Riding was enjoyable yesterday, I felt more comfortable on the bike and my feet issue was less noticeable. We alternated riding on the highway and on smaller roads since we had quite a distance to cover going towards Apeldorn in Holland to stay with relatives of Anneli.
almost at destination, getting off the busy highway and out of the heavy wind
The weather was tricky and we kept raingear on for most of the time, even though we didn’t get much rain we got plenty of wind and arrived at our destination quite tired. A rich dinner was prepared and following that an Estonian sauna – all a treat for our tired bodies. We had a really nice evening and a very much needed and enjoyable sleep.
Today, we have a bit of a lazy day, only 160 kilometre to cover to the ferry so we could sleep in and have a long breakfast. Up next is a bicycle tour to see some countryside and get exercise. I try to get better at taking pictures to post…
Our hotel in Lübeck was nice and the only downside was the traffic that woke me up rather early. I’ve had a hard time sleeping lately since it is hard not to worry about my stupid feet issues so I need every hour I can get. Today we had a nice breakfast and I even spotted a Swedish actor, Johannes Brost, in the small breakfast room. The first destination of the day was the biker stores Polo and Louis. I was in search for boots, with softer and thicker soles. Unfortunately, I did not find any and realised that I won’t be able to find any new shoes that suit me now when my issues are so bad. I can hardly walk with any shoes without them pressing on the upper side of my feet and causes tickling, finding new ones seem impossible at the moment. This really dampened my spirit and I lost motivation to shop at all. In the end, I bought a wind stopper scarf, with the motivation that I can use it while hiking as well.
While riding I was meditating on the thought of vibrations. While I never have had problems with vibrations before it is a fact that twin engines vibrate. But what has happened now? Has the bike changed or have I? Am I more sensitive to vibrations now? I feel them all over my body while riding and I can’t really say if it used to be like this. I have travelled long distances before without these problems. But, and now I quote a bunch of people, “just because I have been able to do something before does not mean that I can do it now.” And if the bike has changed, what caused that? It is clear that the vibrations comes from the engine, because it varies with rpm rather than speed and disappears when I pull the clutch. Another problem that appeared is the angle of my feet/knee and the nerves that get pinched when I bend my leg. This causes a more direct problem than the vibrations but is also a problem I never have had before.
I was thinking about this for many kilometres and compared different options and ways to handle it. What in the end picked up my spirit was the queue to the Elb ferry, well, not the queue itself but the fact that we could surf a 3 km long queue and get right on the the ferry. Suddenly I felt the benefit of riding a bike. After the short ferry ride we rode up to Cuxhaven for a meal and then on to Bremerhaven. And finally, I enjoyed riding again. Unfortunately my left foot behaved weirdly once I got off the bike and we started our evening walk.
apfelstrudel is indeed a good thing
A rather depressing post today, but in Cuxhaven we had really nice meal and the riding after the ferry was inspiring and scenic. Sometimes I have a hard time finding the good bits, but there is always something if I put an effort in finding it.
The thanks of the day go Anneli who put up with my sulkiness.
After a nice breakfast in the morning sun we set off together to ride some twisty bits in Skåne before leaving the country.
getting prepared to ride out
We saw plenty of wildlife as well, deers, cranes and birds of prey. We took farewell of our hosts in Malmö and headed for the bridge to Denmark.
Bye bye Carola and Jessica, a shame you couldn’t come with us
The weather was perfect for riding and we pushed on and passed Denmark so fast I feel sorry for the country. We did stop for coffee and winerbröd but there is no picture proof of that, unfortunately. My feet were bothering me less today and I felt happy about that. Soon we were in Rödby and entered the ferry to Puttgarden in Germany. We had a late lunch and I even managed a micro sleep before we reached the shore.
a German style dinner
Our destination, Lübeck, was reached early in the evening and there was time for a stroll, including appetizer, dinner and coffee. It would have been perfect if not for my left foot, which has been acting up weirdly and giving me a hard time not to worry.
