08/06/2021

08/05/21 at 1:30 a.m.: We wanted an adventure, so we got one. But that doesn’t mean that it will go according to our rules and expectations. Life plays by its own rules. After a three-hour drive and a shopping trip with our last money, we found ourselves full of anticipation in front of a barrier where we were supposed to go to our hotel, which we had booked for the night two days ago. This was our free pass to drive straight to the top by car and only have to drive a few hundred meters to the spring – we had hoped so, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. As we found out, it is usual for a bus to take you to the hotel or for you to be picked up. For a direct trip you need special permits, etc., we know how it is. Damn it.

But of course we didn’t let that get us down and looked for an alternative route. After the third no-entry sign, we became uncomfortable and decided to keep our promise to start directly from the source of the Elbe. So we just unloaded the tandem and started the best training tour we could wish for for the big trip.

Nine kilometers of steep uphill in light to heavy rain. At first we were still warm, but at a height of a thousand meters it was so cold that I was reminded a little of the Wim Hof ​​seminar, where we climbed the Schneekoppe in February wearing only swimming trunks. Nevertheless, we were rewarded with fantastic views and the sight of rushing clouds that seemed to fly through us. Almost at the finish we even passed the hotel that could have made everything so much easier.

On the path from the hotel, which is closed to bicycles, there were deep grooves at regular intervals that would have made it almost impossible to get through with the cargo bike. Because of the length, we would have always hit the back and if we had tried to go through the grooves at an angle, the piano would have tipped over. Somewhat reconciled, having really made the possible possible, we arrived at the spring, completely soaked but happy.

With a delay of almost two days, but with the elation that things are really, really getting started now and that we have kept our promise.

Completely soaked but happy, we filled the small bottle with the Elbe spring water that we had brought with us especially for this purpose. The water will accompany us to the mouth and then be given over to the sea, unspoiled, so to speak. A beautiful image and a poetic idea that Andreas had there.

What was very important to me: that despite the freezing temperatures and the approaching darkness, we find at least a few minutes of silence in which we ask the spirit of the Labe/Elbe for the success of our plan and connect with it, after all, we will now be walking side by side along a long path for three weeks, watching it grow and accompanying it until death, when it enters into something greater. It felt good to have a quiet conversation with this millennia-old energy and I had a good feeling about the Elbe’s benevolence. That will probably sound a bit strange and very esoteric to some people. Ultimately, it is not important to me whether there really is a river spirit, what is important is the inner attitude and the feeling that it gives to get involved, to recognize that we do not have everything in our hands, that there is much more than we believe and can perceive with our often inadequate senses; to give up a large part of the supposed control and simply to strengthen our trust in ourselves and above all our environment and also our respect for it.

Then it was time to go downhill again and we sped down the first kilometer at full speed until Andreas asked: “Where is your backpack?” Andreas decided to jog up and was back in ten minutes with the backpack, which also contained the car keys. Now, on the “downhill ride”, the suspension fork that I had initially complained about proved its worth and when it was almost pitch dark (of course we had no lights with us…) the rear brake suddenly stopped working.

The brake discs were almost glowing and the brake pads were so hot that you could hardly touch them. Of course, after nine kilometers of steep downhill with the weight of both of us, that was really no surprise. After the initial shock, the brakes worked again and, despite not keeping to them, we were glad that fate had prevented us from riding this route with over two hundred kilograms on our backs. It would have taken an eternity, as we could only have ridden at walking pace and it would have used up at least three brake pads, which we obviously didn’t have with us as spares. In total darkness, we recharged the tandem and drove to Mélnik yesterday, where we plan to start the route tomorrow, fresh and alert. Anything else would have made no sense now because of the delay. But we still have over 1000 impressive kilometers left. Wow, this is going to be a ride. Good night and see you tomorrow, my lovelies.

Next entry: The first fifty kilometers are behind us with all our belongings!

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