Tilting Against Wind

Current Location:Gluckstadt, Germany

First and foremost I have to thank Elizabeth and her family for hosting me in Austria.  For those that don’t remember ElizabethI met her wwoofing on a farm in the Bay of Islands.  It just so happens that when I turned up she was about to drive around the country doing a series of tests to try and get into university.  This meant I got to tag along and travelled through 6 of the 9 provinces of Austria and did some sight-seeing along the way.  It was really a treat to get to drive through the Alps and not have to cycle them, they are mighty and fierce sometimes.  The BBQ the day I arrived was especially nice, I have started to really miss them as I’m cycling around I smell them more and more.  I wish I could just sit down and enjoy some braats!

I left St. Valentin with some extra time to spare (I thought) in which to make it to Copenhagen in time to meet mom and dad but  it looks now like I’ll make it just in time.  I’ve finished the Elbe river today and am still 2 days ride from the border to Denmark and then from there 2 more days to ride to Copenhagen.  The wind has been against me the whole 5 days spent on the river, it’s something that doesn’t really bother me but it does end up wearing me down by the end of the day.

The Elbe river was nice, but not nearly as spectacular as the Donau though I hear I missed the best part which is the section from Prague into Dresden.  I did end up catching a train from Passau to Dresden last Sunday, 7 hours on the train for 40 euro I thought was a deal which I couldn’t pass up for the chance to meet up with mom and dad.  I wonder if I can answer yes when people ask me if I cycled the whole way now. 

I’m guessing at this point I’m starting to look a bit feral as I think it’s been 7 days since I’ve shaved, I’m gonna try and see how long it goes before people start running away from me.  The camping along the way has only gotten easier, in fact one night I stopped for water and a beer at a bar and the bar owner offered out of the blue to let me camp along side the Elbe river.  With an invitation like that I figured it was alright to have another beer and call it a day.

I know I haven’t posted pictures in a while, i’ll get to those in Copenhagen when I should have some free time.