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.

Bye, Family!

Bye, Family!

I 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.

The 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.

Today, 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.

The 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).

I 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.

I’m pushing to reach Erlangen tomorrow, roughly 200k. I’ve never done that long a distance, but am curious about how that will go.