On a sunny and cold November-morning I leave my four walls and my bed behind, again. Instead I sit on my fully packed bike manoeuvring through this towns hectic morning traffic.
“Indeed maybe one day I should get a helmet…”
My first coffee break isn’t far. For I only have a few kilometres to do and plenty of time. I’ll be picking someone up to ride along for a day or two. Excited about that and secretly knowing that therefore I, once again managed to outgo the dilemma of how and where to sleep in the woods by myself.
I spend the first part of the day eating with little cycling breaks in between. Until I reach the town I headed towards some 30km away. Sitting next to the river I just had a swim in, I devour a huge portion of pasta. By that time I had already eaten as much as you could fit into two days.
Almost I had forgotten that cyclist-hunger. Especially in the first few days of each trip I could just eat, pretty much all day long with no end. I eat and five minutes later I am hungry again.
Some afternoon coffee and cake later we leave his town. Following little roads through hills and forests, along a river into another part of this country that I don’t know. Chatting and cycling away into the dark.
We reach the little lake, that has been our random destination. None of us knew why and both of us have to discover once again, that camping next to water sounds much more romantic in theory than it looks in practice.
Instead we choose to sleep in the forest with the deers and the lynx. A huge tree makes the pillar of our home. The floor is covered in leaves. The sound of a little running stream and the rustling of the leaves fill our ears.
Are we still that close to the airport? Each landing plane crosses close over our heads, lighting up the forest each time they pass. Absurd. And still the forest might have been too peaceful and idillic without them.
No, 500g of Pasta aren’t too much for two. And there is nothing left for tomorrow.
Yes, my sleeping bag was the best investment I have made so far in my whole life. At least I know now I’ll be warm at night no matter what no matter where. Also tomorrow.
In the morning we cross two hunters entering the forest as we leave. A few words and then we pedal on, already hungry towards the next destination 36km from here.
Thank you for passing by, enjoy your week!
All photos and words are owned by ©kesityu taken and written by myself.