Day Eight

May 28, 2025

20/05/25 - Day Eight

Woke at 5:30 so not to be caught out the farmer whose field I slept in! Tough but necessary wake up, misty morning and very dewy so the tent would have to be dried out later on. I took some time after breaking camp to climb up on the abandoned bridge again and see the view in the morning light. I was rewarded with an even better sight than the evening before - the early bird really does catch the proverbial worm! Maybe it was to be a good omen for the day? My body felt otherwise. I cycled very slowly for a few miles trying to ease myself in.

I came across a small town so decided to ease myself in with some breakfast and a coffee. Egg sandwich munched down and the caffeine starting to hit, I set off on what felt like was going to be a long day. After a chill 8 miles stopped again to dry my tent as the sun had now appeared again and I was hungry too. I sat sunning myself, the tent and my solar panel out, when another cycle tourist suddenly appeared with a fully laden bike. Large bags on front and back, with one being mysteriously double height on the front! He introduced himself as Ahmed, testing all his kit on a short tour near his house in preparation for a journey to Paris to see his sister. He was impressed by my plans.

Now the thing about Ahmed was that he was a complete gear nut. He loved bikes and all the kit for touring. We stood and talked for almost two hours about the best setups - he often paused and thought out loud “what advice can I give you now”! His enthusiasm was fierce and almost became too much at points as he repeated himself. His advice was great though and there were a few really good tips I picked up. He was a very generous man too, hailing from Morocco originally. He gave me bananas, a magnesium tablet, cable ties, and paracord for my journey! Ahmed was a big man, and his sleeping bag alone weighed 3kg due to his bad back - the mysterious double height bag. He had cut down on 36kg of kit, as before he had a trailer, and I still struggled to lift his bike. That’s to say it was considerably heavier than mine! We realised we were going the same way for a little while so set off together chatting and enjoying the company!

Ahmed was telling me about his cycling app and the customisable points of interest filter. Graveyards were where you could normally find a reliable water source so we made for one. And then all too soon we were at Duisburg, I was now heading across the Rhine and further south, Ahmed was finding a camp on this side. We parted ways with a big sweaty hug and his words of wisdom stuck with me... “Be kind to everyone you meet and help those in need, as when you are in need people will help you”. Whatta legend!!

This simple interaction had come at a key moment for me on the trip and now I look back was a turning point. I cycled into Duisburg and recouped with a coffee and some scran. I pressed on some more and came across the charming little town of Klemenplatz. The vibe here was on point: quaint and peaceful. Some old folks played boules in the park and they asked if I wanted to play as I sat and watched them.

After playing a few rounds and being on the winning team - through no work of my own - I took the ferry across the Rhine as I spied some prime looking camp spots. Bugger! I hadn’t any cash, so I reluctantly left my ID with the man and would have to come back in the morning to pay. It took longer than I expected to find some flat ground, but once I did it was perfect. I had found the spot in good time so had time to give my bike some tlc and wash in the Rhine too before bed.