top of page

My long journey 2019/1
- My personal Way of St. James, 3'229.68 km

Total distance 333.28 km

 

week 1
From Bülach by train to Balsel -
Basel, Rust, Plittersdorf, Germersheim, Mannheim

 

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/HCRr3REixlY

First of all there was the planning, preparation, selection of materials. This also included purchasing the equipment. It all started after my first tour through Northern Germany in 2018. Sometimes my room looked very messy. But it was worth it at least for the beginning (more on that later).

 

I wanted to have my old touring bike repainted. So I expanded everything in my small bicycle workshop until only the bare bicycle frame was left. I took this to my bike dealer Bike Base, who sends the ramen to the factory. But the bicycle ramen miraculously disappeared.
I took it calmly, because I had already thought of getting a new bike. So I came across a bike at a bicycle dealer that I liked straight away, a mid-range bike. I was very taken with Northern Germany and Hamburg from the first tour. And he had a Stevens brand that came from Hamburg. There wasn't much more to think about. Together we turned the bike into a touring bike. Then I did little things in my small workshop. So my new touring bike was born.
The duration of the trip was planned to be 5 weeks. Then it turned out differently.

Sat June 15, 2019
Then the big day of departure, it was Saturday, June 15, 2019. The night before I slept badly with excitement. But that's normal for me.

Diary entry:
Today was the big day, the start of my bike tour. I drove with my packed bike and tour trailer to a friend's house and together we drove to the Bülach train station. Together we took the train to Zurich and said goodbye, etc. Then I looked for the supposed train to Basel, wanted to get on, wasn't really in it, then I heard the most hateful conductor: "You have to detach the trailer"
I returned a little annoyed, I can't just hang out. I actually wanted to say that there is no place on the train for me and my touring bike. I replied analogously that friendliness looked different. He snapped something back, but I turned my back on him and I went to information.

But even there, friendliness was not exactly the order of the day. I then decided to take another train, a loiter, because there is enough space there for me and my equipment. Just like that, I reached the train, got on and, as I would have planned to do with the other train, I then uncoupled the touring trailer. Then I sat down on the bench next to it. As the train set off, the conductor came, a native of Basel. You could tell from his dialect. He kindly praised me for having disconnected my touring trailer and stowing it neatly.

 

When we arrived in Basel, it started to drip ...
... Nevertheless, I only made my way to Rust, my first stop.

 

I made good progress during the day. Later in the afternoon my back started to hurt. Well, I wasn't so used to sitting in the saddle for so long. When I got to Rust, I could barely sit. With a bit of searching, I found the campsite adjacent to the Europapark. I had just finished setting up my tent, showering, and it started to rain. It rained heavily towards the end of the evening. But at some point I fell asleep.

 

Sun June 16, 2019

Got up at 7:30 a.m. today. The day started wonderfully. The sun shone with full force. Not a cloud in the sky. Perfect conditions to continue my bike tour. First I slowly got dressed, sorted my thoughts and realized that I had slept well. Then to the toilet, make breakfast and enjoy the morning.

Then I packed the tent together, but I was still lacking the routine. But I managed that too. Then it started again. My rear had recovered so far from yesterday.

I have a WhatsApp group Bike Traveling, where my friends kept finding out what's going on, where I am, etc. I also wrote yesterday that there was a heavy storm in the form of rain. The tent had proven itself.

My parents wrote today:

"You survived the night well? Do you remember camping in Ticino? Have a good journey". Others also took part in my group, which made me very happy.

I made good progress. Like yesterday, I had a tailwind today. Where exactly my path was going, I left it open, just somehow along the Rhine on the French side and enjoyed the area. Towards midday the sky closed, rain clouds announced. In Müllhausen there was another short downpour, my rainwear had proven itself.

After that the day was wonderful. I enjoyed every minute of the day and got on a little better with the navigation system. On the way I met a family with whom I immediately started talking. I also had brief contact with local residents. I was always welcomed in a friendly manner.

Well, then there was cooking with my gas stove. I had installed the gas cartridge from last year, but it was now empty. When I plugged in the gas bottle with anticipation, turned on the flame ... Well I had fire everywhere, just not where I wanted it. As a reflex I took off the gas bottle. It would have been better to check and replace the rubber O-rings. Because the gasoline came out everywhere. This is how you can destroy a stove, grin.

Then I arrived at the Plittersdorf campsite and registered. The rear didn't hurt as much today as it did the day before. There were 2 girls and somehow we were on the same wavelength. They were a couple and ran the campsite. We got along very well. Inwardly, I knew we would see each other again and again. At that point in time, I didn't even know how right I should be.

I set up the tent again, which went better and then the usual, taking a shower, cooking something and enjoying the evening.

Mon June 17, 2019

The day started well. After getting up, having breakfast and packing up, I said goodbye to Lisa and Mona. It's a little hard for me to walk away from them. But that's just part of the journey. I don't like goodbyes. At the beginning of the day I made good progress.

Then at 3:20 p.m. the Karlsruhe coal-fired power station came into view and I had to cross the Rhine. The bike path was also good and I had to cross the bridge at the power station, which should also be suitable for bicycles. But the good engineers have forgotten that there are also cyclists with luggage and that some crazy ones also had a touring trailer. No, it doesn't have a lift, just a U-rail where the wheels can be pushed up.
So pack everything, unhook the tour trailer and only then carry up the luggage, carry the tour trailer up and then push the bike up. The whole thing down on the other side in reverse order. What annoyed I was.
But the nice thing is, it was beautiful, cloudless weather, almost 35 °, what could be nicer with such an action ...

After that it was nice to drive along the Rhine.

But slowly errors crept into the travel route, I became more melancholy, was often lost in thought. I thought about my life, being my trans woman, etc. For some unknown reason, I was driving around the area. So I lost time, just not going where I wanted to go. And I never wanted to go to GPS if I didn't have to. At some point I realized that I had lost time and would not be able to reach Mannheim.
Around 5 p.m. I checked my mobile phone on Google for a suitable campsite and found one in Germersheim.

Shortly before Germersheim I had to cross the Rhine again to get to the place. I was too tired and exhausted to cycle up to the bridge. So I got off and wanted to go up on my bike.
You won't believe how much energy you have left when a swarm of mosquitoes suddenly attacks you. I've never been so fast on the bike and rode up the bridge.

WhatsApp message to my friends at 9:16 p.m .:
"Arrived in Germersheim. To my horror, the space is only for campers. But the campers are very nice and so I pitched my tent behind the campers. Difficult to see. I'm done."

After I pitched my tent and had something to eat, the couple came from the mobile home where I was hiding behind and offered me a beer spritzer. I do not drink alcohol. But after such a hard, hot day there was nothing better than a cool drink. Then I said goodbye and thanked them because I would leave early the next day. I let the day end in peace and thought about the day. Then I fell asleep.