Day Thirteen

25/05/25 - Day 13

Upon waking this morning I had the (not so) nice surprise that I was a little hungover. The craft beers I was drinking were up to 11% so only myself to blame! It was still raining outside, so I snoozed for as long as I was able, then slowly began to sort my stuff. Just as I heard the last pitter patter, I was stuffing my sleeping bag into it case. What timing! Things might be looking up afterall. 

As I broke down my camp and washed up after last nights meal, I discovered my bags really were waterproof and it was only the clothes that I was wearing that got soaked. Though now they were just a bit soggy, so I wore them - the best way to dry them out! I stopped at a bakery on the way into Mainz, then carried on to the centre in search of a place to watch the mighty Orient in the League One playoff final. I sought out a cracking Irish boozer. 

Walking in to the stench of smoke, there were some old boys playing cards. Needless to say I felt at home. Turns out German sky sports weren’t showing it, so it was a phone jobby. Sipping on pints of Murphy’s then Kilkenny, I watched in despair as Orient went on to lose. I had also put myself accidentally into a chip coma: the groß portion really was! Nevertheless, I pressed on dejectedly, thrashing into the pedals with the might of a gloomy football fan! 

Then the day took an odd turn. Messaging a 'welcometomygarden' host to stay, resulted in cryptic and nonsensical responses. Not knowing whether it was just google translate being Google translate or not I continued trying to communicate with him. From what I could gather he didn’t have a house but was living under a tarpaulin near the train tracks and said I could shower at the gravel hole? It was all a bit weird. Then when I told him I was an Englishman travelling to India - he asked to know more about me - and if he wanted to know anything in particular, this was his response. “Something like that would already be deposited here, I am experienced true years ago times Hospitzclub and similar couchsurfing overumplung I do not like, should be agreed, meeting at the Bhf. [Bahnhoff - station] here is probably the best come to the east side around 19.00 to the bicycle stand Tel is more meaningful, since I only have old IT. Homeless people are enough on the road, I am experienced and damaged... should be clear.. this is not the fine way”. 

At this point I told him I didn’t understand. I was now waiting for the ferry to take me across to the town where he lived, the sky had just turned grey, wind picked up, and started heavily raining. This did not help ease my concerns!! It was 19:20 by the time I had waited for a ferry across. And I received another message from Robert. “Fake and fraud is probably day-to-day business, makes everything sin.... Stinks to heaven. True times at the bhf. no one with wheel and sack seen zackzagzack”. A little disconcerted, I was in two minds. This guy kind of sounds crazy, but maybe that’s why I should meet him! 

In the end I pushed on and found a wild camp, but it plays on my mind: the story that could have been! If I was not alone I would have wanted to go and find out. Alas, it was getting late now, and maybe it was for the best. When I had finally made camp I then had a frightful moment when I thought my stove had broken. My heart sank to my empty stomach. Then just as miraculously as it had broken, it fixed itself, and I went to bed with a fully belly.

Maybe I will be alright at Geoguesser after this trip?

 

Evidence of sogfest 

I like my Germany how I like my techno. INDUSTRIAL!


One day…

Serious portion of chips


Thought these windows were a vibe



Idyllic small town streets which made me happy


Camp

Camp n cook










Comments

  1. Leah RoyallJune 11, 2025 at 12:42 PM

    zackzagzack? Back on track? Louis, I think you dodged a proverbial bullet in steering clear of that guy (however well meaning he might be)…

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So it begins...

Image
      13/05/2025 - Day One My life for the past 6 months has all been leading up to this moment, this day, D day. On the back of a tiring weekend I wasn’t sure I’d have the resources to set off on the 13th, but I made it happen (just about). I still had quite a lot to do this morning so when I finally set off it was around 3:30pm. Jack gave me a great haircut that is reminiscent of something out of Mongol or Mount and Blade : bald except a patch at the back like a horses main. Excellent. With the parents and Archie in tow, we set off down our lane and over the ford. It was a weird feeling cycling away from my house down familiar roads with the knowledge I wouldn’t be back for many months. These familiar sights are to be some of the last for a long time. It didn’t quite feel like I had gone away yet.  We had only got 4 miles when mums tyre went flat. Dad set about trying to locate the puncture as we all looked on with anticipation. Yet despite our best efforts i...
Read more

Day Four

Image
16/05/25 - Day Four I woke to my alarm at 6:30am, the ferry to the Netherlands was at 9am with check in closing 45mins before. After 5 mins of squirming around waking up I braved the chill and unzipped my bag and began packing away my things. I left at 7:20. I hope I get more efficient at breaking camp as I didn’t even cook breakfast, and that just seems like an awfully long time to be faffing around.  I cycled back into Harwich and grabbed a meal deal for the ferry, before rolling down to the port. It’s a bit of kick to cycle through places you would normally drive, like passport control and along the ramparts and onto the ferry. What was even more of a buzz was the euphoria of leaving port, the sense that the journey had only really just begun in earnest! I watched from the outside deck as we pull out of the estuary and into the sea. The journey itself was 8 hours of filling time and completely uneventful, except for being told off for lying down - how naughty of me! I was asked...
Read more

Day Seven

Image
    19/05/25 - Day Seven I struggled to wake up this morning so snoozed till 8am. By the time I had broke camp, cooked and forced down my porridge it was 9:40, so I didn’t hang about. Just before reaching Arnhem, I stopped at the Arnhem and Oosterbeek War Cemetery, commemorating the fallen allied troops (mostly British and 79 Poles) who fought at the battle of Arnhem. This was part of the wider Operation Market Garden in the area, Band of Brothers watchers will remember this. It was a powerful moment as I had the place to myself, and, ever since applying for the marines these types of things have made me more emotional.  After a healthy hit of silent reflection, I mashed the pedals once more, and soon I was sipping coffee in a sunny Arnhem square. I asked the waitress if she knew anywhere I could buy some Oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts), but tis not the season! I cracked on and crossed the river twice on ferries which will never not give me a kick. I then sat ...
Read more