I was feeling homesick, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me from enjoying and experiencing every place I go to the fullest.

My next destination, Utrecht Netherlands!

Family and friends were asking me why not Amsterdam? Really with all the big cities I’ve already been to I’m craving something less touristy. Plus I’ve already been there.

This time I booked an Air bnb with a retired couple on their boat. It had about a dozen Staterooms with bunk beds.

Theanis is the skipper and owner of Passengership ‘Ahoy’. Together with his wife Margreet they’ve I’ve been organizing multiple day tours for tourists since 1966. The plan was to slow down and do a bnb, and they have for 30 plus years but now they want to slow down more. They asked me if they new anyone that would buy it ….wink wink! Anyone want to run an boat bnb with me?

 

I stayed two nights here and actually met some amazing people who were traveling. One woman had been traveling, I think she said for few years! She found out she had a terminal illness. Living in the united states, she felt there was limitations and red tape to get over. She had found alternative medical practices in other countries. So she had been traveling all over the world to get the help she needed. What she found was a true holistic approach in combination with medical technology of today. A balance that she could not find in the USA.

I was so inspired by her strength. For her not to let her circumstances or surroundings create reasons to give up. She became proactive against all the odds and it seemed like she was in a place where she was making progress.  We exchanged information because she told me she would be in Finland during the time I would be arriving.

Utrecht ended up being a lively town. I arrived yet again to a town that was having  a music festival. Music from all over the world. The pubs had music, the streets had music, people were even singing in the bathroom :).  It was fun with plenty of great beer!

 

Some very different instruments!

 

Great architecture!

and some sideshows that made me go hmmmm!!???

 

I put this town on the list to visit again. There are a lot places i’d like to stay for a week or two of course. The reality though is this trip has been stretched longer then I thought, it was time to move on!

I headed out for Germany, and I chose hamburg. 443 km and about a 5 hour ride.

I wanted some miles under by belt again. Most of my trips, besides being in the states, have been pretty short rides. It was time to ride some.

Hamburg sits on the Elbe River. I chose it because the town looked very cool, but what I really wanted to do was camp by the river. I never went into the town of Hamburg, I camped just outside of it. I was looking for piece and quite. A little nature if you will. It turned out to be a nice spot for me to catch up on some reading….. Adventure Bike Rider magazine! I met I guy in Bruges at a restaurant who had this in his travel bag. An avid rider himself.  He was inspired by my ride story so he gave it to me to read! With little to no WIFI, and the books I have, I’ve already read, so it was a nice gesture!

I was aloud to camp right on the river! Not many others were around the area. As a matter of fact it was mostly motor homes and I was the only tent. A spectacle yet again!

That night I met a Turkish guy who works there, and he seemed stunned that I came from California. He was very generous and curious. I explained to him at one point I’ll be riding through turkey, and he showed me on the map where the “bad” spots are. He spoke very little English, but I figured out what he was saying.

It was a beautiful night! I ended up skipping dinner because I arrived in town late and nothing around me was open. Luckily though I found some beef jerky in the bottom of my panniers. :)………. A little dry but it was satisfying.

An uneventful night but relaxing and as I headed towards the Scandinavian countries, where I am excited to to camp freely! I’m little run down and i’m looking forward to slowing down.

This trip so far hasn’t been what most people would call a “vacation!” If you try to compare it to the week long trips at pool or beach side, you’ll quickly realize that it’s much different. As my cousin Kaisa says, “Every where, all the time, all at once!” Isn’t for everybody.

ONWARD, and UPWARD!  Next stop denmark!