The Sun Finally Sets

I sit outside on the sunny cobbled area of the hotel’s restaurant and absorb the typical German environment. Obviously the language I hear, but also the buildings, street names and cacophony from the Harley Davidsons which every now and then trundle past. There’s no mistaking where I am, but it couldn’t be more different from where I’ve been!

There are places I passed through in Norway and Sweden which, if not so densely populated as here, were certainly as traffic congested. But what sets the majority of Scandinavia apart from the rest of Europe is its beauty in remoteness. To ride a hundred miles or more through a wilderness of trees and lakes was very special for me, unique actually. During one such ride my satnav indicated the next junction, a roundabout, was 130 miles away! Over that distance I maybe saw some other motorists, I maybe didn’t, that experience will stay with me, it was a first.

I look forward again to the stunning scenery of Switzerland, Austria and Italy but with that will come tourists! 😆

I’m still captivated by the midnight sun and reflect (no pun intended) about travel experiences. To me the experience of travel encapsulates what we see and how the sights, sounds and smells make us feel but also who we meet.

As I packed the bike up outside the hotel in Germany a van delivery driver pulled up and started speaking to me in German, I again made apologies for only speaking English whereupon he asked me where I’d been, why I was travelling alone and wished me ’safe travels’. As I was thinking how nice people are a lady approached me “Oh you’re going to Sweden”? Having spied Sven sitting proudly on the back of the bike. “No, I’m on my way back” and yet another conversation followed about travel and countries. I rode off west towards Holland just being so taken aback by people, it’s like everybody in the world is lovely, but obviously they’re not, I must just mix in the right circles! 😆

En route to the ferry at Rotterdam I popped in to see Caroline and Richard in Amsterdam. I met them in Spain on my first trip abroad on the bike and we’ve stayed in touch since. It was an absolute pleasure to see them again, even if only for an hour before I headed through the rush hour Amsterdam to Rotterdam traffic!

So now I’m home after 6,000 miles in about 24 days. It was everything I hoped for and more! When you are in a place, that becomes the norm, maybe it’s only when you look back at it from home you appreciate it in its fullness?

I loved my time up there in the north, and I’m loving looking back at it.

Thank you again all for following me, until next time.

To be continued……..

On 30th July I head off again, fortunately it’s not 1914 because I’m heading to The Western Front with fellow biker buddies Ray and Ken. It’s a strictly low mileage affair, a history tour of the British sector of the First World War Western Front. I’m not sure if there will be a blog, but after about a week in the trenches they are retreating back to Blighty, whilst I head into France and then maybe a bit of Channel Island hopping before coming home? As I’ve said before, watch this space…..