The cycle across the border from Krusa in Denmark to Flensburg in Germany was a breeze (about 10 kms). Flensburg was a pretty big city, so I looked for a tourist office to get a small map... Well, they had none for free... but gave me the address of the Youth Hostel where I took a bunk for a couple of nights. I would need at least a day here to get used to Germany. I went out for dinner and when I came back, I was surprised to find the YH half filled with "punks" and "skinheads". I tried conversing, but it was difficult as their answers seemed nonsense... After a while, they told me that they were saying exactly the opposite of what they were meaning as a form of affirmation of their identity as well as protest against the establishment. It seems that a lot of the German youth is similarly affected... Ah well, we're all young once...

The next day, I cycled around the city... Found a proper map and a little German dictionary and, to my surprise, while browsing a bike shop, found the exact same (and oh! so comfortable) saddle I had on my bike. So I replaced my torn (and fixed with duct tape) saddle for a new one as well as retaped my handlebars with new cork. This was my birthday present !.

In the morning, the weather was nice and the road relatively flat as I was cycling south. Got to Schlezwig in the late morning and had a snack. I then cycled on to Rendsburg and turned southwest towards Itzehoe, where I spent the night.

The morning was real grey, when I started out it was drizzling, after a few kms it was raining. I hid under a tree and changed to my rain gear and cycled further to Gluckstadt where I took a ferry across the Libe to Wischafen. On the other side the sun was showing itself and a few kilometers later I had to change out of my rain gear as it was getting hot. I then cycled west to Bremerhaven. It was a big city and very busy... so I took a ferry across the Weser into Blexen, cycled a short distance to Nordenham (a much quieter little town) and settled there for the night.

The ride today was beautiful. The sun was shining and the weather cooler... Good cycling weather. I took the time for a few photographs...

A nice collection of windmills.

A field of sunflowers... Don't you just love sunflowers ?

The ancestor of mobile homes ?

By the end of the afternoon I was at Leer and decided to spend the night there. Tomorrow, I'd be entering into Holland.

Germany was a pleasure so far. Though relatively flat, it's prettier than Sweden or Denmark... There are large areas of mixed forests to provide a welcome change of scenery... and the people are generally friendly and helpful. At one point, in a Youth Hostel were I was bunking with 5 other fellows, I had changed my shorts and emptied my pockets of money, but left the money on top of the old shorts in the room. Well, when I noticed later that I had no money, I went back to the room and found that one of the others had covered the cash, so that it wouldn't be obvious, and it was all there. It kind of reaffirms your fate in humankind...