38 From Fredericia to Fyn - Windy, wild and wonderful!

Advantage of strong wind: the clouds move quickly.

Disadvantage of strong wind: the clouds move quickly :D

This pretty much sums up this stage of the journey. After a slow start in the morning, waiting for the rain to stop and taking advantage of a few rays of sunshine to dry the tent, I crossed the bridge to the island of Fyn (or Fuenen), which I had admired the night before. But even before reaching the bridge, I discovered incredibly delicious wild cherries and had to spend some time harvesting them. By the time I actually started cycling, it felt like noon.

Unfortunately, the sunny weather didn't last long and it was very windy. Luckily, it wasn't a headwind!
If this kind of wind happens in the next few days, I will definitely spend a day in the tent :D

On the bridge over the sea, I almost got blown away, and when I passed by big high-voltage pylons, the wind made them vibrate so strongly that something started to whistle...

Furthermore, it quickly became clear that the island is quite hilly. As soon as I reached the top of one hill, the next one appeared in front of me. It wasn't particularly warm, extremely windy, with occasional rain - but surprisingly, none of that bothered me! It's amazing how much the mood is influenced by one's own mindset and daily disposition.

The great advantage of the hills were the wonderful views of the sea at the top, as well as the small but lovely descents that often led directly towards the sea.

However, with all the luggage, it's best to maintain as much momentum as possible, so I didn't take any photos of many beautiful spots, as it would have required me to slow down - an absolute no-go :D
So you'll have to go there and see for yourselves ;)

I took the first longer break at a small beach where a kite surfer and a windsurfer were in the water. Considering the wind strength, the kite surfer spent more time in the air than in the water, and the windsurfer zoomed past at such high speeds that just watching gave me muscle soreness in my arms :D

Then it was up and down, past fields lined with beautiful wildflowers, always following the Østersøruten, the route I originally planned to follow around the entire Baltic Sea. I would have taken the train to northern Germany and started from there - skipping the entire Netherlands and visits within Germany! Fortunately, my plan didn't work out due to Corona :)

The next break was in Assens. There, I realized that there were still several kilometers to pedal to reach the campsite I had originally planned for the night, and the hills on the way there were not getting any flatter. I admittedly underestimated the size and terrain of Fyn during my rough planning the day before... Additionally, the weather was still unpleasant, so I quickly found a closer shelter. While looking for a toilet, I stumbled upon a small cultural center where I could have charged my phone for free... but I discovered it too late to wait for an hour or so for my smartphone to charge - even though it could have really used it! I had to rely on the power bank instead.

The decision to find a closer shelter was a wise move. Even though this closer point was still quite far away, I was quite relieved to finally arrive there around 8 PM, after covering many kilometers and climbing many hills. It was well worth it because instead of just a camping field, there were three wooden shelters, a campfire area, and even a very well-maintained toilet with running water and soap. Jackpot!

Furthermore, there was already a tent set up from which I could hear regular giggles - so I didn't have to sleep alone there :)

I briefly considered setting up my own tent since I had never spent the night in an open shelter before and couldn't judge how well it would protect me from wind, cold, and animals. But in the end, (thankfully!) tiredness won (or maybe just laziness :D) and I simply unpacked my sleeping mat and sleeping bag, saving myself the potential hassle of a wet tent the next day.

Also, the shelter was perfect for cooking without being bothered by the wind. And after being able to use the luxury of a 'bathroom', I quickly fell asleep, snug and with fresh air around my nose.