Roadtrip Croatia April 2024

On April 8th I set off in my bus towards Croatia. As I left late, I didn't get very far. I don't even remember where I spent the first night. But I do know that I spent the next day in and around Moritzburg. It was wonderfully warm and I went swimming. My first time swimming in the lake this year! As I had my bike with me, I cycled the 13 km round trip around the lake. A very, very beautiful route. I used the day to recover from the marathon of the last few days. My birthday on Thursday, the party on Friday, a seminar all weekend with leaving the house at 8 a.m.... and on Monday handing over the apartment and then setting off. Phew. So I slept and rested by the lake. Then I decided that I didn't feel like driving on the motorway, and as the route through the country and therefore without tolls and vignettes is only 20 km longer, and time is not an issue for me at the moment, it was a good decision for me. The fuel was already running low near Dresden, so in the evening I crossed the border into the Czech Republic and parked in a hiking car park. I was in the area with Bernhard last year. We met Elke and Mathias in the restaurant that I just drove past again... The next day I was able to fill up with diesel for an unbeatable price of 1.54 euros per litre. I also filled up my 20 litre canister, the contents of which had allowed me to drive across the border in a relaxed manner yesterday...

I find it absurd to just speed along the motorway to get from A to B when I have time. I really enjoyed the drive through the Czech Republic, cruising along the country roads at 80 km/h, stopping here and there, overtaking and not letting it bother me. While driving, I noticed how many death crosses are on the right and left of the country roads. After two days of driving through the Czech Republic, however, I know why. They drive like crazy. Twice, trucks drove so close to me and stayed so close behind me that I was scared. I then signaled right and moved to the very right of my lane to invite him to overtake. He didn't understand the invitation, but at least he kept his distance for a short time. I just thought that if I suddenly had to brake, for whatever reason, he would push me forward because there wasn't enough space for reaction time. It felt like he was driving 3 meters behind me, so I could see the monster in the mirror. Scary! Then the Czechs overtake in the most unlikely places, so that my heart almost stopped once and I had to brake so that he could get back into the right lane in time and not collide with oncoming traffic. They overtake before bends and hills that you can't see - it doesn't matter - the main thing is that they're faster than me. INSANE!

In return, they thank you warmly with a brief flash of your hazard lights when you let them pass. That made me happy, and whenever possible I invited them to overtake (safely!). And I collected hazard light thank yous. I discovered that I enjoy it even more when my "efforts" are appreciated. As soon as I crossed the border into Slovenia, the thank yous were over. And I no longer enjoyed letting the people behind me pass (but of course I did it anyway!). On the other hand, they drive in a much more civilized manner. Appropriate distance, life-affirming overtaking. But no thank yous. And I had so much fun collecting them. What a pity. Incidentally, I do the thank you myself too, for example when someone lets me in in a queue. Then I also flash my hazard lights as a thank you, or alternate between flashing my left and right. Or raise my hand if the driver can see me.

The villages I drove through in the Czech Republic reminded me a lot of Poland and it took me a while to understand where I was and that it wasn't Poland because everything looked the same as there. They are neighbors after all. And before I knew it, I was suddenly (and unintentionally) in Austria. There was no border crossing, just an Austrian village. I was almost frightened because I had hoped to be able to fill up in the Czech Republic again. I find it remarkable that everything in Austria looked much neater and more domesticated than in the Czech Republic. Fewer forests, more agriculture. And when I had the opportunity to turn left to Slovenia, I did it. As soon as I had crossed the small border bridge, I was greeted by dense forest again. Wonderful. Again less agriculture and more forest and nature left to itself. I spent the night there by a beautiful lake. It was already described in the Park4night app as a fishing lake for the locals, and that everyone drives there in their cars. But most of them didn't stay overnight, they went home in the evening and at 7 a.m. the first people came back to fish. You can cycle around the whole lake - if you dare. I cycled around the lake and there are such huge potholes that you could bury a person in them. Although my Sprinter has a lot of ground clearance, I didn't feel like doing that, especially since I noticed that you can hear the road the same from everywhere and the water looks the same everywhere. So I looked for a cozy spot between the trees and after a swim, cooked a wonderful meal and had my first warm meal since the start of my tour. Up until now I hadn't had the time or the leisure because I had either arrived too late somewhere or just didn't feel like cooking. Or no appetite or both. And I slept really well there. In fact, I felt totally comfortable and therefore safe at the so-called "party lake". Despite the presence of various male anglers scattered around the lake. But there was no one near me and most of them had left. So I had peace and quiet.

I only woke up at around 5 in the morning because it was getting cold, but then I curled up and went back to sleep and then I woke up from an interesting dream thinking, "The dream gave me confidence and hope!" Because that's what the dream was about. It changed from being really horrible and scary to something supportive and benevolent and that's how I woke up. Thank you for this dream!

Because I have so much time, I work on healing every day. I experiment with distant healing on my loved ones and on myself using different approaches and methods and it does me a lot of good. I love having so much time for myself. Even if I am not free of all responsibilities, I still have most of the time just for myself! And I have amazing experiences on my healing journeys.

Now I'm standing here in my bus at a small bathing pond in Austria again, and the long-eared owl is "hooting". It is nesting in the tree directly opposite. A couple who love birds were here earlier and when I spoke to them, they told me that the long-eared owls are nesting around the small lake. And I was allowed to look through their binoculars, but all I could see were the tufted ears sticking out over the nest. It could have been a cat. And now I hear it calling. It's not meowing, it's hooting. Completely different from the plaintive sound of the owl that is so familiar to me from our forests.

I came here because of the Neusiedlersee National Park, which has an Austrian and a Hungarian side. I also didn't realise that I would also be driving through Hungary. My geographical and other knowledge of Eastern Europe could be improved. In Slovenia I waited for the next petrol station to find out what currency they use. When the station showed 1.56 euros, I was happy. About the euro and the "cheap" diesel, and I filled up again straight away. Then I parked my bus at the station and got my bike out because there was a stand selling organic asparagus a little way down the road. I felt like it. Even though the fridge is still full of food, it will keep in the fridge for a few days and then I'm looking forward to a delicious asparagus meal. I've got eggs and potatoes too, all I need is butter... but I'm sure I can get that anywhere when it cools down a bit.

At the moment I couldn't transport them on the bike, at least not in solid form. It was much too hot for that today. In general, I've been really lucky with the weather so far. Except for the one day when I was in Poland, er, I mean the Czech Republic, and it rained all night and all morning. Now I'm so far south that it feels like Italy. And like summer anyway. And that in April! That's crazy! It's much too hot for this time of year. Today, according to the app, it was 21 degrees here in Illmitz, the closest town to my parking space by the pond, even though it's called Apeltoner Badeteich, which is the closest town south of here, but a bit further away than Illmitz. In any case, it was a really good decision to go to the lake because of the heat. Up until now I had deliberately not looked at the weather app. Except today. With the decision to stay here for another 2 days.

Today, however, it felt almost 30 degrees. Despite the sunscreen, I was burning and I had to swim in ice-cold water several times. In the wind it was maybe 21 degrees, but not bad. And as the wind got less and less over the course of the day, it got hotter and hotter. Really hot. And on Sunday (today is Friday), according to the app, it will be 28 degrees. That's a horrific forecast. When I opened the bus this evening, it was unbearable inside. But I took the indoor sauna as an opportunity to finally wash my hair after a week. The water in the canister was warmed up and I could then dry my hair inside without freezing. So I quickly washed my hair outside in my outdoor shower in a bikini top and shorts (there were still people at the bathing pond) (albeit somewhat makeshift). Great feeling. And then I brushed it outside. Also a great feeling. Now I look and feel like new.

Washing my hair once a week is great. But only when it's warm enough. And then, after a fresh shower, I finally took the time to write a little travel report. I forget everything so quickly with the abundance of impressions! I've only been on the road for 5 days and it feels like at least 10. Now, as I'm writing, one or two things come back to me. For example, my night in the Czech Republic, where I parked by the roadside by the vineyards. And then, while I was walking, I realized that I had parked right next to a small nature reserve! So I set off early in the morning, took some food and drink with me and spent the day walking up and down all the paths around the mountain. Beautiful! And I saw a lizard, but I still have to find out which one it was. Also beautiful! Oh, and I saw a foreskin on the mountain in the Czech Republic too! They're smaller than weasels, but just as agile! I'll have to look up the difference again on the Internet!

And I had to walk through a flock of sheep grazing there, with herders (shepherdess) and their two dogs. I had seen them from a little further away in the evening. It is impressive how immediately the sheep react to the women's calls. They immediately set off in the direction of the call! All of them! And since that day I have seen kestrels every day in the small nature reserve. Here on Lake Neusiedl there are masses of them. They call and fly around everywhere. This place is a total bird paradise anyway, it's amazing what all is out and about here. I also saw a cattle egret (and got to know them, they are quite rare). It looks like a great egret, only in miniature and with a bit of yellow on its head and neck (which I couldn't see without binoculars). My first thought when I saw it was: "a baby great egret", and then I thought to myself, what nonsense. It won't double in size. So I asked the two guys with their mega telescope cameras what kind of bird it was. One was Austrian and I didn't understand half of it, even when I asked again. It sounded like "Kuhrer". So later, when I was calm, I asked someone else about the mini-great egret and he was able to pronounce the word in a way that I understood. Cattle egret. Thank you. You never stop learning. This morning, on the bike ride, I also saw storks up close. They weren't at all disturbed by me. Such beautiful animals! And of course, loads of geese and ducks, seagulls and other water birds. As I said, this is an absolute paradise for them!

I find it quite nice to be without internet most of the time, knowing that my data volume is almost used up and I still need it to find the way to Croatia and let Mr. Google direct me to the parking spaces. So I don't look anything up, but ask the people I meet, assuming I'm in a country whose language I speak, or at least almost...

I notice that it makes a big difference to my nervous system whether I am traveling alone in a country where I don't speak the language or in Austria where everyone understands what I am saying. This makes me feel more secure and more grounded.

But after the weekend with the best weather, I will continue my journey and drive on to Hungary and then Croatia. It's nice that I have parked "by chance" at the nature reserves so far, near Dresden in Moritzburg, then at the Weinparktplatz, and I deliberately chose the national park here. So now I drive from park to park, make day trips and enjoy the nature, the flora and fauna and feel at home there for a short time. The narrower the paths and the less civilisation, the more I can breathe. I long for that! And I am also amazed at how easy it is for me to go into a trance outside in suitable places in nature for healing work. I don't need anything for it, just myself, my voice and the forces of nature, which very obviously support me. In the city, it's not so easy for me!

Now I'm going to go outside and brush my teeth and admire the beautiful starry sky and the thin crescent of the waxing moon.

See you soon!