uwe is a great cook, trained as cook a long time ago). We had nice talks about several topics – their family life (they have a 16 year old son), profession, music (I played some guitar), table top games, travelling experiences and living in other countries where we had been – and life in general. It was very relaxed and cosy.

Today's route goes from Wartmannsroth up to Hüttenberg. Google said it should be 115 kilometres, but it will be much more, as I now know Google thought about yesterday's route it should be less then 100 kilometres… So probably I will take some distance by train.

Today the sun is shining, too, and I have some sunburn from yesterday.