So its been a few days since I've written my last entry.. A fair bit has happened since then. I'll break it down day by day:
Europe - Day 1.
Sailed over from Dover to Dinkirk. Was a beautiful day and nice calm crossing. Got to France around 11 (local time). I proceeded to get lost for about an hour, or so I thought. Turns out I was going the right way but hesitated because I was going through an industrial zone. Got to the Belgian border not long after and met two Manx lads you were cycling through Europe before going back to uni. We met up again in a place called Verne and decided to cycle together to Brugge as this was on my way to the Netherlands.
The cycle paths throughout France and Belgium were amazing. They were smooth to cyke on and rather wide too!
The three of us had cycled as far as a resort town called Oostende before calamity struck. We were cycling over some cobbles when we heard a “Twang" I turned to them and said something (in jest) along the lines of “I hope that was a stone and not a screw!". No sooner had I said that my whole front-right pannier rack snapped, contorted around the forks and threw the pannier it was carrying to the ground. God only knows how I never ended up on the floor, from someone who had been falling over on his bike just by turning to getting out of my SPDs in a split second it was incredible. My momentary celebrations were cut short when j realised what had happened.
The bolt holding the pannier rack in place had snapped in half, leaving part of it in the fork itself. The pannier rack was tightly wrapped around the fork and had snapped three spokes. I should have taken a picture of it, but I was so close to crying I could bring myself to take a photo. The two Manx kids helped me unravel the mess and waited until I had found a local bike shop before saying their goodbyes. I wheeled the bike to a quaint repair shop called Plums. The owner spoke a fair amount if English and told me it'd be repaired by 11 the next day. He also would replace the two separate front pannier racks to a single one.
With a bruised ego and a flinching wallet I unpacked the bike left what I didn't need into the slowly disintegrating laundry bag and went and tried to find a cheap hotel for the night, forgetting I had the unfortunate luck of breaking down in a seaside resort.
I ended up staying in a place called Alpha Hotel which cost me €46. Great.
Spent all night watching National Geographic as that was the only channel that was in English.
Euro Day 2.
Had a rubbish nights sleep. I was so miserable about the bike that I worried what if he couldn't sort the wheel out? A hilariously funny shower (it just didn't make any sense, and I ended up with a flooded bathroom) couldn't even lighten my mood. Finding out how much repairing my bike would cost put me in an even fouler mood. €95. I'm not going to go on about it anymore, I was just glad the bike was fixed.
By midday I was on my way to Brugge. I got there. Got lost. and somehow ended south of where I was meant to be heading. Took me a while to find it but as soon as I found the canal it was plain sailing (cycling) up to the Netherlands. Managed to find a campsite an hour before sunset. Despite not cycling far, I was emotionally shattered!
Euro Day 3.
Set off around 8. Headed south east back into Belgium and towards Antwerp. Pretty much motorways all the way there (even the motorways had cycle paths!!! Albeit they ran parallel to them about 10m away) Antwerp was a lot more navigable than Brugge and despite me wanting to get back into the Netherlands (still heading east) I found a campsite east of Antwerp where they had a restaurant. I had lasagne and two pints of lager before settling down for the night.
Euro Day 4.
As much as day 3 was following motorways, today was all about canals. My aim for today was to get to Germany. I was slightly annoyed that I seemed to be peeling a lot of miles but not really getting anywhere. I'm so stuck for time as have to be in Russia by the 24th, that I'm going to have to skip chunks of this trip out and catch trains. Not really how I wanted to do it but you've got to be realistic about your goals.
I never got to where I had intended to for the night which I was a bit gutted about, half because of windy canals and roads and half because of the heat. Its been soooooo hot the last couple of days I'm having to carry around with me about a gallon of water.
Anyway I was struggling to find somewhere to call for the night (I just within the German border) when I saw a sign for camping. There was a woman watering her plants outside her house and I thought to myself:
“GCSE German - ACTIVATE!!!"
Needless to say I failed miserably. Thankfully I had picked up a few words for camping from signs and what not that we were able to understand each other enough. She sent me to speak to a man in a tractor who spoke Joskin German because I couldn't understand a word he was saying. With enough miming I went through to what can only be described as a geriatric campsite. The tractor guy came round with a glass of orange fanta and asked for €10. He couldn't believe how much I was carrying in my bike and e even got what looked like his apprentice to point and be amazed at the way I unpacked everything.
Euro Day 5.
The shower in the old peoples caravan home was amazing. It was like having a fire engine blast you.
This was to be my first real day in Germany, but it was almost my last cycling. I was so angry. The German cycle paths were awful. They were bumpy, they had grown trees next to them too so the roots of the trees lifted and cracked the ground. I was actually trying my hardest not to throw my bike on the ground with rage. I don't know what had gotten over me, perhaps it was because I had it so good in Belgium France and The Netherlands that I couldn't believe how poorly maintained the German paths were.
Once I had gotten past Düsseldorf they were a bit better but not fantastic. It wasn't until ⅔ through the day that I talked to a Croatian guy and realised that I don't have to use the cycle paths. After that I flew through to my destination, Hagen. German roads were certainly a lot better than their cycle paths. No one honked their horns or shouted at me or even showed any signs of displeasure of me being on the roads so I think I'll stay on them!
Got to a youth hostel in Hagen and got put in a dormnon my own but surrounded by other dorms hosting an under 15s football team. Great.
Spoke to my mam for the first time in a week. Told her about how hot it's been and how I've gotten a fantastic tan, it's just a shame it from my ankles to my thighs; my wrists to my biceps; and my neck and face!
Euro Day 6.
I've actually taken today off from cycling and decided to kip in the hostel for another night. I didn't get much sleep last night because of all the kids making a bloody racket!!
I got up at 7, had breakfast and got ready to go when I just thought “i cant be arsed today"
So today I went into town to pick up some supplies and finally found a place that sold Coleman's fuel.. I'm glad I never cycled today as it absolutely pissed it down with rain. After me bragging to my mam the previous night that I was riding a heat wave to russia, karma decided to open the skies and I got drenched to and from town. its cleared up now but I wouldn't have liked to have been cycling through that I can tell you.
I'm glad that I've taken today off too so I could catch up writing this blog. I need to make sure I don't let it slip otherwise I'll forget the little things!
Anyway I'm going to just chill out now and munch on pomme bears and maoams!
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