I wake up at 4 a.m. I didn’t sleep well because of all the mosquito bites and period pains. At least I have plenty of time to find the ferry. It’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’re not allowed in yet. ...

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’ve already climbed an estimated 20 metres in altitude, and I still have 10 metres to go. I can’t turn back. If I don’t keep myself and the bike under control, we’ll fall. Most of the bags are off, but my bike still weighs at least 15 kg. ...

Apparently the Danish equivalent of “Oh, well”. I’m practising this attitude today. I only practice “Pyt” because of the heat. When the asphalt stores it and gives it back to me, 26 degrees are unbearable for me. “Pyt” is the only right answer when my tyre is flat and I try to patch the tubeless tyre. Pyt, when the temporary solution doesn’t hold, the tool is not the right one and I’m sewing the casing with needle and thread at the roadside. ...

I’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’s fun to fly through the countryside, but I’m only sad once, when I don’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. ...

Day 15: 24.06.24 Sometimes the only way to get around is to hop. That’s how I feel right now. Since I arrived at my sleeping place, I’ve been bubbling over with joy and happiness. Now I’m going for a walk in this heath landscape. Unfortunately, I can’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. ...

Day 15: 23.06.24 I made it to the sea and to Denmark today. I’m travelling very slowly at the moment. I suspect that it’s because of the changed geometry since the saddle adjustment and I’ll be taking it back tomorrow. Or maybe I lost a lot of fitness during my break in Hamburg. I 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. ...

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. ...

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. Context-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’s a book that touched me, that I took with me on my travels, but that also leaves a lot to be categorised. ...

Day 10: 17 June 2024, 0 km, 0 metres Today at Marei’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’s a relaxed relationship. ...

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: “Breakfast?”. They are walking their four dogs – and I say yes. ...