Water sources

Day #3

Sunday, 03.05.

After realizing that I'm missing a page to publish my reports, I still have to start writing. Even if it’s just in an SMS as a temporary storage for a later time. Otherwise, with so many impressions, it will soon become impossible to note everything or even the essential parts.

Outsourced memory.

Today begins with a sunny start to the day, after our tarps protected us from rain during the night.

Dave is awake before me again... I guess I have to get used to that.

After breakfast, we follow the daily routine of packing up and loading the bicycles.

Once everything is done, we push the bikes onto the road.

First destination:

Bakery.

Breakfast, coffee, and toilets with running water.

This ends up being an extended stop. But it’s worth it. After eating well and being recharged, packed with supplies for the day, we hit the kilometers.

Continuing along the EuroVelo II, the route takes us through beautiful and varied landscapes.

Wide fields and riverside paths in the woods.

Rheda-Wiedenbrück surprises with a charming old town.

Which soon lies behind us.

Because there is still so much ahead of us waiting to be 'discovered'.

A later glance at the distance traveled shows that there were some significant detours, but they are gladly accepted.

If it means riding through beautiful forests, along winding bike paths, past rivers, all with incredibly little traffic.

It’s easy to rack up kilometers.

And so, later in the afternoon, it’s a welcome challenge to tackle the first inclines.

A few raindrops come down, but they are very welcome while climbing and sweating.

We are rewarded with long descents through hilly meadows and expansive canola fields, so bright that it appears the sun is shining.

Before the search for a place for the night begins, we fortunately pass by a source where we can refill our bottles.

A young guy filling water there tells us that many come to get their water, and one has to wait in line in the mornings.

He is currently filling up 250 liters for his parents.

We are lucky and find a little copse in the fields shortly after, which provides us with a perfect, secluded spot for the night away from the bike path.

So we start over, set everything up again. By now, we are both more experienced, so it goes quickly. Even if it takes about two hours until dinner, which consists of a block of tofu on rolls with chocolate rolls for dessert.

After Dave lays down on the hammock a bit too enthusiastically and flips backward, it’s dark, and we fall asleep to the concert of frogs.

The hammock gently sways in the wind.