A sad farewell and a decision to go!!
So today I bid a sad farewell to Hannah who was getting the train back to the coast and the ferry back to the UK. I am sad she will not join me for the rest of the trip but Cycling to North Cape has always been my dream and her family need her for other adventures. We went to the station and stressed about the logistics of which end would be for bikes but was all very bike organised (German efficiency) and her and her bike disappeared into the correct carriage.

I waved the train off in the manner of a romantic movie; with a tragic parting of the two main characters that you know fate will bring back together for they are soul mates. Then I turned an casually strolled back down platform like I hadn't just done that. I was pretty sure we will get together again, for a start my MTB is at her house, also we've been friends for 15+ yrs so it seems likely. I don't think it would make a great movie though. 2 people who are friends... stay friends, sometimes they go cycling, once they dug a pond, often they get coffee. Next came a flurry of organisation, quite remarkably I managed to:. * Visit the laundrette (the hostel washing machine was broken) * Bought food (slightly random food) * Bought some more Sweden maps (love a map) * Re-packed everything (it hadn't got lighter And checked out of the hostel by 1pm. I even got down the steps of the hostel without crushing any of the passing youths. I felt good and in need of a distraction and not to get bogged down in the actual reality that the adventure was now really beginning and that to complete my goal I had 3,000+ Kilometres to cycle and I'd run out of friends to see me on my way.......I was in fact on the way! I set off for the coast in the hope of catching a night sailing to Sweden. About 40km later I was wondering if this had been a bit ambitious and if hanging out in a cafe for the afternoon might have been a better plan but I was committed. This plan would give me more time to chill out later I reminded myself as the dull 'outskirts of Hamburg' continued. At about 65km I was powering through Lubeck feeling guilty for showing the city no love at all, I'd originally planned to go look at the fact that its centre is basically an island in the centre of Cannels/rivers. I did run into another touring cyclist, though she wasn't riding her touring set up, she greeted me and spoke excellent English (she was a local resident, so had started understandably with German) she was leaving in a few days for a Polish tour. I gave her my Instagram details in the hope she'll be in touch so I could follow her trip.
I've never looked seriously at riding in Poland so I'm very curious to see what its like. I was sad our conversation was so rushed but very unusually for this trip I was on a deadline. I made it to the ferry terminal after a little bit of confusion as to where it was...it being one of those places that says you sail from one place but that isn't actually where the terminal is, only to be met with signs for trucks and signs for cars. No bike and no foot passenger signs. Oh well, deciding the worst that would happen is I'd be in the wrong place, I made like a car, I mean with the panniers on the bike it is practically a box.... maybe they wouldn't notice. All was well, I was allowed through the car check in, they did though recognise I was in fact a bike. I met the other cyclists boarding, as we were all kept together; a Dutch couple with lots of luggage like me and a German travelling very light. The Dutch couple were chatty, they were Scandinavian touring veterans having been all over. They informed me the German chap was staying in hotels but I found out no more about his trip. I wish I'd quizzed the Dutch couple more about routes and roads but I was quite tired and a little embarrassed that when they asked if I'd been through their home town I didn't know, apparently there is a big church... I think this describes everywhere. Europe is rich in churches of all sizes, I should have got out a map and looked but we were then escorted onto the ferry.
I had lots of plans for the ferry, get out all the maps etc. confirm plans for next few days, instead I fell asleep....in my clothes.
When I woke up I was approaching Sweden!

Comments