Day 128 Wednesday 9/11/2016

It snowed again last night.

I did try to leave the campsite leaving no trace of where I had been as usual but you can tell from the picture where I slept last night.
Last night I slept in full clothes, waterproofs, a sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag and bivi bag. Had breakfast in the communal area and left Pippa there as I packed everything up. Tryed to find the owner to pay for last night but they had disappeared when the snow came so a free night for me. Walked 3km back to town as the small road was very slippery, found an bank and then shopping for food and chocolate things for energy. The snow was beginning to melt by then so I tried to ride very carefully. My feet were lovely and warm with plastic bags over my socks, I have not done this for about 5 years when on another cycling trip and my shoes got soaked it kept my socks dry and feet warm.
Rear brakes seized up today, well they froze but being a man and having the right tool for the job I pee’ed on them to fix the problem.
The snow was getting a lot thinner during the day and beginning to melt, the worst part of that was the lumps falling off the trees onto my head.
Just before I reached Zeven a guy pulled over and had a chat with me, he gave me 10 euro’s and a pouch of tobacco, and some treats for Pippa. Made it to the campsite exhausted.
Today 31km.

Day 129

Sleeping bag starting to get damp from Pippa and me both sleeping with our heads inside of it, which is one of the reasons I decided to take a sleeping bag with a man made filling instead of a natural down as it still has good insulation when wet where as a down bag is just a lump of soggy feathers. It is only a 2 season bag with a full length zip so when it’s hot I use it as a duvet and when cold I wear clothes and the bivi bag around it.
I had hoped that I had out ridden the snow but when I woke up I thought it was rain until I left the tent and found it was sleet, but it turned to rain that was better. I bought an hour of WiFi from the office and downloaded more maps to get me to the Nederlands then left site. I had about 50 km to make it to a campsite in Bremen but luckily I found a site in Tarmstedt and pulled over at 2 leaving about 30 ish km for tomorrow. It was a short day but heavy rain in the afternoon made cycling horrible. Had a hot shower and managed to get the water up to scaulding to warm my old bones up. Used the radiators in the toilet block to dry the towel I use for mopping up the tent and to also dry Pippas bed.
Today 21km.

 

Day 130

Up at 7 and straight to the toilet block to dry off my sleeping bag, there was a frost at night and my tent zip had frozen so it took a while to open the tent. I was on the road by 1030 and made good time, there were clear blue skies and Sun but it was cold, but a nice dry cold. I made the campsite at Bremen just after 1 pm and put the tent up to dry the frost/ice that was still on it, then I found a stick and made a new flag pole, I had some problems trying to sew flag around the stick as Pippa wanted to eat the stick/flag pole.

Pippa received 2 Euro from a lady when I stopped at a supermarket earlier today, so she came buy her own treats. As I was cooking dinner I saw the frost creeping up the tent so I new it would be another cold night, so straight to bed to keep warm.
Today 29 km.

Day 131

A very cold night last night, my tent poles froze together and when I was trying to put them away in the morning I had to rub all the joints to melt the ice, all my water bottles also froze up so I had to get warm water from the kitchen to make my morning tea and fill my flask. I left the stove on after using it to try and heat the tent up, and yesterday I’d bought 2 litres of fuel.
It was a very misty morning but the Sun came out and it was warm afternoon.
I was just looking for a place to wild camp and found a campsite. I decided to rent a hut for the night as I felt I needed it, it was expensive but after all that very cold weather a night inside was required.
First night I have not slept in socks, trousers, over trousers etc, the heated mattress was to hot and I had to turn it down during the night.
Today 36km.

Day 132

A cold day but very dry, I had enough clothes on to be warm today. Made it through Kirchatten and onto Garrel where the were about half a dozen sites all next to each other by the lake. When I arrived I called the site manager and he came to the gate, when he saw I was on a push bike he asked if I had a tent, I told him yes, then he offered me a caravan instead at no extra charge, it was an old caravan but still a lot better than sleeping in a tent, he also brought over a small fan heater. Pippa also loved it as there was a lot more room to run about in then the tent. I had the heater in the bedroom and had to open the door during the night as it was to hot, from my experience living on a boat I’ve learned that if you turn the heater off on a cold night in 10 minutes time I’d be freezing again. I had a better nights sleep in the caravan then the hut.
Today 48km.

 

Day 133

This morning it was very frosty again, and I had to pour warm water over my bungee cords yet again as they were frozen in the length and shape they were left in last night. A very cold chilly day, I cycled through Neumarkhausen, Frees and onto Werite where I went past the campsite to do some food shopping before camping. I arrived at the site at 3pm and at 4pm it started raining very heavy, but luckily I was already inside and settled in. I would rather be in a caravan again but at least i have my tent. With any luck it will be a rainy night and warmer.
Almost across Germany now, It should only be about another 2 days.
Today 33km.

Day 134

Paid for the night in the morning and Pippa got a free dog chew, then off. It was a horrible rainy day and the first day on this trip I’ve just been clock watching the odometer and wishing another kilometre goes by, the rain was so hard I did not want to look up unless I had to. I cycled through Sogel and found a campsite at Lathen, I was planning on going another 10km but decided enough was enough, and I’m still about the same distance from Holland. With all this cold weather I’m glad of the flask I was given by TT line ferries.
Today 33km.

Day 135 – Wednesday 16/11/2016

I was up at 7 and it felt warm, I must have been out in the cold to long as I’m sure it was cold. A good day for cycling clear skies and Sun.

I made the Nederlands after 21km and almost straight away I hit crosswinds, something I have not had for over a month. Must be the flat countryside that lets the winds build up. Arrived in Emmen and went to the tourist office for a campsite, they found me one 2km away. When I arrived I met the owner and he told me it was the end of the season and I could camp for free, so I booked in for 2 nights, he offered me the loft of the workshop to stay in out of the rain, when I asked about a washing machine he offered to do it for me, and also invited me around to his sister’s house next door for a traditional Dutch meal. It was a nice meal but more important was it was something different to what I have been eating so far.
Today 42km.