[{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nThe longer I travel, the lighter I want my luggage to be. In the beginning, my main concern was to have a bike that was as light and manoeuvrable as possible. Now I\u0026rsquo;m happy to have only the things I really need with me. In my normal life, I own so much stuff that I rarely use. Here, I use everything almost every day (except for my ‘oh shit kit’ made from a first aid kit and repair materials, which luckily is rarely needed).\nEven in my current luggage, I am still thinking about what I really need and what I could leave behind. After a few days without a towel (I left it in Oslo), I wonder - not entirely seriously - whether I really need one. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t dry anyway when it rains. In the Norwegian rain, my solar panel is also superfluous and not worth the weight. And how many extra underpants does a person need? Admittedly, I would have liked an extra pair of trousers yesterday when I had to put the wet ones back on.\nOn my washing day yesterday, my belongings were scattered all over the hut. Collecting them again today was the impetus for my reflections. Even with a minimum of belongings, it takes a long time to collect them.\nI am also very happy that I rarely lose track of my possessions. I have not lost anything on my journey (although I did leave my laundry in Oslo). So I now notice that I have misplaced my glasses. I search the whole hut and cannot find them. It stresses me out a bit. Luckily, thanks to yesterday\u0026rsquo;s photos, I know for sure that I still had my glasses in the evening. But maybe they were blown away after all? By the way, maybe they\u0026rsquo;re outside? I look at the first photo without a helmet and reconstruct from where I must have shot it. There they are, luckily, my glasses.\nOnce everything is packed up, I make my way back to the drivable roads. After that, it\u0026rsquo;s downhill for a while, then uphill and downhill over fun gravel roads. For the first time, my mobile phone falls out of the open side pocket where it has been for the last few weeks. When I notice this, my pulse rises again. At least I remember the last photo again. Turn around, quickly up the hill and hope that no car has run over it in the meantime. I\u0026rsquo;m lucky, there\u0026rsquo;s my phone.\nAt noon I head for a cheese dairy. The supermarkets are closed on Sundays and I won\u0026rsquo;t get any food otherwise. Besides, the Norwegian brown cheese is produced here and I\u0026rsquo;m happy to try it not just in the mass-produced version. It is extremely sweet and caramel-like and, with 30g of sugar per 100g, it is certainly a good source of carbohydrates for cycling. Here it is also a bit spicier as goat\u0026rsquo;s cheese, which is good. There is also a bakery attached to the cheese dairy. So I have a particularly luxurious and delicious lunch with good bread and kanelbulle.\nI invite two hippies to join me. I don\u0026rsquo;t know if they would describe themselves as hippies, but maybe that\u0026rsquo;s how you can better imagine the colourful, relaxed clothing and guitar over the shoulder. Felicia and Dani are musicians and talk about how they come up with their music and what inspires them. We dive pretty deep into our conversation and talk about love (what else should hippies talk about?). We say goodbye with serious hugs. Maybe our paths will cross again someday.\nI continue through the mountains, collecting many more metres in altitude. Despite a relaxed lunch, a phone call with Tobias and new friends, I have made good progress. Despite all the cosiness, I also manage almost 100 km and 2000 m of altitude. When it comes to distance, less is more for me and I\u0026rsquo;m happy when I cycle more. Somehow, though, I seem to be using my time today in such a way that I\u0026rsquo;m focusing on the essentials.\nActually, I still want to cross the windy plateau before I pitch my tent. But when I see another tent with bicycles next to it, I stop. I just want to ask if they know how far it goes before it goes downhill again. But the tent of Alessandra and Leon gives me the self-confidence to put up my own tent. Besides, I feel my tiredness as always in the moment when I stop. So I look for a spot for my tent, carry my bike through the cold mountain river and then wash myself and my trousers in the same. I join Alessandra and Leon for my dinner, then I retire to my tent.\nI look forward to many things when I return to the comfort of a house. But not to my possessions - even if it is certainly pleasant not to have to do my laundry every day.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-11-weniger-ist-mehr/","summary":"The longer I travel, the lighter I want my luggage to be. In the beginning, my main concern was to have a bike that was as light and manoeuvrable as possible.","title":"Less is more"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nIt\u0026rsquo;s windy. So windy that my jacket is flapping in the wind. So windy that I tied my tent down to dry it, but then I didn\u0026rsquo;t trust it not to end up in the next valley. Nevertheless, it has dried quite well in the five minutes it spent in the wind. So windy that I didn\u0026rsquo;t take a change of clothes with me for my evening bath, for fear that they would also end up in the valley. I am very glad that I am not spending the night in my tent today.\nI had a clear goal today: the DNT hut that I had planned to reach yesterday evening. I can wash my clothes there, and it\u0026rsquo;s not so bad to put on my still-wet trousers in the morning.\nI\u0026rsquo;m glad I didn\u0026rsquo;t do the route the day before. Long climbs take up a lot of time and would have been no fun, and the long descents would have been really unbearable, as they are still cold now. But the effort is rewarded with views of the mountains, a good ride and my first reindeer! It\u0026rsquo;s a pleasure to watch them waddle along the path with their white bottoms. They walk a little bow-legged and at a trot, it\u0026rsquo;s just funny.\nI arrive at the hut early. Because I\u0026rsquo;m alone, I can spread out properly. I wash my clothes and spread them out everywhere. With a proper fire, I hope that everything will dry by tomorrow. I jump around naked between the lake and the hut, which makes me cold, but at least I\u0026rsquo;m not being watched. I really enjoy my time in the hut, spending a very relaxed and quiet evening in the cosy living room, with cocoa and cinnamon rolls once again. In the last of the sunlight, I go for a walk, which is very windy but very beautiful.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-10-h%C3%BCttenabend/","summary":"It\u0026rsquo;s windy. So windy that my jacket is flapping in the wind.","title":"Hüttenabend"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nToday was just cold and wet. That pretty much sums up the day.\nActually, the route was quite nice at least at the beginning, even though the path was basically a stream. In no time at all, I\u0026rsquo;m wet through all my layers. The only thing that keeps me halfway warm is riding. But even that doesn\u0026rsquo;t help when it goes downhill.\nI stop at the supermarket to do some shopping, charge my equipment and warm up. The Joker chain in Norway never fails to delight me with its seating areas and customer toilets. I spend several hours in this shop and even cook myself lunch. I warm up a little, but I also realise how deep the cold is in my body, even though I haven\u0026rsquo;t travelled very far yet.\nI briefly consider riding to the next DNT hut and drying and warming myself up there. That\u0026rsquo;s still 75 km and many hours in the saddle, with little chance of breaks to avoid cooling down. Instead, I decide to just ride as short a distance as necessary and crawl into my tent and warm sleeping bag as quickly as possible.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s exactly what I do. My sleeping place is not a beauty and maybe a bit close to huts and roads, but I don\u0026rsquo;t care about that now. I make myself a cocoa, eat cinnamon rolls and enjoy a slow evening in the warm and dry tent. It\u0026rsquo;s not raining that much anymore, but I\u0026rsquo;m happy not to have to wear my wet clothes anymore.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-09-z%C3%A4hneklappern/","summary":"Today was just cold and wet. That pretty much sums up the day.","title":"Teeth chattering"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nSo today down the valley. The route I feared yesterday because of the federal road section. I just want to get it over with today.\nThe route avoids the main road wherever possible, and so at the beginning it goes over very steep grass paths that are not passable, at least with luggage. Strenuous but perhaps worth the effort? I\u0026rsquo;m not so sure. A definite highlight on a somewhat circuitous route: two very social goats that walk alongside me for a long time and even let me pet them. They try to nibble on the straps of my handlebar bag, so I have to push them away.\nThen I get back on the main road. The passing lorries are a bit scary, but I just grit my teeth and get on with it. Put on my safety vest and pedal.\nOnce again, I\u0026rsquo;m sprinting to catch opening times. This time it\u0026rsquo;s for chain oil for my bike. About 45 km and 800 metres of altitude difference, 3 hours to go. Thanks to the altitude difference, it\u0026rsquo;s quite a challenge. So I fly up the mountain pass, and I\u0026rsquo;m actually enjoying it by now, and the few cars that pass me do so with respect. The good thing about mountain passes is that you can also ride down the other side. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t taken that into account in my calculations. Instead of being just in time and having to pedal hard, I roll downhill at a high speed for 20 kilometres. Even after a detour to a local bakery, I still arrive an hour before closing time.\nI celebrate my two-month journey with ice cream and alcohol-free beer by a river. I call Charlotte, a friend from Oxford who is now writing her doctoral thesis in Boston. She is a person who has always impressed and inspired me. I have a great deal of respect for her sharp mind and the way she approaches other areas of her life. She accompanies me for a while, even when I get back on my bike. Her stories about her work also awaken my desire to do research again.\nAs my connection slowly breaks down, I say goodbye to Charlotte. Now I just have to get up the hill and out of the village. I plan to find the first place to sleep that is halfway suitable.\nBut then I meet Karl. He has quickly cycled down into the valley to get the newspaper, which is about 20 km and 300 metres in altitude. He tells me about a big bike tour he did in his early twenties through America, from the USA to Venezuela, and about his tour across the Alps last summer. He is now over 70, but he rides up the mountain next to me as fit as a fiddle. Sometimes I wonder if he is going slower because of me. I would like to be that fit for the rest of my life.\nKarl and I cycle together for about an hour. He takes me on a different route to the one calculated by my device. Apparently, my route would have taken me along a path that is no longer passable with luggage. I am very grateful for the local tips. It is really beautiful up here, a plateau with a view of a large mountain and different lake landscapes. At the same time, it is also really windy. Karl recommends another place to sleep that should be particularly sheltered from the wind. However, it is at least 20 km away. But I\u0026rsquo;m not angry with him, the route is really fun in the golden evening light.\nThere is already a caravan at my sleeping place. There is still more than enough space and I ask if I can put up my tent next to it. Marianne, who is sitting by the fire, invites me to do so. Marianne and I spend the evening together by the fire. Her husband speaks little English and spends most of the evening fishing. Both are kind and supportive, and invite me to have a Fanta when I politely decline the beer. Marianne opens up to me with amazing depth and trust, and tells me what is important to her. Sitting by the fire, my evening drags on quite a bit longer.\nThis evening has surprised me quite a bit. It is good to be able to meet people like this again.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-08-etappenziele/","summary":"So today down the valley. The route I feared yesterday because of the federal road section. I just want to get it over with today.","title":"Milestones"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nI wake up very early, at around 4:30 a.m., after far too little sleep. The wind, or rather my concern about it, has kept me awake. At least it has blown my tent dry. It is supposed to rain from 8 a.m. and I give up hope of getting any more sleep so that I can pack my tent away dry. At least it is already light.\nThe stretch of the Rallarvegen from here is exactly the kind of driving I want. A beautiful and exciting mountain landscape, and fairly challenging but still well-drivable forest roads. I am amazed by the glaciers in the distance, the shades of green of the mosses and the shades of blue that the waters take on. I enjoy the snowfields that are still there in August. There are a lot of downhill sections, from a mountainous 1300 metres down to sea level in the fjord. Slowly the road becomes less wild, slowly more people surround me.\nIn Flåm, the village on the fjord, I am overwhelmed by the crowds of people. I hear all European languages except Norwegian. But behind the crowds I also discover the beautiful fjords. The mountain walls towering above the water are very impressive. I fight my way through the crowds to a bench and cook lunch.\nThe question of how to continue from here is almost like starting a new day for me. Suddenly all my energy is gone and I am overcome by the lack of sleep from the previous night. There are no simple, obvious options for continuing from here. All the roads seem to lead over some federal highways, many metres in altitude and partly through tunnels. Probably the disadvantage of the fjord landscape.\nI decide to see Rallarvegen as a detour, to take the bus back to a place where I\u0026rsquo;ve already been. At least I can bypass 25 km of tunnel that would otherwise only be possible with a 1400 m climb. I don\u0026rsquo;t have the energy for that today.\nAs I feared, the second bus does not take me with my bike. I get through the tunnel, but I have to cycle back down into the valley myself. The prospect of 80 km and 1800 metres of mainly federal roads puts me off continuing. I try to hitchhike for a short while, but that is perhaps asking a bit too much with my bike and luggage.\nSo I continue, with little motivation, into the valley. I ride as far as I need to and lie down in the first meadow behind the village. When my parents criticise my choice of sleeping place in view of the thunderstorm forecasts and want to persuade me to ride on, I am only frustrated and exhausted.\nA nap helps me to get my head back together. It also helps that the weather forecast no longer predicts any more thunderstorms. A phone call with Tobias helps me to sort out my feelings and to get back to myself. Nevertheless, the question remains whether I still want to take this journey, constantly at the mercy of the world, the weather and the cars? It bothers me that I can be so easily thrown off course. Or is that just a result of being overtired?\nA day with morning cycling euphoria and afternoon depression feels like two days have passed. Accordingly exhausted, I now snuggle up in my sleeping bag.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-07-zweitage/","summary":"I wake up very early, at around 4:30 a.m., after far too little sleep. The wind, or rather my concern about it, has kept me awake. At least it has blown my tent dry.","title":"Two days?"},{"content":"Translate with DeepL\nMy tyre slips, my foot can\u0026rsquo;t get out of the clickie fast enough and I brake with my hands and arms. My first fall of the trip, in the first five minutes of the day. A good shake to see if everything\u0026rsquo;s still working. Seems so. My elbow hurts, it\u0026rsquo;s scraped. Otherwise completely unscathed. I need to take a deep breath. Another lucky escape and a good warning to be careful.\nI spent the night near a large river that flows past so many places and settlements that I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily want to drink the water, even if it had been filtered. I foolishly didn\u0026rsquo;t fill up my water bottles before I left. I still have a lot to learn about filling up bottles early on. That\u0026rsquo;s why I have crispbread for breakfast instead of porridge, which you can eat without water. After that, I look for water and eventually ask a few workmen for some. They only speak Polish and Russian, and I\u0026rsquo;m very proud of myself when I manage to dig out my Polish from the back of my mind and ask for ‘woda’ and thank them with ‘dziękuję’.\nToday I have to drive to Geilo to pick up my underpants, towel and spare shirt that I left in Oslo. I only have about 30 km to go and until 2 pm. I drive along the valley on a few unexciting forest roads (I\u0026rsquo;m very spoiled by now). Thanks to some altitude metres, I need a lot of time and I\u0026rsquo;m there on time.\nI feel a little caught out as I sit on the park bench with my mouth full, my food scattered around me after shopping, and Leonie calls out to me from behind. She hands me my clothes. We drink coffee together, also with her two children. A very exciting family, more when I ever catch up with my missing blog entries.\nI continue along the road. 20 km of federal road. There are many more international licence plates in this valley than on my journey so far. I seem to be coming into more touristy areas and sharing the road with the omnipresent Germans, Dutch, French and Swedes. I curse at some of the drivers who overtake too close. It\u0026rsquo;s really scary, and once again I\u0026rsquo;m very glad I have my hi-viz jacket, which at least ensures that I\u0026rsquo;m seen.\nI am really happy when I leave the main road and turn onto the Rallarvegen. The old railway workers\u0026rsquo; route is said to be one of the most beautiful cycle routes in Norway and is definitely worth a detour. It is really beautiful. I quickly pass the tree line and am surrounded by moss, stones, sheep, mountains and various bodies of water.\nI finally find a place to sleep in the wind and rain, behind a small hill that offers at least some protection. Setting up the tent under these conditions is definitely a challenge. Several times I wish I had someone to help me hold the other side of the tent. It takes a long time to set up and peg down my tent properly; by the time I\u0026rsquo;ve finished washing, cooking and eating, it\u0026rsquo;s 11 o\u0026rsquo;clock at night.\nI can hear and feel the gusts of wind against my tent and hope that it will hold out.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-06-unterhosenabholung/","summary":"My tyre slips, my foot can\u0026rsquo;t get out of the clickie fast enough and I brake with my hands and arms. My first fall of the trip, in the first five minutes of the day.","title":"Picking up underpants"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nI spend six hours on phone calls today. Actually, a little by accident.\nIn the morning I still have no connection. There is none at Fønhuskoia, so I enjoy the peace and quiet. I write a lot and enjoy the sun. During the day, you can also use the outdoor area of the hut, where the mosquitoes finally stay away. I am slow this morning, and it takes me a long time to get ready to leave the hut: it has its advantages to have only one pot in the tent that I can make dirty - here I have four pots and plates each, plus several cups that all have to be washed. The disadvantage of having the whole hut to myself is that I also have to clean it myself. With the combination of enjoyment and cleaning, I don\u0026rsquo;t leave until 2 pm.\nWhen I have a connection, I call David. David studied biology like me and had very similar interests. I had noticed his name during my corona studies in many Zoom meetings, for example master\u0026rsquo;s lectures on neuroscience and as a maths tutor. I then wrote to him at some point and we became friends, initially via Zoom, and learned together. He is currently completing his master\u0026rsquo;s degree in AI. He has similar ambitions to mine, but is more confident in them. We often despair and fail at similar things - at least when I was still in my previous life as a neuroscientist. We talked on the phone every week for a while, supporting each other in our work, but now we haven\u0026rsquo;t heard from each other since the beginning of my journey. So I spend three hours on the phone with David. When we last met, it was still completely unclear how my life would continue after I had abandoned my doctoral thesis. It is nice to see how he is now looking forward to how I will find my way. He is also finding his way, which pleases me, even if it is in a completely different way.\nI arrive at my sleeping place in Ål, where I have already stayed once before. I wash in the river and eat leftovers. Then I knock on Ingrid\u0026rsquo;s door, who had brought me a beer and wonderful company on my last visit. Unfortunately, she is not at home this time.\nBack at my sleeping place, I have to fight even more mosquitoes than last time. I put up my tent with a full face veil and make myself some ramen noodles. In the meantime, I phone my parents, who haven\u0026rsquo;t heard from me for a few days.\nMy grandmother is always happy to point out to me that this long international phone call is really only possible and natural for our generation. She likes to tell me about the phone bills that my aunt used to rack up with calls to France. I am very grateful that it is now so easy and free to do so. But sometimes I am glad when, for example, I am unable to get a connection and am forced not to call somewhere else. But above all, I can always take a piece of home and community with me on my journey.\nI also seek this feeling for a short while when I call Tobias in the evening. I just want to wish him a good night. Two hours later, we almost fall asleep together. I just manage to connect my phone to the battery before I fade away.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-05-telefonieren/","summary":"I spend six hours on phone calls today. Actually, a little by accident.","title":"Phone calls"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nToday was a real pleasure. I was only looking forward to the day to a limited extent because a lot of rain had been forecast. The threatening clouds in the morning did not inspire me with hope either. In the end, however, most of them passed me by, only my tent got wet at night. It only rained a few times and I even had a lot of wonderfully warm sunshine in the afternoon. I took my time today, dawdling in many places in the best possible way, starting with a long lie-in.\nI knew from four weeks ago that there had been lots of wild strawberries along this stretch of road. But would they still be there, or would they have dried out and gone mouldy? The first stretch of road yesterday definitely had significantly fewer berries. Not the stretch today. I helped myself to handfuls of wild strawberries - and they were on the perfect side of the border between overripe and rotten. Sweet, slightly sour and some of them were surprisingly big. I wanted to save a few for later and, in the absence of another container, replaced the part of my peanut butter that I had already eaten with strawberries. I then enjoyed the combination of strawberries and peanut butter a few hours later.\nI knew from my previous explorations that I would have hardly any internet on the route. That\u0026rsquo;s why I stopped at the corner where the probability of a stable connection would be highest. Two bars of 5G, that\u0026rsquo;s more than enough to call grandma and grandpa. I enjoy shocking grandma with my outdoor cooking habits: eating and drinking everything directly from the pot, only scraping it out and rinsing it from time to time. I don\u0026rsquo;t have a sponge with me. While I\u0026rsquo;m telling my grandparents, the sun comes out for the first time. I enjoy a leisurely lunch in the sun and talk to my grandparents for a long time on the phone. I tell them about the wild strawberries I stumbled across in the tall grass on the way to the rock that serves as my lunch table. When I\u0026rsquo;m actually ready to continue, I decide to call Tobias \u0026ldquo;just for a moment\u0026rdquo;. I miss him, and when I can at least take him with me on the phone, I feel a little more at home on the road. I take him with me for almost the next 300 metres in altitude (in between I give up talking because it gets too steep) until the connection breaks.\nIn the absence of people, the landscape is my best companion after lunch. I had changed my route on Jon\u0026rsquo;s (the motorcyclist who had invited me for coffee) recommendation: he recommended the Vassfaret Nature Reserve to me - it is said to be particularly beautiful. \u0026ldquo;Like in Canada,\u0026rdquo; he said. I can\u0026rsquo;t judge that, but I\u0026rsquo;m definitely enjoying the landscape very much. Lots of rivers, lakes, beautiful paths and everything bathed in an increasingly friendly evening light.\nPossibly less enjoyable were a few kilometres of pushing my bike and lifting it over stones, sticks and the like just before the end. That was really exhausting, especially when it went steeply uphill. But I\u0026rsquo;m crazy enough to enjoy it, which adds to the pleasure of the day - and I arrive wonderfully exhausted. It\u0026rsquo;s also nice to realise that I feel fit again. I had actually tried to take it easy again today, but my route had other plans. Not to forget: if you have to push, it\u0026rsquo;s easier to pick blueberries.\nI arrived at the beautiful Fønhuskoia cabin, where I had been three weeks ago. It is architecturally beautiful and picturesquely situated above a lake. It is even more beautiful in the sun than it was in the rain last time. I really enjoy my swim in the lake; the water here is much clearer and colder than the water from yesterday evening. For dinner, while I\u0026rsquo;m writing these lines, I\u0026rsquo;m having the same couscous, soya bolognese and carrot mixture as yesterday, this time with sauerkraut on the side. It tastes particularly good with my ravenous hunger.\nOn bear-like berry days like this, I don\u0026rsquo;t ask myself why I\u0026rsquo;m doing this trip.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-04-beerig/","summary":"Today was a real pleasure. I was only looking forward to the day to a limited extent because a lot of rain had been forecast.","title":"Berry"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know yet what I want from my journey. Maybe that\u0026rsquo;s what\u0026rsquo;s bothering me a little today.\nAfter a restless night, I don\u0026rsquo;t set off until midday. I\u0026rsquo;m still a bit weak. Because I am making such slow progress, I had slightly overestimated the distance to the next town. I eat my very last oats, then for the first time on this trip my supplies run out (except for half a tube of honey, salt and cinnamon). Thanks to raspberries, blueberries and wild strawberries, I manage to hold out until the next supermarket.\nShopping stresses me out a little, probably because of the many decisions and the high food prices. Hanging out in the car park in the concrete jungle afterwards doesn\u0026rsquo;t exactly lift my spirits. There\u0026rsquo;s nothing for it, I have to eat some of the food before I can pack the rest. The weather report further depresses my mood: it\u0026rsquo;s supposed to rain tonight and all day tomorrow. It annoys and surprises me a little that I can still be thrown off balance so easily. I know this feeling only too well. When something doesn\u0026rsquo;t work out or I feel I\u0026rsquo;ve made a mistake, I carry a heaviness around with me. Is it worry? Guilt? Fear? Am I just tired of being completely alone in taking responsibility for so many decisions?\nIt\u0026rsquo;s still hard for me to be alone with my thoughts again. I\u0026rsquo;m looking for distractions, and I find them in various podcasts. I\u0026rsquo;m particularly pleased that I can catch up on three weeks of \u0026ldquo;Lael rides around the world\u0026rdquo; ([Apple Podcasts]( https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/lael-rides-around-the-world/id1743983335?l= en-GB), Spotify). In it, Lael Wilcox documents her journey around the world on a bicycle every day, in which she wants to break the women\u0026rsquo;s world record. She rides about 260-300 kilometres every day, which is a completely different category. She radiates so much optimism, gratitude, resilience and joy in her stories – and I always get a little of that too.\nWhy am I still cycling? I have found a home here – or it has found me. I could get on a bus to Gothenburg, then take the train to Bollebygd and cycle the 5 km from there. I could spend time with Tobias and his cat Rasmus, go on bike rides, stop by Sara, Fredrik and their sauna, take trips to Gothenburg and Uppsala to see the other people I have met. Theoretically. The idea feels a little lost. As long as I don\u0026rsquo;t have a task, I don\u0026rsquo;t know where my place is. It\u0026rsquo;s probably good to get a little distance after my quick decision to move my life there. But I can still miss it.\nI\u0026rsquo;m also looking for something else on this journey. I want to see more of the landscape in Norway, I want to eat pierogi in Poland and beetroot soup in Lithuania. I want to get to know the Finns and Finland and understand the Scandinavian fascination with their incomprehensible sister nation (plus Finnish saunas!). I want to have chance encounters, find beautiful campsites and see elk. I want to eat questionable meals from my pot that still taste good when you\u0026rsquo;re hungry. I want to get wet and dry again. I want to lie on my camping mat in the evening, breathe in the fresh air and try to categorise all the strange sounds of the forest. And then, at some point, I want to arrive back home.\nJumping into the lake brings me back from brooding to the moment. To feel how warm the water is at the surface, how cold it is when I dive down. That my swimming in one direction has swirled the water, and it is colder when I swim back the same distance. Silence, refreshment. Leaving behind the dirt and sweat of the day.\nI filter some fresh water from one of the inlets to the lake. It was overdue, and slight dehydration certainly does not help my mood. Shortly afterwards I find a place to sleep at another lake, there is just enough space between the cow pats. It is not beautiful, but it is flat and not right next to the road.\nOnce the tent is up, my equipment is put away for the coming rain and I can crawl into the tent with my dinner, I come back to myself. I breathe deeply, stretch, eat slowly. I write a little more in my diary, trying to understand my restlessness. But it is slowly subsiding.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-03-rhythmus/","summary":"I don\u0026rsquo;t know yet what I want from my journey. Maybe that\u0026rsquo;s what\u0026rsquo;s bothering me a little today.","title":"Finding my rhythm"},{"content":"Translated with DeepL\nFinally back on my bike! It\u0026rsquo;s been a whole three weeks since I last sat on it. I was very happy during that time, but I\u0026rsquo;m now very happy to get back in the saddle. The weather is playing along, the most pleasant summer weather is shining in my face. I\u0026rsquo;m beaming all over the place when I get to pedal again.\nI will try to summarise the last two and a half weeks in other blog entries. A lot has happened, and it is a challenge to do justice to it. After my long silence, I was already asked whether everything was fine with me (many greetings to Hauke and the \u0026ldquo;Hexenbad\u0026rdquo;). Everything is very good, but I still have a lot of new things to sort out. In short, for context: I spent a week at a kind of festival, got to know a few people very intensively there and redefined my relationship with myself. I fell head over heels in love with one of these people and then spent another week with him. I made some decisions about my life for the autumn, including moving to Sweden. I organised some more repair and other materials, travelled back to Oslo, got sick. I was forced to take a two-day break with and at my lovely host family. Today I moved on.\nI didn\u0026rsquo;t move on without dawdling until the afternoon. I sleep in, then I pack everything (or at least I thought I would) and force all my devices to update. It\u0026rsquo;s necessary, but I could have done it in the last few days and weeks. At least the devices on strike give me time to have breakfast with my host family (at noon). A cool bunch that I\u0026rsquo;ve really grown fond of (more about that in a future blog entry).\nI take the same route out of Oslo as I did almost four weeks ago, quickly leaving the city and then taking some beautiful forest roads, relatively uphill. I\u0026rsquo;m still quite weak. After only 20km, I\u0026rsquo;ve had enough for today, I find a nice place by the lake, swim and settle in. I have a long phone call with my mum, which feels good. My dinner is a combination that probably only tastes good outside: ramen, mashed potatoes, canned mackerel in tomato sauce.\nAt some point along the way, I realised that I had left my towel, spare shirt and spare underpants hanging on the clothesline. They are all very practical items that I could use quite well. Nevertheless, I take it with a sense of humour that I will have to do without them for the next few days. It\u0026rsquo;s actually a miracle that I haven\u0026rsquo;t left something behind at one of my previous stops. This time I\u0026rsquo;m lucky, I don\u0026rsquo;t even have to turn back: Leonie\u0026rsquo;s family is travelling from Oslo to Bergen on Tuesday and I\u0026rsquo;ll be able to catch up with them on the way.\nEven though my body still feels weak, I\u0026rsquo;m really happy to be out and about and looking forward to having some time to myself. Time alone after all the intense encounters.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-08-02-wiedervereinigung/","summary":"Finally back on my bike! It\u0026rsquo;s been a whole three weeks since I last sat on it.","title":"Reunion"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nI\u0026rsquo;m travelling from sunny Oslo to rainy Gothenburg. It feels strange to be returning to this city.\nToday was a day full of errands and bus rides. I tried unsuccessfully to buy mosquito-proof long trousers. But I did successfully buy headphones.\nFredrik is picking me up from the bus. The festival starts tomorrow on his property. I had already spoken to him on the phone; we liked each other right away (otherwise I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be here now). I\u0026rsquo;m curious about the next week and think that with lots of meditation and people it will be a good change from my previous rhythm.\nI\u0026rsquo;ll say goodbye for now. I\u0026rsquo;d like to switch off my mobile for a few days from tomorrow and will probably only write a summary of the festival. See you next week!\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-13-zurueck/","summary":"I\u0026rsquo;m travelling from sunny Oslo to rainy Gothenburg.","title":"Back"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nIt\u0026rsquo;s always amazing how much time is taken up by looking after the house, doing the washing, cooking and cleaning. That\u0026rsquo;s how most of my day goes. Another walk, talking to my brother and grandparents on the phone, finding raspberries, chatting with the handyman Gustav and the day is over. Still a good day, I enjoy the sun again and again and I\u0026rsquo;m also happy that I can tackle all these tasks in peace.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-12-sonne/","summary":"It\u0026rsquo;s always amazing how much time is taken up by looking after the house, doing the washing, cooking and cleaning.","title":"Sun in my face"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nWhat do I actually need my mobile phone for? I ask myself this question when I have to decide how to proceed from here. Listening to audio books; a very nice luxury, but it\u0026rsquo;s easy to do without. Calling grandma and grandpa; not essential for survival. Writing this blog; sorry, but I could do without it. Taking photos; a shame without it, but ok. Finding supermarkets; I can do that by asking. Booking and finding huts; a little more complicated, but I have a tent. Planning routes; actually important if I want to get to a particular place. Unless I do it like my Danish friend and let chance or my nose decide at every fork in the road.\nThe idea of not having a smartphone feels uncomfortable, uncomfortable. Even beyond the specific functions it fulfils, the small multifunction device gives me a sense of security. I can\u0026rsquo;t remember the last time I switched it off for more than a day.\nNow this illusion of security is in danger. My phone is no longer charging, I can watch the battery slowly drain. In addition, I have no internet at my sleeping place, and it feels strange to plan without it.\nIn the end, it\u0026rsquo;s clear that I should go back to Oslo. I want to take the bus from Oslo to Gothenburg on Saturday to go to the festival. If my phone is really broken, I want to have time to get it repaired.\nAnd how do I get to Oslo now? I can\u0026rsquo;t check, but I\u0026rsquo;m pretty sure there\u0026rsquo;s a train to Oslo in the valley. Fortunately, I have a map loaded and plan the easiest route down. After a few kilometres, I find a connection again and can confirm that there are indeed trains to Oslo today. I race down into the valley to catch the 12 o\u0026rsquo;clock train. I sleep and read on the train. My phone finally runs out of power.\nIn Oslo I find an electronics store and charge my phone with a wireless charger while I get some good advice on headphones. When the phone is a little charged, I go to a repair shop next door. They determine: my cable is broken, my phone works. Relief. That\u0026rsquo;s easy to fix. Because I only had one cable, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t test whether it was only that. A new cable and my phone is almost fully charged again. So now I have until Saturday lunchtime in Oslo without any particularly urgent errands. The sun is shining, it feels like summer.\nI am allowed to stay with Susanne\u0026rsquo;s family in Nesoddtangen again and return to the beautiful house. I chat with Gustav, the handyman who is currently building the new outside staircase. He is very friendly and gives me tips for the area. I buy ingredients for summer dishes and cook something more elaborate than ramen noodles for a change. I look up a recipe on my phone, listen to music and call my grandparents.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s crazy that not being able to rely on your mobile phone feels like an adventure these days. Fortunately, mine was resolved very easily. Nevertheless, how dependent do I want to be on it?\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-11-entzug/","summary":"What do I actually need my mobile phone for? I ask myself this question","title":"Detox"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nI sleep in until 9. It feels good, my exhaustion from yesterday seems to have gone. I decided yesterday to only go as far as the recommended DNT hut Fønhuskoia today. 60km, 1100m of climbing leave me enough time to start the morning relaxed. The constant rain does not tempt me outside.\nI set off at eleven, everything is wet. I feel very sluggish, hardly pedal at all and just roll along. After a few kilometres I take a break, hoping to find my motivation. The rain is a little less unpleasant when sitting, but it\u0026rsquo;s cold. I eat crispbread with caramelised cheese and raspberry jam (my current standard meal) and phone my grandmother.\nI slowly continue, the rain is dampening my motivation. But I imagine my destination, the hut, to be all the more beautiful. And I\u0026rsquo;ll certainly make it there by 4pm, I think. I consider buying cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate so that I can really enjoy the afternoon at the hut. After my shopping trip, I realise that it\u0026rsquo;s almost 2pm and I\u0026rsquo;ve barely managed 20km. Maybe my plans are a little too ambitious.\nI\u0026rsquo;m slowly realising that I\u0026rsquo;ve completely misjudged the situation. My goal seems to be getting further and further away. It\u0026rsquo;s getting really steep and muddy, and the path is constantly crossing streams. My tyre keeps spinning out. I\u0026rsquo;m a little disappointed that I won\u0026rsquo;t be able to use the hut as relaxed as I\u0026rsquo;d imagined it would be throughout the day. At the same time, I\u0026rsquo;m actually enjoying the challenging ride, and the rain is usually just a bit of fun.\nIt is 7pm by the time I arrive at the hut. A mother-and-son team is already there and has heated up the place. That\u0026rsquo;s very welcome. After a quick dip in the lake, I slowly realise that I\u0026rsquo;m quite cold and spend the first hour next to the fire, slurping ramen.\nThe hut is architecturally excellent, elegant but still playful. There is even a drying room (very welcome, also for my laundry, which I do later). Beds are hidden in different places. I enjoy exploring them. I chat with the other two guests, whose names I unfortunately never asked. The thirteen-year-old son answers like a shot: \u0026ldquo;90s rap\u0026rdquo; when I ask him what his favourite music is. I enjoy how specific he is about it. Apparently this music is played in his computer games.\nIt often happens that I misjudge how early I will arrive in the evening. In the morning, I often seem to have to find my rhythm first. In the early afternoon, I feel as if I haven\u0026rsquo;t cycled yet and then want to catch up a little. Uncomfortable perhaps, but I need the physical exertion.\nAs an unpleasant bedtime story, I realise that my phone is no longer charging – maybe the rain has broken it. There\u0026rsquo;s nothing I can do about it now, but I also don\u0026rsquo;t have an internet connection to research solutions.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-10-ein-kleine-tour/","summary":"I sleep in until 9. It feels good, my exhaustion from yesterday seems to have gone.","title":"A short tour"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nI wake up early, just after 4am. That\u0026rsquo;s good; I want to ride over 100km today and reach the highest point of the planned route (Capital to Mountain Gravel Loop from Cycle Norway). Nevertheless, it takes me a long time to get going. First, I hide from the cold in my sleeping place. When I\u0026rsquo;m warm enough to get going, the mosquitoes unfortunately see it the same way. So it\u0026rsquo;s the same game as yesterday: I run around trying to escape the mosquitoes. I try to pack my bike mostly with my upper body in the tent, only the extremities stick out. At some point I\u0026rsquo;m done, at least the bites of the tiny mosquitoes heal pretty quickly.\nMy bike and I have now developed a sophisticated balancing technique for crossing streams. We support each other, and so I manage to get through one or two obstacles again this morning. I also use the first river in the morning to filter water. A herd of cows gets more and more curious (or thirsty), but then runs away from me when I move on. Norwegian cows are definitely more skittish than the ones I know from the Alps.\nThis morning I\u0026rsquo;m listening to \u0026ldquo;Algorithms to Live By\u0026rdquo;, a book that uses results from maths and computer science as decision-making and search methods for everyday life. I\u0026rsquo;m using the intuitions from it to find a place for my second breakfast (I\u0026rsquo;m already getting hungry again at 9 o\u0026rsquo;clock). Instead of stopping at the first stone I see, I want to find a nice spot. At first glance, I\u0026rsquo;m very successful at this. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell how mosquito-infested a place is just by looking at it. So I also spend my lunch break fleeing from mosquitoes. I spread a little bit of spread on a slice of bread, then run away from the mosquitoes again, then spread some more. Once again, I must have been an amusing sight.\nI make good progress with this boost. Without them realising it, I try to keep up with a group of e-bikers. They overtake me on the first incline, but on the up and down that follows, I put my foot down enough to leave them far behind. How much I enjoy it is probably a little ridiculous.\nMy choice of lunch spot is also very successful. The rapids where I stop invite you to imagine a group of brown bears standing on the edge, fishing for salmon. Not an image that would please my mother so much (I am actually in bear country). The only real fishers here are other homo sapiens. I take my time over my lunch and enjoy the sun. In the meantime, my solar charger is diligently charging my devices.\nThen, at last, I am at the foot of the big climb for today. The scenery reminds me exactly of Ischgl, where my dad and I cycled through last year on our Transalp. I am standing in the valley again and looking at the steep slopes and lifts of a ski resort in front of me. The style of the ski hotels, which cater to the masses in winter and stand empty in summer, seems just as out of place in Norway as it does in Ischgl. And just like in Ischgl, the steep asphalt road snakes up the mountain behind the hotels. The only difference is that there is no church steeple here for a person on a rope to do repair work on. And this time my bike is fully loaded, but at the same time it has fewer small gears.\nApart from the fact that I enjoy cycling uphill, the ascent is really worth it. It\u0026rsquo;s getting really beautiful here, I\u0026rsquo;m above the tree line. I\u0026rsquo;m really in the Norwegian mountains now. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to mentally take a step back and realise that I cycled here all the way from Munich! On the plateau, I enjoy the view and the spectacle of the clouds - which also announces tomorrow\u0026rsquo;s rain.\nAfter a rapid descent - I only stop briefly to watch a few goats and sheep - I arrive in the valley. I am completely exhausted, I have never been so tired on my tour before. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to go any further, and when I see a beautiful meadow, I knock on the door of the house next door in the hope that I can spend the night there. Wild camping is allowed in Norway, but I don\u0026rsquo;t have the energy to look for a place to sleep.\nA young woman opens the door for me, only a little older than me. The meadow does not belong to her, but she refers me to another meadow, only a few hundred metres away. To my great joy, she, Ingrid, then comes to me in the meadow with her dog Niels and two beers. She wanted to see if I had found it correctly. We talk for a while. She is (like many Norwegians) also a mountain person, and keeps herself pretty busy with her dog, horse and work as a nurse. Perhaps I will inspire her a little to fulfil her dream of working on a horse ranch in the USA.\nAfter that, I\u0026rsquo;m relatively disorganised and chaotic. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t help that the mosquitoes have found me here too - they\u0026rsquo;re the big ones you know from southern and central Europe. My dinner is in keeping with the chaos: it\u0026rsquo;s ramen with mashed potatoes and dumplings - not a culinary highlight, but warm and filling.\nIngrid recommended another hut to me, and I decide to head for it tomorrow. It\u0026rsquo;s supposed to rain all day, and I think I\u0026rsquo;ll be glad of a warm hut. Besides, my route from here leads through the valley for a long time, and I\u0026rsquo;d rather be back on the mountain.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-09-derbergruft/","summary":"I wake up early, just after 4am. That\u0026rsquo;s good;","title":"The mountain's calling"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nFirst thing in the morning, as in the evening: go swimming. As always, it does you the world of good, like a new start.\nAfter that, it takes me a long time to get ready, pack up and tidy up the hut behind me. If you want to cook and wash up properly, it takes time. As I\u0026rsquo;m just about to leave, I greet the fit-looking, elderly Norwegian woman who comes by with her dog. She lives in one of the neighbouring huts. We get talking, and she invites me to get a can of Coke from her. I tell her about my plans and my route (\u0026ldquo;I think you are very tough,\u0026rdquo; she replies). I ask her when I will come across a supermarket in that direction. She says not at all. I had expected to go shopping today. She herself hardly has any supplies left, which she would otherwise have shared with me. I prepare myself for two days of oatmeal, which should be enough. She then gives me some sausages and chocolate, which is all she has left. I\u0026rsquo;m not looking forward to two days of oats, but I know that I\u0026rsquo;ll manage for now.\nFortunately, the Norwegian was not all-knowing after all. When I have internet again, I see that I will be passing a supermarket after all. That\u0026rsquo;s reassuring. Despite the concrete jungle, the supermarket serves as a small oasis for me. I can obviously shop there, but I can also charge my devices and plan my festival logistics (I have decided to take the plunge and drive to Gothenburg on Saturday). I have overdone it a bit with my shopping and am well equipped for the next few days. So I sit in front of the supermarket for a long time, eat lunch there and celebrate my month on the road with a non-alcoholic beer. The shoppers and staff all greet me warmly. A motorcyclist speaks to me and we have a nice chat. I am invited to a coffee when I reach the top of the next hill (only 500 metres to go).\nThe uphill stretch gives me enough time to ponder. Should I go and have a coffee with a strange man who lives alone? As a young woman, I have heard enough warnings about the dangers of men. But I don\u0026rsquo;t want to face the world with fear, and I don\u0026rsquo;t want to demonise all men because of a few arseholes. So I trust my intuition that this man is not one of the arseholes (and I copy a tramp\u0026rsquo;s trick and, with his permission, take a photo of his licence plate). Jon is actually a nice guy, I get coffee, recommendations and chain oil. Architecturally, his hut is very beautiful, it is the hut my mum would dream of: bright and cosy.\nThe highlight of the day is the landscape directly behind it. Lakes, fields, single trails, mostly rideable, in between the path is a stream, in between a swamp (my waterproof socks hold!). The evening light colours everything golden.\nI try my hand at a slapstick performance again this evening. This is driven by thousands of mosquitoes that swarm around me at my sleeping place. My mosquito net is not fine enough for the tiny creatures, and I run around in circles like a crazy bird to keep them off. I pitch my tent in a very chaotic way. In the meantime, I quickly make myself some mashed potatoes, repeatedly running away from the swarm that is forming around my head – it feels like an eternity. Later, my tent is up, my stuff is in the tent and I can make myself comfortable in it. A few, only about 100, mosquitoes have made it into the tent with me. I crush them one by one. Most of them stay outside and gather above my mosquito net. My food is cold by now, but I am slowly starting to relax. I won\u0026rsquo;t be washing up today, and I won\u0026rsquo;t be having any tea so that I don\u0026rsquo;t have to go to the toilet so often. I spit my toothbrush water into the still dirty pot. From a civilised perspective, it may be disgusting, but I am avoiding being attacked by the mosquitoes at all costs.\nDespite the stress of the evening, I smile when I look back on the day. I am in my safe haven, my tent.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-08-supermaerkte/","summary":"First thing in the morning, as in the evening: go swimming.","title":"Supermarkets"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nThe water splashes against the stone beach, where it meets the boats it sounds a little different, sharper. In the background the omnipresent roar - only here it is not the roar of thousands of cars, so familiar to me, here it is the roar of the waterfall in the distance. The rain that begins while I am standing in the lake sounds like thousands of small pebbles. The day ends much like it began.\nIn the morning, I also jump into the lake first thing. Naked, in the hope that I am far enough away from the hut. Unfortunately, I am not, and I have to dive under the water quickly once, but then I am left alone. It\u0026rsquo;s really cold, and it wakes me up nicely.\nAfter breakfast, I take a trip around the lake in a canoe. If they are provided free of charge with the hut, anything else would be a shame. I\u0026rsquo;m not very good at it, I need someone to paddle on the other side. I still enjoy it very much and it\u0026rsquo;s exactly the right thing for me.\nI feel at home in this landscape. It is mountainous or hilly, with many forest paths. There are masses of wild strawberries along the edge of the path, and I only need to stop briefly to fill my hands with them. I meet very few people, except when I pass through a town in between. I quickly leave there.\nThe only company I have is a variety of (wild) animals. Sheep are a common obstacle on the path. A baby fox stares at me as I drive past. At lunchtime, I hear a gentle thud, turn my head and look at a cow moose. She stares back. She fits so well into the landscape, similar in colour to the moss-covered stones and the sky. She radiates a similar robustness and calmness as her surroundings. Quite different from me, who stands out with my colourful selection of high-tech outdoor clothing, in which I still freeze.\nIn the evening I find another DNT hut, which unfortunately costs a whole €15 – still very fair, but I had briefly hoped that I could get by with €5 huts. This time I\u0026rsquo;m alone there. That\u0026rsquo;s why nobody sees my slapstick performance when I try to climb out of the water. The moss-covered stones are so slippery that I keep slipping backwards into the water. I eventually manage to get out on all fours.\nI have just enough reception to take a call from a friend, Ruth. We chat for a long time, so familiar. We spin ideas about how we can balance out our different cycling ambitions in future adventures together - straps? Trailers? At least I\u0026rsquo;m not alone tonight.\nThe only thing that worries me tonight is that I scalded my fingers when I was draining the pasta. I hope that they will be fit for cycling tomorrow again thanks to cooling.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-07-wildnis/","summary":"The water splashes against the stone beach, where it meets the boats it sounds a little different, sharper.","title":"Wilderness or something"},{"content":"Translated with Deepl\nI am now a member of the Norwegian Hiking Association. For just 5€ I can stay in their hut, 40€ would be the price for non-members – so the 35€ membership fee is already worth it after one night. And this hut…\nThis morning I was busy cleaning and packing. I spoke to my parents for a long time on the phone. Then the ferry to Oslo, a lot of thinking about how I wanted to spend my time. I feel a little sluggish, not super motivated. I just don\u0026rsquo;t really know what\u0026rsquo;s right for me. But at least moving on seems like a good idea. The DNT huts seem like a good, relaxed option – but do I really need to buy a hut sleeping bag for that? I actually have several at home. At some point I make up my mind, organise a membership, a universal key for the huts and a hut sleeping bag.\nIt seems to have been the right decision. I only have about 40 km to go, and it\u0026rsquo;s already 5 pm when I set off. But the 40 km also include about 800 metres of altitude difference. It\u0026rsquo;s mainly along beautiful forest paths, up and down, with lots of lakes and streams. It\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful ride, and it\u0026rsquo;s all the more worth it when you arrive. Heating, electricity, water, security are all very welcome. The DNT huts are similar to those of the DAV, this one is a self-catering hut. Shared rooms, I share mine with a group of men around 40. Two other groups have also booked in for the night, all Norwegian, all nice, without us getting to know each other better. The hut is right next to a dam on the reservoir, water is fetched from the lake with buckets. It\u0026rsquo;s in a really beautiful location, and the (fully equipped!) kitchen and living room feel cosy. Of course, it also has a guitar, which I take down from the wall to strum a little.\nAnd then I find out that overnight guests can use the canoes for free!\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-06-irgendwohin/","summary":"I am now a member of the Norwegian Hiking Association.","title":"Somewhere"},{"content":"What should I do next? Should I even continue at all? My need for community is so great that I am even considering ending my bike trip and finding a job with people. Or should I recharge my batteries at a festival? I want to figure that out today.\nMy more tangible goal today: to buy a rain jacket. In the morning, I tested under the shower to make sure that my current jacket had really reached the end of its life. It has. In addition to a few holes that I had overlooked before my departure, the seams are no longer in the best shape. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to get stuck in the Norwegian rain. Finding a suitable jacket for me will be a challenge. Two large bike shops (at opposite ends of the city) have nothing in my size. My shoulders are too broad for the largest women\u0026rsquo;s sizes, my hips too broad for the largest men\u0026rsquo;s sizes. A bit annoying, but also ridiculous. Norwegians aren\u0026rsquo;t that small. I happen to pass Odlo and find a jacket that is just right and affordable. I chat with the French salesman about cycling routes in Norway.\nI spend the morning looking for festivals on the way to and in Oslo. I join Facebook groups and write to people. I would like a festival to take place here in Oslo tomorrow that just happens to be perfect for me. I find a small festival near Gothenburg that starts next Sunday. In the afternoon, I meet one of the organisers for a chat. The festival sounds nice and challenging in the right way for me. At the same time, it throws my plans a little out of kilter, as I \u0026ldquo;have\u0026rdquo; to move back south from here.\nI spend the rest of the day baking a cake and mending clothes. The cake is a small thank you for my hosts.\nI haven\u0026rsquo;t really decided what I\u0026rsquo;m going to do tomorrow. I\u0026rsquo;m assuming that I\u0026rsquo;ll move on, somewhere. And maybe I\u0026rsquo;ll go to the festival next week.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-05-wasjetzt/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat should I do next? Should I even continue at all? My need for community is so great that I am even considering ending my bike trip and finding a job with people. Or should I recharge my batteries at a festival? I want to figure that out today.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy more tangible goal today: to buy a rain jacket. In the morning, I tested under the shower to make sure that my current jacket had really reached the end of its life. It has. In addition to a few holes that I had overlooked before my departure, the seams are no longer in the best shape. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to get stuck in the Norwegian rain. Finding a suitable jacket for me will be a challenge. Two large bike shops (at opposite ends of the city) have nothing in my size. My shoulders are too broad for the largest women\u0026rsquo;s sizes, my hips too broad for the largest men\u0026rsquo;s sizes. A bit annoying, but also ridiculous. Norwegians aren\u0026rsquo;t that small. I happen to pass Odlo and find a jacket that is just right and affordable. I chat with the French salesman about cycling routes in Norway.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What now?"},{"content":"I surrender to the rain. I forgot the hood that goes with the jacket at home, but maybe it doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter – the rest of the jacket isn\u0026rsquo;t waterproof anymore either. It\u0026rsquo;s getting cold in the long run.\nDespite the rain, I walk around Oslo a little. At least the city is not overcrowded. I like it a lot; I think many of the modern buildings are well done. I buy new gas for my stove. Actually, I also wanted to buy a foldable coffee filter, but I could not pinch myself for the (converted) 40 €.\nI ordered something from a bakery via TooGoodToGo, hoping for some delicious pastries and some bread. Instead, I get two loaves of bread – so for now, it\u0026rsquo;s just bread. For dinner, I make myself some French toast, which I\u0026rsquo;ll have again for breakfast. Could be worse.\nI\u0026rsquo;m looking for routes in and through Norway. Researching on the small mobile phone screen is exhausting, but the pictures still look beautiful.\nAs I plan my route, I slowly realise that I don\u0026rsquo;t actually know what I want to do next or where I want to go. The landscapes attract me, but at the same time my desire for company is growing. I ask my host if I can stay another night, giving myself time to think.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-04-regenoslo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI surrender to the rain. I forgot the hood that goes with the jacket at home, but maybe it doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter – the rest of the jacket isn\u0026rsquo;t waterproof anymore either. It\u0026rsquo;s getting cold in the long run.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the rain, I walk around Oslo a little. At least the city is not overcrowded. I like it a lot; I think many of the modern buildings are well done. I buy new gas for my stove. Actually, I also wanted to buy a foldable coffee filter, but I could not pinch myself for the (converted) 40 €.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rainy Oslo"},{"content":"I get up very early. My sleeping place is uncomfortable enough that I don\u0026rsquo;t turn over again. I had soaked my oats in the evening, so I don\u0026rsquo;t even have to cook them. Within an hour everything is packed and a route for the day is planned. It will be along the big roads again, but mostly on cycle paths.\nYesterday I crossed the border. The Norwegians overtake more respectfully, leaving me 1-2 metres of space, and I don\u0026rsquo;t feel as if I\u0026rsquo;m being pushed into the ditch by the next lorry. In the middle of the day I see deer and even a fawn in the distance.\nAround midday, I stop to kill some time. I had only announced my arrival at my sleeping place from 3pm and it\u0026rsquo;s not far from here. I have a coffee and start looking for routes through Norway that take me less along major roads. It\u0026rsquo;s fun to dream about different paths, to discover places and photos that inspire me.\nDuring my journey, I dream of more practical bike setups. My bike and luggage are a little heavy for my taste, some of them rattle, and with the panniers I am wider than I would like to be. I would like to be as agile as possible, ready for any terrain. The long journeys give me plenty of time to let my thoughts wander. When I\u0026rsquo;m going downhill, I think about how I could attach panniers better and make better use of the space in the frame. Uphill, in the smallest sprocket, I dream of a mountain bike gear system with a smaller \u0026ldquo;pensioner gear\u0026rdquo;. I\u0026rsquo;ll gradually refine my setup; for now, the costs of the existing material and repairs are enough for me. And even if it\u0026rsquo;s not ideal, I can get almost anywhere I want to go. I\u0026rsquo;m also thinking about sewing my own bags when I get back.\nNorway is really expensive. I either overspend or make a mistake in the supermarket and have to sell my kidney to pay for the cherries. It is exhausting to be in a country where I have to think twice about what I want to eat for dinner, even in the supermarket.\nI am allowed to stay at the house of friends of friends, even though they are on holiday. I am really grateful for their relaxed generosity, which allows me to enjoy the luxury of a house again: washing, showering, cooking. I am allowed to stay there as long as I want, and I allow myself a whole two nights so that I can plan my further route in peace, see Oslo and take care of my equipment. There are new holes to be filled again.\nI am building up a small collection of ideas for routes in Norway and daydreaming about travelling along fjords.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-03-norwegentraueme/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI get up very early. My sleeping place is uncomfortable enough that I don\u0026rsquo;t turn over again. I had soaked my oats in the evening, so I don\u0026rsquo;t even have to cook them. Within an hour everything is packed and a route for the day is planned. It will be along the big roads again, but mostly on cycle paths.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday I crossed the border. The Norwegians overtake more respectfully, leaving me 1-2 metres of space, and I don\u0026rsquo;t feel as if I\u0026rsquo;m being pushed into the ditch by the next lorry. In the middle of the day I see deer and even a fawn in the distance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Norwegian Dreams"},{"content":"The warm chicken broth (vegan) with the ramen noodles is the highlight of the day. Salt, flavour enhancers, fat – what more could you want from life?\nToday was a similarly frustrating day to yesterday. As soon as I leave my lonely campsite with its vast quantities of blueberries, I find myself wandering across many large roads. If the path does not lead across the road, it often turns out to be impassable or barely passable.\nI long for the wilderness, far away from the many cars. In the last few days, I had rather longed for interaction and people. Unfortunately, the hard asphalt, the fast food chains and the service stations do not offer the most fertile ground for exchange. In addition, people seem more closed to me. In Denmark, I was often greeted back loudly and enthusiastically, here I am often hardly noticed.\nMy sleeping place in the evening is nice to photograph, but it stinks a little and is too close to the city, factory and motorway. The critical emoji that my dad sends when he sees my sleeping place on the map doesn\u0026rsquo;t help to lull me to sleep.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-02-zivilisation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe warm chicken broth (vegan) with the ramen noodles is the highlight of the day. Salt, flavour enhancers, fat – what more could you want from life?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday was a similarly frustrating day to yesterday. As soon as I leave my lonely campsite with its vast quantities of blueberries, I find myself wandering across many large roads. If the path does not lead across the road, it often turns out to be impassable or barely passable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Civilization "},{"content":"The first thing I do in the morning is jump into the lake. With the golden morning sun shining above it, I can\u0026rsquo;t resist. It\u0026rsquo;s cool, but very pleasant.\nAfter just one day of rain and grey, I\u0026rsquo;m already enjoying the strong sun that dries my tent. Daniel is already awake and offers me coffee. I pick some fresh blueberries for my porridge and share some with Daniel.\nToday I leave the European Divide Trail to make my way to Norway. I quickly question this decision when I get stuck between cars, lorries and the roadside on a federal road. I am grateful for my new hi-vis jacket, thanks to this over-fashionable accessory at least nobody can claim to have overlooked me.\nOtherwise, I cycle through industrial areas, motorway service stations and past the same shops over and over again. Appropriately, I listen to the Kangaroo Chronicles, in which the communist kangaroo comments on, among other things, the same city centres all over the world. Despite my frustration, I use the Lidl for a big shop. The only way to tell that you are in Scandinavia: a whole shelf of liquorice sweets.\nI also test my solar charger in the sun. I bought it in Gothenburg after my batteries kept running out, which was a real pain. In full sunlight it is actually very helpful, but time will tell whether it is worth the weight, volume and wobblyness.\nUnfortunately, the worst fear of my brother has also come true thanks to the sun: my tan clearly betrays me as a cyclist, and has hard edges where my clothes end. The piece of tan where I sacrificed my glove fabric for my trousers is particularly nice. This hole has now been patched up with a piece of hi-vis jacket (a clear hierarchy of fabric sources), but the diamond-shaped tan will remain for the time being.\nIn the evening I find a wonderful shelter on a small hill. It is even quite mosquito-free! The alcohol-free beer and other goodies from my shopping find their way into my rumbling stomach. The road and the many cars plus the sun have exhausted me quite a bit.\nOh yes: I also saw a real zebra today! I had to look twice after the horses wrapped in zebra patterns\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-07-01-schwedischekueste/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe first thing I do in the morning is jump into the lake. With the golden morning sun shining above it, I can\u0026rsquo;t resist. It\u0026rsquo;s cool, but very pleasant.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter just one day of rain and grey, I\u0026rsquo;m already enjoying the strong sun that dries my tent. Daniel is already awake and offers me coffee. I pick some fresh blueberries for my porridge and share some with Daniel.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday I leave the European Divide Trail to make my way to Norway. I quickly question this decision when I get stuck between cars, lorries and the roadside on a federal road. I am grateful for my new hi-vis jacket, thanks to this over-fashionable accessory at least nobody can claim to have overlooked me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sun"},{"content":"In the morning, I only leave my tent when it is absolutely necessary. I listen to the raindrops pattering on my tent and spend as much of my morning as possible inside. I cook my porridge (keeping as far away as possible from the heat-sensitive tent walls), catch up on a few blog entries and laboriously start packing my bags. At some point I hear Nick, who has swum across the lake to me, calling out for me to come to them.\nWhen I finally venture outside, I realise that the rain isn\u0026rsquo;t as bad as I had imagined. It\u0026rsquo;s drizzling, and under the tree where my bike is standing, it\u0026rsquo;s mostly dry. I pack my bike \u0026ldquo;quickly\u0026rdquo; (it takes me at least half an hour) and join Vlada and Nick for a short while before I heave my bike back to the road via the hiking trail.\nI stop early because I spot a shelter by a lake and want to catch up on blog posts. The ride was relatively easy on gravel, but I\u0026rsquo;m travelling slowly.\nAfter dinner, I take shelter from the rain in my tent. I write, read and drink tea. I am now reading the only book that was pre-installed on my new e-reader: Pride and Prejudice. I will reserve my judgement for later, but I have to admit that I am not ready to put it down.\nI hear a bicycle approaching and stick my head out of the tent. A fully packed bike, the same model as mine, a Baden accent; the beard and suntan suggest a few weeks of touring. Daniel started the European Divide Trail from the north and joins me with his tent. We exchange stories about how we deal with the various challenges we encounter along the way (he tells me how you don\u0026rsquo;t get eaten alive by mosquitoes in the far north when you\u0026rsquo;re in an outdoor shop), what we like and dislike about our respective setups. He tells me about his route so far, and his description of days of nothing (as in forest) confirms my decision to leave the trail.\nWe try unsuccessfully to keep a fire going. After an hour of adding more and more twigs to the wet wood in an attempt to get it to catch, we give up.\nIt was a pleasure to be able to exchange ideas with someone who is in the same boat as me and is currently facing similar challenges. I am grateful that Daniel joined me.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-30-imhinterland/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn the morning, I only leave my tent when it is absolutely necessary. I listen to the raindrops pattering on my tent and spend as much of my morning as possible inside. I cook my porridge (keeping as far away as possible from the heat-sensitive tent walls), catch up on a few blog entries and laboriously start packing my bags. At some point I hear Nick, who has swum across the lake to me, calling out for me to come to them.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Inertia with rain"},{"content":"The last few weeks have been lonely, despite the many wonderful encounters with people. It tires me to have to make so many decisions alone every day, to be solely responsible for my safety, my food, my joy.\nI assume that northern Sweden is even more remote, with hundreds of kilometres of nothing but forest. The idea of following the European Divide Trail into this solitude doesn\u0026rsquo;t appeal to me at the moment.\nI start the day with a slightly more diffuse version of these thoughts. A little listless about continuing to cycle, about getting ready for it.\nOn my way to pack my bike, I meet Manni at the hostel reception. He is from Franconia and has been to the North Cape by motorbike. We exchange plans and experiences. We decide to spend the day together in Gothenburg. I still have a few errands to run and need time to organise my thoughts. I tell him that I\u0026rsquo;m not sure whether I want to stay on the European Divide Trail. What for him was nothing but forest for days on end on his motorbike would be weeks of nothing else for me on my bike. After seeing his photos and listening to his stories, I really want to go to Norway. I also expect that the Eurovelo 1, which runs along the Norwegian coast, will be a little busier. What originally deterred me is now attracting me.\nManni and I continue to walk through Gothenburg, I buy mosquito repellent, we eat bao buns. In my head, the decision to leave the EDT and turn towards Norway is taking shape.\nI set off at four o\u0026rsquo;clock, leaving Gothenburg. I\u0026rsquo;m still on the EDT - I have to go north anyway, even if I\u0026rsquo;m going to Norway. I buy a high-visibility vest, screws and superglue at the DIY store.\nI head for the first shelter after Gothenburg. My suspicion is confirmed: this is exactly where we were with the scouts five years ago. There is a new shelter now, but we had squeezed fourteen of us into the old one when it was pouring with rain (it might have been possible for six people). Like sardines in a tin, nobody could turn around. This time the shelter is full (allegedly, there are only three of them ;)), but I find a campsite 100 metres further on. I manoeuvre my bike over the hiking trail, and strike up a conversation with the Belgians camping next to the shelter. I invite them to visit me later.\nFor the first time, I put up my tent completely. And for the first time, I make a fire. Vlada and Nick join me, they bring blueberries, and we warm up cinnamon rolls over the fire. A relaxed evening.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-29-weggefaehrten/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe last few weeks have been lonely, despite the many wonderful encounters with people. It tires me to have to make so many decisions alone every day, to be solely responsible for my safety, my food, my joy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI assume that northern Sweden is even more remote, with hundreds of kilometres of nothing but forest. The idea of following the European Divide Trail into this solitude doesn\u0026rsquo;t appeal to me at the moment.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Companions"},{"content":"I wake up at 4 a.m. I didn\u0026rsquo;t sleep well because of all the mosquito bites and period pains. At least I have plenty of time to find the ferry.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s worth it. The signs on the ferry only show where bicycles are not allowed, but none show where they are actually supposed to go. So I follow the car signs and have breakfast in front of the barrier. We\u0026rsquo;re not allowed in yet.\nI ride into the bow of the ferry in pole position. It\u0026rsquo;s funny to be directed to the front of the truck with the bike. I spend the crossing spread across three seats in a deep sleep.\nMarkus picks me up in Gothenburg. We know each other from a Swedish scout camp where we were guests five years ago. We have hardly been in touch since 2020, so it\u0026rsquo;s nice to catch up again. He is incredibly helpful, asking me everything I could still use for my adventure. Together we get something to eat, for me Köttbullar (I\u0026rsquo;m in Sweden now). For dessert, we have kanelbullar (cinnamon buns, but also with cardamom!) from the bakery where Markus\u0026rsquo; girlfriend works.\nAt lunch, I decide to stay in Gothenburg for another night. I\u0026rsquo;m exhausted and still have a lot to do in the city. I don\u0026rsquo;t feel like squeezing it into one day.\nIn the afternoon, I manage to convert my tyre back to tubeless and put on a new tyre. I spend most of the evening in the hostel, get a pizza, do my laundry, go to bed early and watch a stupid series.\nI can charge my power banks, but my metaphorical batteries are still weak.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-28-akkuleer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI wake up at 4 a.m. I didn\u0026rsquo;t sleep well because of all the mosquito bites and period pains. At least I have plenty of time to find the ferry.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s worth it. The signs on the ferry only show where bicycles are not allowed, but none show where they are actually supposed to go. So I follow the car signs and have breakfast in front of the barrier. We\u0026rsquo;re not allowed in yet.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Flat batteries"},{"content":"The frame of my bike digs into my shoulder. It slips a little. I tense up to keep it and myself stable. My legs are shaking. My heart is racing. I\u0026rsquo;ve already climbed an estimated 20 metres in altitude, and I still have 10 metres to go. I can\u0026rsquo;t turn back. If I don\u0026rsquo;t keep myself and the bike under control, we\u0026rsquo;ll fall. Most of the bags are off, but my bike still weighs at least 15 kg.\nI underestimated the wooden steps that lead up from the beach to the dunes. I\u0026rsquo;m standing at the bottom, I see that the route leads up there, I wonder, I look for an alternative, I don\u0026rsquo;t see one. I get ready. Bags down, put them to the side. Bike on my shoulder, one step after the other on the narrow wooden boards.\nTwo ladies sitting at the top are very impressed when I arrive with my bike. I take a deep breath, climb back down and get the bags. Only when I\u0026rsquo;m back at the top and take a deep breath do I realise how unnecessary this danger was, how stupid the route was.\nThe two ladies think I have done my day\u0026rsquo;s work. They invite me to fill up my bottles with them. I walk with them to their former holiday home, now their main residence. The two of them were teachers, and now spend their retirement painting and embroidering. I get some fresh waffles. They are particularly welcome, because I had been waiting for hours for a shady place to eat my lunch, but then I rode on the beach in the relentless sun.\nUnfortunately, my satnav and my Gothenburg plans do not agree that I have already done my work for the day. 80 km to go, it\u0026rsquo;s already 5 pm. So I cycle. When the path wants to send me back to the beach, I refuse. The memory of the stairs is still too fresh. And a little further on, back on the European Divide Trail, when the path leads me towards the beach in a very narrow and impassable direction, I turn back. I then deviate from the planned trail for the rest of my journey. A storm in the distance increases the urgency of reaching my shelter for the night.\nIt is hard for me to say goodbye to the trail. To say goodbye to the idea of riding all the way, of completing the project. Again, the question arises as to why I am doing this tour. Because it makes me happy? I was happy in Portugal, on a similar tour. But what about it makes me happy? How do I weigh comfort and safety against challenge and adventure? And where do I stand in the way of my happiness, with ideas about how many kilometres I \u0026ldquo;should\u0026rdquo; do, how much I can do without, how tough I want to be? Martina\u0026rsquo;s question about what happiness means to me will probably continue to accompany me.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-27-abwege/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe frame of my bike digs into my shoulder. It slips a little. I tense up to keep it and myself stable. My legs are shaking. My heart is racing. I\u0026rsquo;ve already climbed an estimated 20 metres in altitude, and I still have 10 metres to go. I can\u0026rsquo;t turn back. If I don\u0026rsquo;t keep myself and the bike under control, we\u0026rsquo;ll fall. Most of the bags are off, but my bike still weighs at least 15 kg.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weighing up the heavy track"},{"content":"Apparently the Danish equivalent of \u0026ldquo;Oh, well\u0026rdquo;. I\u0026rsquo;m practising this attitude today.\nI only practice \u0026ldquo;Pyt\u0026rdquo; because of the heat. When the asphalt stores it and gives it back to me, 26 degrees are unbearable for me.\n\u0026ldquo;Pyt\u0026rdquo; is the only right answer when my tyre is flat and I try to patch the tubeless tyre. Pyt, when the temporary solution doesn\u0026rsquo;t hold, the tool is not the right one and I\u0026rsquo;m sewing the casing with needle and thread at the roadside.\nRetrieving Pyt becomes a little more difficult when I end up on tiny mountain bike trails, almost vertically up a slope, with water and batteries running low. When I\u0026rsquo;m not sure if I\u0026rsquo;ll make it to the next village by evening, to the next shelter. I\u0026rsquo;m making very slow progress on the tiny trails. At least the repair to my tyre holds, I\u0026rsquo;ve certainly tested that thoroughly. But I still manage to enjoy the trail, I can always pitch my tent somewhere and continue the next morning.\nThe feeling of jumping into the sea afterwards is unbeatable. After spending the whole day in the pine forest, I now smell the sea intensely for the first time, feel the water pulling me in different directions.\nI find my sleeping place, which even has a water connection. For the first time, I put my inner tent in the shelter to protect me from mosquitoes. It\u0026rsquo;s strange to hear the mosquitoes buzzing and know that they can\u0026rsquo;t harm me.\nPS: Another highlight of my day: the man sitting on the doorstep in his vest, roasting sausages in front of him. He inside, sausage outside. I would have loved to take a photo!\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-26-pyt/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApparently the Danish equivalent of \u0026ldquo;Oh, well\u0026rdquo;. I\u0026rsquo;m practising this attitude today.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI only practice \u0026ldquo;Pyt\u0026rdquo; because of the heat. When the asphalt stores it and gives it back to me, 26 degrees are unbearable for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Pyt\u0026rdquo; is the only right answer when my tyre is flat and I try to patch the tubeless tyre. Pyt, when the temporary solution doesn\u0026rsquo;t hold, the tool is not the right one and I\u0026rsquo;m sewing the casing with needle and thread at the roadside.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pyt"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m still going strong until a quarter to three. Then I stop. I realise that the shop where I want to pick up my e-reader only opens until 7 p.m. That means I have four hours if I want to pick it up today. I still have 80 km and a few hundred metres of altitude to go, so I really get pedalling. It\u0026rsquo;s fun to fly through the countryside, but I\u0026rsquo;m only sad once, when I don\u0026rsquo;t stop for a lake, and once for a kiosk. I have music in my ears, which has accompanied me for years during sports, the rhythm drives me forward.\nExhausted and happy, I sit there when the e-reader is picked up. I really want to go swimming and drink non-alcoholic beer. I look for a place to swim and a supermarket - but I miscalculate. And I only realise this halfway there. To catch the supermarket before 8, I then pedal full speed ahead again. The only thing that keeps me going during this sprint is the anticipation of my beer. I arrive on time, stock up on beer, ice cream, crisps and strawberries.\nFrom there I drive back to the bathing area, jump into the water and feel deeply relaxed. I also eat dinner there and make myself comfortable. The golden light puts a smile on my face.\nThe rush was a stark contrast to the calm of my morning. I had breakfast with the horse ladies – it was delicious. Eggs from our own hens, cheese from the neighbouring dairy, homemade jams, bread from my sister-in-law. And a very special speciality: schnapps, flavoured with salty liquorice. I took a tiny sip, but I don\u0026rsquo;t need this piece of Danish culture in my life – neither alcohol in the morning nor salty liquorice.\nAfter setting off, I have to adjust the derailleur again, but hopefully for the last time. Then I just cycle along, looking for a nice place to have lunch at some point. I even take the time to fry my tuna. I have no reception here, so I still don\u0026rsquo;t know how tight my afternoon will be.\nWith all that I have experienced, the morning feels so far away. I ride the last few metres to my shelter for the night, a deer almost jumps in front of my bike. I feel content, happy about the enjoyment I have had in the morning and evening, happy about the intensity and physical challenge in between.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-25-nachskals/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m still going strong until a quarter to three. Then I stop. I realise that the shop where I want to pick up my e-reader only opens until 7 p.m. That means I have four hours if I want to pick it up today. I still have 80 km and a few hundred metres of altitude to go, so I really get pedalling. It\u0026rsquo;s fun to fly through the countryside, but I\u0026rsquo;m only sad once, when I don\u0026rsquo;t stop for a lake, and once for a kiosk. I have music in my ears, which has accompanied me for years during sports, the rhythm drives me forward.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Opening hours sprints"},{"content":"Day 15: 24.06.24 Sometimes the only way to get around is to hop. That\u0026rsquo;s how I feel right now. Since I arrived at my sleeping place, I\u0026rsquo;ve been bubbling over with joy and happiness.\nNow I\u0026rsquo;m going for a walk in this heath landscape. Unfortunately, I can\u0026rsquo;t pronounce the Danish word for it, but I really like it. The woman who filled my bottles for me in the early evening (and gave me a free lemonade) advised me to use this heath as a place to sleep.\nIt took me a moment to get over the idea of cycling another 40 kilometres. But then I remembered why I was doing this in the first place. Not to break speed records. I am proud when I cycle 160 kilometres in a day, but the much more colourful and fuller stories are the ones I find along the way when I stop. I want to follow what comes up instead of what I think I have to or should do. So I turn off and make my way to this place to sleep.\nThe cold water that I pour over my body feels like four litres of pure happiness. There are no showers here. I fill my water bag and stand naked in the evening sun, letting the water wash away the dirt and sweat of the day.\nIn Denmark, there are shelters, small huts that you can find on a map and in which you can stay overnight for free or for a very small contribution. Some are really just a small wooden hut, others have toilets or even showers. I assumed that this experience would be lonelier than my last days in Germany. I\u0026rsquo;m almost grateful that wild camping is banned in Germany and that I\u0026rsquo;m forced to interact with people if I\u0026rsquo;m not prepared to pay €20 for a campsite.\nMy evening was certainly not lonely. I was a little curious about the two ladies whose campsite I had passed. And so, during my ramble through the campsite, I more or less accidentally passed by them. I wish you a good appetite. They invite me to sit down with them. I am served steak, potatoes and red wine.\nTheir two horses never leave their sides. If one moves, the other follows immediately. The two women seem to go through life in a similar way. They met when they were seven and are now 63. They married, had children, but with or without children they travelled together almost every year. Often to the shelters. They tell me how they once got caught in a hailstorm with the horses. Shivering and with their teeth chattering, they stumbled across a castle. They and their horses were taken in for the night.\nThey have made themselves right at home here at the campsite. There is a tablecloth. Flowers from home. They have even grown their own potatoes. The two of them are (or were) farmers. Both of them always have a wonderful grin on their faces. I was even invited to breakfast. I was even asked how I like my eggs cooked.\nBefore that, the day had been fairly uneventful. I drove, bought food and drove on, eating again. The heat was getting to me. It was supposedly only 22°C, but I still reached my limits on the asphalt. Grandma is right when she says that you would have to mix our temperature perceptions to get a halfway normal person. For her, that would be the first temperature at which she might dare to take off her woollen jumper.\nI can hear the cuckoo in the distance. I just met a mouse, and the sky is slowly turning red. The sun has disappeared behind the hill. I have neglected my duties at the camp a little today. The laundry is not done yet, nothing is set up. Nevertheless, I am quite calm.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-24-indaenemark/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-15-240624\"\u003eDay 15: 24.06.24\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes the only way to get around is to hop. That\u0026rsquo;s how I feel right now. Since I arrived at my sleeping place, I\u0026rsquo;ve been bubbling over with joy and happiness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow I\u0026rsquo;m going for a walk in this heath landscape. Unfortunately, I can\u0026rsquo;t pronounce the Danish word for it, but I really like it. The woman who filled my bottles for me in the early evening (and gave me a free lemonade) advised me to use this heath as a place to sleep.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Danish heath"},{"content":"Day 15: 23.06.24 I made it to the sea and to Denmark today. I\u0026rsquo;m travelling very slowly at the moment. I suspect that it\u0026rsquo;s because of the changed geometry since the saddle adjustment and I\u0026rsquo;ll be taking it back tomorrow. Or maybe I lost a lot of fitness during my break in Hamburg.\nI turned over in my sleeping bag several times today, completely relaxed. But the drizzle that started then quickly threw me out of the sleeping bag. My hosts gave me a delicious coffee and breakfast. We said a heartfelt goodbye to each other, and they even thanked me for my visit.\nShortly after I left, I saw a child lying on the roof of a car and travelling a little way along the forest track. Funny.\nMy day in the Schelde: in the pedestrian tunnel over the North Sea Canal. Cheese sandwich at lunchtime. In between, I carry my bike up and down a few flights of stairs. Through Schleswig. Biscuit break by a beautiful lake. In Flensburg, I see a jellyfish for the first time in my life. Eat my fish sandwich. Another break for non-alcoholic beer and Danish bolle, a Danish rowing club is still celebrating on the German side. My first swim in the sea! Refreshed, I cross the border. I stop at Shelters for the night.\nI listened to a lot of podcasts while cycling today and let myself be distracted a little too much by them, paying less attention to the country and the landscape. I\u0026rsquo;ll pay more attention to that again now.\nI received some lovely messages about this blog today. It makes me feel less like I\u0026rsquo;m shouting into the void of the internet. Thank you.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-23-nachdaenemark/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-15-230624\"\u003eDay 15: 23.06.24\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI made it to the sea and to Denmark today. I\u0026rsquo;m travelling very slowly at the moment. I suspect that it\u0026rsquo;s because of the changed geometry since the saddle adjustment and I\u0026rsquo;ll be taking it back tomorrow. Or maybe I lost a lot of fitness during my break in Hamburg.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI turned over in my sleeping bag several times today, completely relaxed. But the drizzle that started then quickly threw me out of the sleeping bag. My hosts gave me a delicious coffee and breakfast. We said a heartfelt goodbye to each other, and they even thanked me for my visit.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"To Denmark"},{"content":"Day 15: 22.06.24 Finally on the road again. In the morning, I collected more material, did some last-minute laptop work and said goodbye to Marei. Marei had noticed how much I liked eating the veggie meatballs (my northern German hosts had a good laugh about that word, so I have to use it anyway) from her fridge, so she gave me a bag of them to take with me. Very good bike protein snack. Then a last hamburger and a bun.\nThe route is a bit of a drag at times. Lots of cycle paths along major roads. I\u0026rsquo;m used to varied forest paths by now, and I get bored on the tarmac. I\u0026rsquo;m also a bit slow, I haven\u0026rsquo;t quite found my rhythm yet. But when a forest path finally appears, I can\u0026rsquo;t wipe the grin off my face.\nIt took a lot of effort to find a place to sleep again. I always hope that someone will happen to be outside on their farm, smile broadly at me as they pass by and throw me a place to sleep. That has happened to me before, but mostly I have to ring doorbells. This moment feels very vulnerable. I have no idea who will be behind the door, what mood they are in, whether they feel like being wrenched out of their daily routine. And how do I choose where to knock? If there are only a few houses, it\u0026rsquo;s easy. Otherwise, I look for houses that don\u0026rsquo;t seem intimidating. I have to laugh at myself when I don\u0026rsquo;t dare knock on a farmhouse.\nIn the lottery of people, I get a flat share this time, which is also a medieval troupe, and dog Buddy. Lucky draw. I also get Indian food and cake, and get to hear some very funny stories – for example, they tell me about a performance in which they included words containing the syllable \u0026ldquo;met\u0026rdquo; in every sentence. There is a lot of laughter in this house.\nI am happy.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-22-neustart/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-15-220624\"\u003eDay 15: 22.06.24\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally on the road again. In the morning, I collected more material, did some last-minute laptop work and said goodbye to Marei. Marei had noticed how much I liked eating the veggie meatballs (my northern German hosts had a good laugh about that word, so I have to use it anyway) from her fridge, so she gave me a bag of them to take with me. Very good bike protein snack. Then a last hamburger and a bun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Starting new"},{"content":"Days 11-14: 18.06.-21.06.24, a few kilometres and metres When I stop, time flies. Five full days in Hamburg, which I felt had been well spent, but then quickly passed.\nContext-free snapshot: over a coffee and a Franzbrötchen (elbgold!) I let myself be captivated by Martin Suter. I was given The Dark Side of the Moon as a present in the Lüneburg Heath. It\u0026rsquo;s a book that touched me, that I took with me on my travels, but that also leaves a lot to be categorised.\nFranzbrötchen and book luck!\nI had taken some work home with me. The analyses from the last few years had to be handed over to someone else. A small (?) amount of programming still had to be done before I could finally say goodbye to it. I had been working on it for two weeks, then the server was down for the weekend. As soon as I realised that, I rushed off. So 988 km of laptop shaking. In addition to the programming, there were also accounts to be processed and similar things. I can only concentrate on it to a limited extent, so I will hand it in more or less correctly.\nOther people I love have also ended up in Hamburg. I\u0026rsquo;m meeting my godfather Christian for dinner. It\u0026rsquo;s nice that, in addition to our family ties, mountains, adventure and being outdoors also connect us.\nChristian!\nI met Basti on the street in Hamburg when I was last in the city in 2020. He was about to move to Dresden, like the person I was with at the time. We stayed in touch. In Dresden, Berlin, and now Hamburg, we have met again over the past few years. He cooks me a super delicious omelette. He has such a loving, committed world-improver, which makes me happy.\nSuch a lovely breakfast!\nI also use Hamburg as the last planned stop for thorough material maintenance. I modify and add to the bags so that they wobble less. I repair the piezo igniter of my stove. I throw everything through the washing machine, sew holes in my clothes.\nRepairing the piezo igniter!\nMy bike is getting a lot of love: I\u0026rsquo;m having the entire drive replaced. The chainring that broke off at Roth is screaming to be replaced. Two bike shops in Hannover have already failed to remove my crank set for this - apparently it takes a very specific tool. The first bike shop near me to answer the phone says it will be able to convert it for me in no time. Andalusian Bike Store. A team of two best friends (I\u0026rsquo;m sorry, but I can\u0026rsquo;t remember their names, my brain is still tired) run this tiny shop. He repairs the bikes, she does the rest. When I pick up the bike, the boss tells me that she had to phone all over Hamburg to find the tool. I hear that the boss had to get creative in a Syrian way. But they found a solution. I am delighted with this gem, which is the result of so much passion.\nLook after your bike yourself!\nMy repaired bike and me at the bike shop!\nWith a new drive and coffee in my system, I head for a second bike shop: this one offers saddle advice. So far, my seat has been my biggest weakness. Rene from Harry\u0026rsquo;s Rad Station explains to me in great detail what can be wrong with an unsuitable saddle. It is really important to him that I sit correctly on the bike and saddle, so he adjusts both until it fits. This shop is also a pleasure to visit and seems to have become an institution in the neighbourhood. I continue my journey with a smile on my face and my seat bones in good hands.\nLolly!\nNew saddle!\nMarei and her boyfriend are kindly putting up with me in their flat for so long. It\u0026rsquo;s so nice to just coexist with Marei. We go on a fish sandwich trip to the harbour, play games, cook. In my work breaks, we play Mario Kart, and I swear loudly when I crash again. She leaves me water, tea and nuts when I work late.\nBoard game fun!\nFish rolls!\nIt will probably be a late night before I finally say goodbye to two years of work in Oxford and London. What I will be leaving behind feels heavier than the 1.3kg that the laptop officially weighs.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-21-hamburch/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"days-11-14-1806-210624-a-few-kilometres-and-metres\"\u003eDays 11-14: 18.06.-21.06.24, a few kilometres and metres\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I stop, time flies. Five full days in Hamburg, which I felt had been well spent, but then quickly passed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContext-free snapshot: over a coffee and a Franzbrötchen (elbgold!) I let myself be captivated by Martin Suter. I was given \u003cem\u003eThe Dark Side of the Moon\u003c/em\u003e as a present in the Lüneburg Heath. It\u0026rsquo;s a book that touched me, that I took with me on my travels, but that also leaves a lot to be categorised.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hamburch"},{"content":"Day 10: 17 June 2024, 0 km, 0 metres Today at Marei\u0026rsquo;s in Wandsbek, Hamburg. We go for a walk together, cook together, look at the second-hand goods store Stilbruch. Marei and I are very familiar with each other, it\u0026rsquo;s a relaxed relationship.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-17-bei-marei/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-10-17-june-2024-0-km-0-metres\"\u003eDay 10: 17 June 2024, 0 km, 0 metres\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday at Marei\u0026rsquo;s in Wandsbek, Hamburg. We go for a walk together, cook together, look at the second-hand goods store Stilbruch. Marei and I are very familiar with each other, it\u0026rsquo;s a relaxed relationship.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\n\n\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \n    \n\n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n\n    \n        \n    \u003csource data-srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_3855_hu7725443839785449285.webp 400w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu9545013487657526553.webp 600w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu5513376373940261778.webp 800w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu9618230887118660585.webp 1000w\" srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_3855_hu7725443839785449285.webp 400w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu9545013487657526553.webp 600w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu5513376373940261778.webp 800w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu9618230887118660585.webp 1000w\" type=\"image/webp\"\u003e\n    \n\n    \n    \u003csource data-srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_3855_hu3389817199041078712.jpg 400w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu4374394997612531165.jpg 600w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu17648669144003136973.jpg 800w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu3875165320879259323.jpg 1000w\" srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_3855_hu3389817199041078712.jpg 400w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu4374394997612531165.jpg 600w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu17648669144003136973.jpg 800w, /images/2024/06/img_3855_hu3875165320879259323.jpg 1000w\" type=\"image/jpeg\"\u003e\n\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/2024/06/img_3855.jpg\" alt=\"\"  /\u003e\n\u003c/pi","title":"At Marei's"},{"content":"Day 9: 16 June 2024, 105 km, 550 metres of ascent I was awake at 4am today. I imagine that I will arrive in Hamburg in the morning if I leave soon. Then I realise that I am still tired and allow myself to sleep in. It is 8am when I wake up again. As soon as I open my eyes, a couple calls out to me: \u0026ldquo;Breakfast?\u0026rdquo;. They are walking their four dogs – and I say yes.\nNicol and Christof have built a nice life for themselves, and it seems as if they have a lot of time and space for fun and discovery, thanks to the absence of children. We find common ground in festivals, bike tours, music and dog love. Christof invites me on a motorcycle ride through the heath. I\u0026rsquo;ve never been on a motorbike before – so I give it a go (hi mum and dad, I survived ;)). We race through the heathland, over the NATO military training grounds that are open at the weekend. The acceleration on the motorbike is exciting, but at the same time I feel quite unprotected, not having a metal cage around me at such high speeds. I\u0026rsquo;ll stick to my bike in future, but I\u0026rsquo;m grateful that I was able to experience a motorbike ride too.\nI am slowly learning to accept offers of all kinds. In the past, I had often declined because I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to ask too much of people. But people enjoy sharing their lives and getting to know me. I am slowly learning to accept that I am more of a joy than a burden to many people.\nIt is only around 1 p.m. that I get on my bike. Nicole and Christof had invited me to spend the rest of the day there and to leave the next day. But I am happy to (finally) be back on my bike. So I have to say no to this offer again. It is so familiar and I feel so comfortable when I can pedal. The Lüneburg Heath is now really beautiful and varied in terms of landscape. The ground and inclines repeatedly push me to my limits – that\u0026rsquo;s what makes cycling so much fun! On the way into town, I meet a master baker on his way to work. He shows me the way into town around the construction sites, and we ride along side by side for a long time.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t arrive at my school friend Marei\u0026rsquo;s until just before 9pm. Her boyfriend is very experienced in the outdoors and provides me with all the utensils I could need to look after my equipment when I arrive. Marei cooks fried rice. I am again so generously received here. I feel almost too comfortable in the last few days – it feels so easy to have a warm shower and a bed or a couch again and again.\nGet up” at 4 o\u0026rsquo;clock\nReady for motorbike riding\nGustav and I listening to music.\nArriving in the Lüneburg Heath\u0026lt;\nHerd of heathland sheep\nNot fast enough out of the Clickies and I\u0026rsquo;m already lying there\u0026hellip;\nHamburg!\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-16-ja-sagen/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-9-16-june-2024-105-km-550-metres-of-ascent\"\u003eDay 9: 16 June 2024, 105 km, 550 metres of ascent\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was awake at 4am today. I imagine that I will arrive in Hamburg in the morning if I leave soon. Then I realise that I am still tired and allow myself to sleep in. It is 8am when I wake up again. As soon as I open my eyes, a couple calls out to me: \u0026ldquo;Breakfast?\u0026rdquo;. They are walking their four dogs – and I say yes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Saying yes"},{"content":"Day 8: 15 June 2024, 90 km, 230 hm The first day on the European Divide Trail. This is a route that Andy Cox put together and that I want to follow to the Norwegian-Russian border. The trail runs right behind Martina\u0026rsquo;s house and I don\u0026rsquo;t have to ride 50 metres to find it.\nI know that I don\u0026rsquo;t have to ride very far today – I can\u0026rsquo;t manage 200 km all the way to Hamburg to Marei in one day, and over two days they are then very generously divided. So I set off from Hannover at around 12 o\u0026rsquo;clock, saying a heartfelt goodbye to Martina and Mo. Now the road gets really exciting. Andy Cox has put together a really varied route, along paths that are just about passable with my bike – but it\u0026rsquo;s hard work. For the first time, I have to fight mosquitoes and only stop as briefly as necessary. The Arabic sweets that Mo\u0026rsquo;s mother brought with her crumble quickly during the journey, but they still taste delicious.\nThe lady I ring at to ask for a place to sleep doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem very enthusiastic about my request. Nevertheless, she allows me to spend the night in a field. I decide not to put up a tent – I want to keep it dry.\nGet out of Hanover!\nAdjusting the front derailleur.\nI\u0026rsquo;m enjoying the Arabic sweets from Mos Mama\nThe varied paths make you happy.\nThis is the way.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s hard to lift the bike up there.\nSleeping place for the night\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-15-auf-den-european-divide-trail/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-8-15-june-2024-90-km-230-hm\"\u003eDay 8: 15 June 2024, 90 km, 230 hm\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first day on the European Divide Trail. This is a route that Andy Cox put together and that I want to follow to the Norwegian-Russian border. The trail runs right behind Martina\u0026rsquo;s house and I don\u0026rsquo;t have to ride 50 metres to find it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know that I don\u0026rsquo;t have to ride very far today – I can\u0026rsquo;t manage 200 km all the way to Hamburg to Marei in one day, and over two days they are then very generously divided. So I set off from Hannover at around 12 o\u0026rsquo;clock, saying a heartfelt goodbye to Martina and Mo. Now the road gets really exciting. Andy Cox has put together a really varied route, along paths that are just about passable with my bike – but it\u0026rsquo;s hard work. For the first time, I have to fight mosquitoes and only stop as briefly as necessary. The Arabic sweets that Mo\u0026rsquo;s mother brought with her crumble quickly during the journey, but they still taste delicious.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the European Divide Trail"},{"content":"Day 7: 7km, ?hm Today is a day of rest, or Monday. I only manage to cover an estimated 7 km because I (unsuccessfully) go in search of a bicycle shop to have my damaged crank set replaced.\nToday I mainly get to know Mo\u0026rsquo;s family. With Mo\u0026rsquo;s Doma (short for German granny, he was allowed to study and work in her house during Corona) we cook Arabic-delicious. Doma and I are grateful for Mo\u0026rsquo;s cooking skills. Then I get to know his sister and mother, they bring wonderful Arabic sweets (the Maamoul with cardamom awaken an unknown faith). Such wonderful people have shaped him. Mo grew up in Damascus. There is a lot of beauty in the way he combines the two cultures. His German is characterised by the poetic nature of Arabic, he paints pictures with words. When Germany wins the opening game of the European Championship, he is full of wild euphoria. We drive through the city centre in a Smart car, honking our horns. We eat another delicious kebab (supposedly the best in Lower Saxony) and move on to gentle conversations.\nWarm words at breakfast\nWith Mos Doma\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-14-bei-mo/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-7-7km-hm\"\u003eDay 7: 7km, ?hm\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday is a day of rest, or Monday. I only manage to cover an estimated 7 km because I (unsuccessfully) go in search of a bicycle shop to have my damaged crank set replaced.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday I mainly get to know Mo\u0026rsquo;s family. With Mo\u0026rsquo;s Doma (short for German granny, he was allowed to study and work in her house during Corona) we cook Arabic-delicious. Doma and I are grateful for Mo\u0026rsquo;s cooking skills. Then I get to know his sister and mother, they bring wonderful Arabic sweets (the Maamoul with cardamom awaken an unknown faith). Such wonderful people have shaped him. Mo grew up in Damascus. There is a lot of beauty in the way he combines the two cultures. His German is characterised by the poetic nature of Arabic, he paints pictures with words. When Germany wins the opening game of the European Championship, he is full of wild euphoria. We drive through the city centre in a Smart car, honking our horns. We eat another delicious kebab (supposedly the best in Lower Saxony) and move on to gentle conversations.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"At Mo's"},{"content":"Day 6: 13 June 2024, 124 km, 320 metres After a flat share breakfast at Lena\u0026rsquo;s, I was able to start a relatively relaxed day. Today my main goal was to reach Mo. An easy and unspectacular route.\nI was welcomed by Mo and his German family Martina (he calls her aunt, in Arabic), and they immediately asked me what I needed, and I was well looked after. Even my bike got a shower for the first time. I knew that I would feel comfortable with Mo and would enjoy getting to know him better. But Martina is also a special person; she really has a genuine interest and keeps asking us both tricky questions. She asked me what happiness (for me) is. Even though we couldn\u0026rsquo;t answer this question completely, I still found a little bit of it.\nFor Germany\u0026rsquo;s cash bakers\nClean bike!\nMo and I\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-13-zu-mo/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-6-13-june-2024-124-km-320-metres\"\u003eDay 6: 13 June 2024, 124 km, 320 metres\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a flat share breakfast at Lena\u0026rsquo;s, I was able to start a relatively relaxed day. Today my main goal was to reach Mo. An easy and unspectacular route.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was welcomed by Mo and his German family Martina (he calls her aunt, in Arabic), and they immediately asked me what I needed, and I was well looked after. Even my bike got a shower for the first time. I knew that I would feel comfortable with Mo and would enjoy getting to know him better. But Martina is also a special person; she really has a genuine interest and keeps asking us both tricky questions. She asked me what happiness (for me) is. Even though we couldn\u0026rsquo;t answer this question completely, I still found a little bit of it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"To Mo's"},{"content":"Day 5: 12.06.2024, 163km, 1510hm I\u0026rsquo;m awake at 4.30am. I start by repairing my trousers, patching them with glove fabric. After tea and breakfast, I set off in the first rays of sunshine, which don\u0026rsquo;t really warm me up yet.\nI decide where I\u0026rsquo;m going to sleep and plan my route towards Göttingen. It looks hilly, but doable. I\u0026rsquo;m still underestimating it at this point.\nAt the bakery, I\u0026rsquo;m proud when I ask for bread rolls instead of buns for the first time, even though I find the word difficult to say. I then outed myself as Bavarian when I asked for the plum cake. However it is labelled, it is a very welcome and tasty refreshment.\nIt gets challenging. I\u0026rsquo;ve misjudged the distance, metres in altitude and terrain and the path into Göttingen is going to be tough. It\u0026rsquo;s also a lot of meadows and steep, coarse gravel. But it\u0026rsquo;s still great fun - perhaps even more so than before.\nThe hard work is rewarded with a dinner from and in my host Lena\u0026rsquo;s flat share. The flat share is full of colourful political posters and feels lived in and loved. Discussions about language and the extent to which gender attributions and roles are independent of culture keep us awake for a long time. My most dangerous place to sleep so far is probably the mattress, which protrudes a little over the gallery - I can\u0026rsquo;t move too much in my sleep.\nRepair trousers with glove fabric\nIt\u0026rsquo;s cold!\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-12-rennsteig/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-5-12062024-163km-1510hm\"\u003eDay 5: 12.06.2024, 163km, 1510hm\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m awake at 4.30am. I start by repairing my trousers, patching them with glove fabric. After tea and breakfast, I set off in the first rays of sunshine, which don\u0026rsquo;t really warm me up yet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI decide where I\u0026rsquo;m going to sleep and plan my route towards Göttingen. It looks hilly, but doable. I\u0026rsquo;m still underestimating it at this point.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the bakery, I\u0026rsquo;m proud when I ask for bread rolls instead of buns for the first time, even though I find the word difficult to say. I then outed myself as Bavarian when I asked for the plum cake. However it is labelled, it is a very welcome and tasty refreshment.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rennsteig"},{"content":"Day 4: 11.06.2024, 117 km, 1460 m elevation gain Today I travelled back and forth between Thuringia and Bavaria, with so much history of a divided Germany hanging in the beautiful green belt. Across the border, the houses look different, the infrastructure is worse, there are fewer pubs, I am greeted less often. The landscape is exciting, the hills are fun and the paths are more varied - instead of tarmac and simple forest tracks, I have to fight my way up and down more challenging paths for the first time. However, some roadworks force me onto a main road, which I get over as quickly as possible. I enjoy the rough roads all the more - I really feel at home on my bike.\nI wake up in the fire station to a breakfast that is second to none. Thomas had come by early in the morning to provide me with plenty of food. So I can start the day wonderfully and amply fortified. What a crazy thing! I won\u0026rsquo;t forget the Löbelstein fire brigade in a hurry.\nIn between, I take a break to adjust the derailleur and swing. Shortly afterwards, I stop for another non-alcoholic beer in a courtyard café. I receive a warm welcome and am even offered a place to sleep. Unfortunately, I have to decline - I want to get to Göttingen the next day and have a few kilometres to do.\nIn the evening, I cycle on in the evening sun - beautiful, but I\u0026rsquo;m starting to worry about where I\u0026rsquo;m going to sleep. After I catch two somewhat grumpy people looking for a place to sleep, I consider spending the night outside. After a refreshing dip in the Ilm, I snuggle up next to my bike in the sparrow house.\nFire engine and bicycle\nBreakfast for kings thanks to Thoma\nSlate (could not be this photo)\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-11-deutsch-deutsche-grenzen/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-4-11062024-117-km-1460-m-elevation-gain\"\u003eDay 4: 11.06.2024, 117 km, 1460 m elevation gain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday I travelled back and forth between Thuringia and Bavaria, with so much history of a divided Germany hanging in the beautiful green belt. Across the border, the houses look different, the infrastructure is worse, there are fewer pubs, I am greeted less often. The landscape is exciting, the hills are fun and the paths are more varied - instead of tarmac and simple forest tracks, I have to fight my way up and down more challenging paths for the first time. However, some roadworks force me onto a main road, which I get over as quickly as possible. I enjoy the rough roads all the more - I really feel at home on my bike.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"German-german border"},{"content":"Day 3: 10.06.2024, 146km, 443hm The last few days have felt rushed, I\u0026rsquo;ve been cycling more for a goal than for the journey. Today I also had the feeling that I had to catch up. Thanks to bike problems, I only cycled \u0026ldquo;just under\u0026rdquo; 160km yesterday instead of 200km and only set off at midday today after a temporary repair. There\u0026rsquo;s a halfway good reason for my time pressure: I want to catch my dear friend Mo in Hanover, so I\u0026rsquo;d better get there before Thursday. At the same time, I\u0026rsquo;m probably putting myself under more stress than necessary and completely forgetting that I\u0026rsquo;m travelling. I hardly allow myself any breaks, and in the few breaks I do take, I squat by the side of the road to fill up on food as quickly as possible.\nSnack break by the wayside\nlunch\nThe hall door snaps me out of my half-sleep. Mrs Seitz is standing in it and invites me upstairs for coffee and breakfast. She seems to be slowly getting used to the stranger and lovingly looks after me. We have a chat with her two-year-old grandson Xaver, who clamours across the corner bench. Well-fuelled, I head from the farm to Roth to 2-wheel müller, who do a lot of work on my bike, at least temporarily.\nI spend most of the day cycling along the Main-Danube Canal, from Roth via Fürth to Bamberg. Everything about me is really dusty from the canal paths. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t realised that we have so much inland shipping in Bavaria. And huge locks to move the big ships!\nMain-Danube_Canal\nI really like Bamberg, it seems to combine colourful people and a beautiful old town. I have to drive round roadworks twice, but from Bamberg onwards I just fly along. Before Coburg, I decide to take a \u0026ldquo;quick\u0026rdquo; ride through the town before looking for a place to sleep - I\u0026rsquo;m not ready to get off yet, my legs still feel fresh. 20:10, I\u0026rsquo;m through the city centre when my sat nav tells me \u0026ldquo;130 m climb\u0026rdquo;. I\u0026rsquo;m not prepared for that. I\u0026rsquo;m worried about how long it will take me and whether I\u0026rsquo;ll find a farmer with space for my tent afterwards. Nothing to do. I drive up with the plan to look for a place to sleep at the top at the first opportunity. I see a group sitting in the house of the volunteer fire brigade and stop.\nCoburg city centre\nAt the top I am rewarded with a view\nStefan, the commander of the Löbelstein volunteer fire brigade, lets me in and invites me to join him. The lads and lasses are just rounding off their 150th anniversary and are always talking enthusiastically about how well everything went and how special this celebration was. Thorsten is sitting opposite me, he is very worried, fascinated and amazed by my journey and pesters me with questions. The others are also curious, and I\u0026rsquo;m fed with Leberkas and lemonade. I feel really welcome, accepted - like a guest of honour. And yet I\u0026rsquo;ve only stumbled through the door. For this encounter alone, I\u0026rsquo;m glad for my mishap - otherwise it wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have happened. I finally manage to actually arrive on the road. I sit with Sascha and Stefan until almost two in the morning.\nLöbelstein fire brigade and me\nI fell into bed with a big grin on my face - in the fire station!\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-10-ankommen/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-3-10062024-146km-443hm\"\u003eDay 3: 10.06.2024, 146km, 443hm\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last few days have felt rushed, I\u0026rsquo;ve been cycling more for a goal than for the journey. Today I also had the feeling that I had to catch up. Thanks to bike problems, I only cycled \u0026ldquo;just under\u0026rdquo; 160km yesterday instead of 200km and only set off at midday today after a temporary repair. There\u0026rsquo;s a halfway good reason for my time pressure: I want to catch my dear friend Mo in Hanover, so I\u0026rsquo;d better get there before Thursday. At the same time, I\u0026rsquo;m probably putting myself under more stress than necessary and completely forgetting that I\u0026rsquo;m travelling. I hardly allow myself any breaks, and in the few breaks I do take, I squat by the side of the road to fill up on food as quickly as possible.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Arriving"},{"content":"Day 2: 09.06.2024, 157km, 772hm An almost explosive crack from my drive train. I stop pedalling and look down between my legs. My chainring has come off.\nI started very early, I was already on my bike before 6:00. I enjoy riding through the villages on Sunday mornings. It\u0026rsquo;s so quiet, so unspoilt. I don\u0026rsquo;t have to worry about cars. The first 50 kilometres are done by 8:15.\nOn the road at dawn\nSunday morning emptiness\nI cross the Danube and have to make small detours to avoid the high water. Then I cycle along the Altmühl for a long time. The route is relatively relaxed, with lots of forest tracks and cycle paths, and I encounter many cyclists on e-bikes. The landscape looks relatively familiar, with forests alternating with fields and a village in between. The poppies are in bloom.\nI had planned to cycle 200 kilometres today and wanted to spend the night with Tim in Erlangen. I\u0026rsquo;d never ridden that far before, but I thought I could do it in good conditions. I actually fought hard. My crankset broke at around kilometre 140. Before that, I had already decided to put my 35kg bike on its side in the face of a hill, refill the drive in the bio engine (the sausage roll I got as a present yesterday) and take a nap.\nWhether it\u0026rsquo;s the heavy luggage or the fact that I\u0026rsquo;m currently out of shape, 140km hasn\u0026rsquo;t been this exhausting for a long time.\nExhausted lunch break at 100km\nUsually, my mood is relatively immune to obstacles and misfortune on such tours. Not today. When my crankset breaks, I\u0026rsquo;m sitting at the side of the road almost crying, and later I\u0026rsquo;m in tears over a non-alcoholic beer at the pub. I feel pretty desperate and alone. I had a hard time letting go of the idea of breaking the 200 kilometre mark today. Maybe I was also worried that instead of heading for a safe place to sleep, I\u0026rsquo;d have to go searching again. And, of course, I\u0026rsquo;m still very attached to the destination rather than the route, so I\u0026rsquo;m missing out a little on enjoying the journey.\nI take a break and clear my head at the Rothsee, into which I hop on my bike. After that, I feel more confident again.\nAm Rothsee\nWhen I\u0026rsquo;m looking for a place to sleep, however, the Franconians are a little more reserved than I had previously experienced with the Upper Bavarians. When the third person tells me \u0026ldquo;Space for your tent? I don\u0026rsquo;t know about that\u0026rdquo; while standing in her large meadow, I am frustrated and worry about finding a place for the night. Then I\u0026rsquo;m lucky: Mrs Seitz is sitting in front of her yellow farmhouse and I approach her. She is reserved, perhaps a little sceptical of strangers, but offers me a place in the hall anyway. She provides me with a cheese sandwich and I get to know her son, daughter-in-law and kitten Molly with her one-month-old cub.\nHello, Molly! (and see the bundle on the far left\nBeautiful light and beautiful cows with the Seitz family\nDespite everything, I\u0026rsquo;ve probably travelled further today than ever before, so I should actually be proud. I\u0026rsquo;m not that far yet, but I\u0026rsquo;m glad to be warm and safe for the night.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-09-breakdown/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-2-09062024-157km-772hm\"\u003eDay 2: 09.06.2024, 157km, 772hm\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn almost explosive crack from my drive train. I stop pedalling and look down between my legs. My chainring has come off.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI started very early, I was already on my bike before 6:00. I enjoy riding through the villages on Sunday mornings. It\u0026rsquo;s so quiet, so unspoilt. I don\u0026rsquo;t have to worry about cars. The first 50 kilometres are done by 8:15.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Breakdown"},{"content":"Day 1: 08.06.2024, 83km, 333m elevation gain My shoes click into my pedals, left, right. Right? Right? The right one takes a bit of fiddling before I find it. Click. I’m rolling already. I can feel the bike translate me pushing into my pedals into meters on the smooth road. I see my mom and brother shrink behind me, my dad pedaling beside me.\nBye, Family!\nI started a bike trip today. I’m planning to cycle all the way north (not quite to the northern cape, but near there) and then back south through Finland and the Baltic States. I started at my parent‘s place, just south of Munich. I have no idea how long it will take me.\nThe label on my tea-baggie made me chuckle. It previously held „Blue of London“, now „Gute Laune“-tea – or „good mood“-tea. My life decisions of the past months will hopefully prove a switch from my Blue(s) of London to Good Moods. For those who don’t know: I quit the PhD I started in London, I’m cycling now, have no idea what will be after that. I do know that that PhD was not the one for me. I’m happy with my decision and curious about the future.\nToday, I started in the late afternoon and cycled a bit past Freising. Except for the hasty decision to start cycling today after all, it was fairly uneventful. My dad accompanied me the first 40km to Garching. On the way, we stopped to visit my grandma in the hospital.\nThe weather of the last few days blew some trees onto the track – I learned that once I take the panniers off my bike, I can lift it to about chest height. I also learned that I cannot lift it with the panniers still on (believe me, I tried).\nI am very lucky with where I get to sleep. I asked on a big farm, and Georg offered me his Jägerstube („hunter’s parlour“?). I’m sleeping in a heated little cabin, and could even take an outdoor shower. AND I got lots to eat for dinner – I obviously didn’t ask for it, but – merci Georg.\nI’m pushing to reach Erlangen tomorrow, roughly 200k. I’ve never done that long a distance, but am curious about how that will go.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/posts/2024-06-08-gute-laune-instead-of-blues-of-london/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"day-1-08062024-83km-333m-elevation-gain\"\u003eDay 1: 08.06.2024, 83km, 333m elevation gain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy shoes click into my pedals, left, right. Right? Right? The right one takes a bit of fiddling before I find it. Click. I’m rolling already. I can feel the bike translate me pushing into my pedals into meters on the smooth road. I see my mom and brother shrink behind me, my dad pedaling beside me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\n\n\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \n    \n\n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n        \n            \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n        \n    \n\n    \n        \n    \u003csource data-srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu6812454084660240251.webp 400w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu14204094562655262979.webp 600w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu17450284442639631137.webp 800w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu10287760000479318581.webp 1000w\" srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu6812454084660240251.webp 400w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu14204094562655262979.webp 600w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu17450284442639631137.webp 800w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu10287760000479318581.webp 1000w\" type=\"image/webp\"\u003e\n    \n\n    \n    \u003csource data-srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu6719051360550159974.jpg 400w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu13619128268589885998.jpg 600w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu6216336023157788555.jpg 800w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu16248525782409851998.jpg 1000w\" srcset=\"/images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu6719051360550159974.jpg 400w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu13619128268589885998.jpg 600w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu6216336023157788555.jpg 800w, /images/2024/06/img_0001-1_hu16248525782409851998.jpg 1000w\" type=\"image/jpeg\"\u003e\n\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/2024/06/img_0001-1.jpg\" alt=\"Bye, Family!\"  title=\"Bye, Family!\"  /\u003e\n\u003c/pi","title":"„Gute Laune“ instead of Blue(s) of London"},{"content":"Who we are The address of our website is: https://emma-unterwegs.net\nEmbedded content from other websites Posts on this website may contain embedded content (e.g. videos, images, posts, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor had visited the other website.\nThese websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking services and record your interaction with this embedded content, including your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to this website.\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/pages/dataprotection/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"who-we-are\"\u003eWho we are\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe address of our website is: \n\u003ca href=\"https://emma-unterwegs.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehttps://emma-unterwegs.net\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"embedded-content-from-other-websites\"\u003eEmbedded content from other websites\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePosts on this website may contain embedded content (e.g. videos, images, posts, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor had visited the other website.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking services and record your interaction with this embedded content, including your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to this website.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Data protection policy"},{"content":" www.emma-unterwegs.net ist the blog space for\nEmma Müller-Seydlitz\nJosefstr. 8a\n82041 Deisenhofen\nGermany\nE-Mail: emma@emma-unterwegs.net\nTelefon: +49-89-20977812\n","permalink":"https://dev.emma-unterwegs.net/en/pages/imprint/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.emma-unterwegs.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewww.emma-unterwegs.net\u003c/a\u003e ist the blog space for\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma Müller-Seydlitz\u003cbr\u003e\nJosefstr. 8a\u003cbr\u003e\n82041 Deisenhofen\u003cbr\u003e\nGermany\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eE-Mail: \n\u003ca href=\"mailto:emma@emma-unterwegs.net\"\u003eemma@emma-unterwegs.net\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nTelefon: +49-89-20977812\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Imprint"}]