The alarm went off at 4:15 a.m. Admittedly not an ideal start to our trip. And that too: A journey that begins with Deutsche Bahn can only get better. Our very first train was delayed by 50 minutes. So we improvised with another bus and sprinted to the platforms until, after a short debate with the track attendant, we finally made our scheduled connection, satisfied and exhausted. The years of competitive sports training have finally paid off. In the picture you can see our travel backpacks, which weigh a total of 27 kg. Plus hand luggage, that will (have to) be enough for the next 8 months. Since we arrived in Karlsruhe only 20 minutes late, we had time to visit sun-drenched Karlsruhe. In Karlsruhe, that meant going to the castle and back. The zoo was also nice. Even if you can be very critical of zoos, it is nice for the children of low-income parents that they can see some of the enclosures (eg elephants) for free. There aren't too many photographs to show yet. If you want to know how we get on on our trip, you probably won't think of Karlsruhe - but our trip started so unspectacularly. At the moment it doesn't feel like the start of a half-world trip. After all, we are already in Avignon and have therefore already left German soil. Soon there will be something more exotic (hopefully).