The sun is shining and we are waking up at the small, but beautiful camp site in Ostheim. No goal is decided today, only that I will cycle around 100Km. We are ready for a new day along «The Iron Curtain»
I quickly pack my bag today and the tent. My plan is to get started as soon as possible, since it is reported rain later today. I want to get as far as possible before this starts.
I have my breakfast at a cafe next to the grocery store. The food is good and should give me energy to keep going for a while. Morten and Kathrine arrived just before I started. They can’t follow all the roads that I cycle, so we agree about some places that we meet from time to time.
It’s irritating to cycle 7,5Km in the wrong direction, but it’s necessary to get back on the route, and I don’t want to miss it.
After cycling through Willmars, I come to a small place called Henneberg. I see this small bicycle repair shop, or should I say backyard? Anyway, he’s really helpful. He looks over my bike, checks if there is any adjustments that needs to me done, and you know what? He did it for free, he said it was respect to do my long distance trip and that this was the smallest thing he could do! THANK YOU!
I follow the road to Mendhausen, this is where Morten and Kathrine are waiting for me. I just have a quick word with them before I continue up the hill.
You can see some watch towers from time to time. At some point, Morten even follow me with his car on the concrete plates. They have my camera now, and sometimes they stop to take pictures while I’m cycling. It’s not often that I get a picture of me while I’m cycling.
It’s not raining yet. I’ve been able to get quite some kilometers, but I know that it’s coming. I’m cycling to Alsleben, which is the place we stop to get some food. This might be the 4th small place we are looking for a place to eat…Not easy!
The rain is getting closer, I can feel some small drops. I’ve told Morten and Kathrine that they can drive ahead to see if they can find a place to stay.
I’m cycling through Hellingen, Lindenau and other smaller communities in between. It’s heavy rain at the moment. Stupid or not, I decided not to take on my rain jacket, since I was already wet from the sweat.
Finally I reach Bad Colberg. I can see Morten’s car standing outside a pension. I’m standing there in the rain and are soaking wet. Morten and Kathrine tells me that we won’t stay there. The guy owning this place seemed creepy and we quickly decided to continue. I looked at the map and agreed with them that Bad Rodach seemed like a place that we could try our luck.
They are following the main road and I stick to the small roads on the mountain side. I can see some people sitting at a cafe, they are just looking at me with big eyes while I’m cycling past them in this heavy rain. Some other cyclists are sitting in a shelter to stay dry, I’m just waiving to them and continue towards Bad Rodach.
I hold a good speed in the rain. I’m getting closer. When I finally arrive in the city center, I can’t see any places to stay. Morten and Kathrine have been looking for a while, but it’s not easy when you drive a car in this traffic. You can’t act like a stupid tourist at all times, people might get angry if you stop here and there.
I’m cycling around the streets in the rain. Finally we decides that we can’t keep going like this, we need to choose. We decide to check in at a hotel.
When I arrived at the hotel, the hotel owner were standing outside and looked at me. You could see a funny reaction in his face when he saw how soaking wet I was, 
he just gasped loudly and told me to get inside.
We checked in at this hotel and went out to get something to eat after a long and warm shower.
The restaurant was a small cosy italian place. The food was good and we relaxed there for a while. Something that I don’t like in most of the countries that I’ve been visiting is that people are allowed to bring their dog to the restaurant. We can easily smell the wet dog coming through the door with his owner. CREEPY!!!!
Back at the hotel. I’m calling Lillian on skype, Morten and Kathrine is tired and are going directly to bed.
The plan tomorrow is basically the same as today…100Km.
Picture album from todays trip:
GPS Data from todays trip:
Norwegian