Epilogue

It’s been almost two months since we finished our 3.5-years-long journey on 16th October. We promised to post some updates so here is what has happened over the last weeks:
- We moved in with our parents for the time being
- For the first two weeks we felt physically exhausted and slept or relaxed a lot
- During the first few days we spent hours upon hours dealing with tedious German bureaucracy. Ultimately we reinstated our health insurances and all social insurances. We also managed to claim unemployment benefits (which remained from the time before the journey)
- Eligibility for unemployment benefits require one to submit a certain number of job applications per week and so we started sending some applications straight away. Within days after our return we also started conversations with former workmates
- After two weeks back home we both had the first job interviews, both through job applications and through our professional networks
- Within five weeks we had both signed employment contracts
- Merely one week after signing our contracts we had also signed rental agreements
- On December 2nd we both had the first day at our new jobs

So much for the facts. Everything went much faster and much more seamless than ever expected.
The emotional side of things is less straightforward. In a way it’s a good feeling to be back home. We loved it to change our smelly petrol stove for a fully equipped kitchen, to have a proper bed at the end of each day rather than an inflatable mattress, to wake up in the middle of the night not wondering where on earth we are. We also had a lot of time to prepare for the day of our return which is a clear benefit of cycle touring as opposed to flying. Cycle touring also comes with the benefit of a rather structured day (think of a 40h-week on a bike’s saddle instead of an office chair). Of course cycling is a much more physical type of work but still the daily grind didn’t come as too much of a shock.
Other things are more difficult to get used to. For the best part of the past 3 years we have led a fairly restless life in which constant change was a key element. The fast success in finding jobs and flats was a positive side effect of being that restless. On the other hand those constant changes mean we feel like we ourselves changed a lot. In contrast nothing appears to have changed back home. There are some new shops in our respective home towns, other shops have closed down. Some houses are new, some have fresh paint. But overall changes are miniscule. The one thing that has changed are friends and relatives. Many have married, became parents, bought real estate and so on. Basically their lives have taken a very much different direction than ours. There is a certain distance and for them and us alike it seems difficult to relate to the way things have changed respectively.
Overall – Do we feel as if we fully adapted to our new/old lives? We certainly had a good start but to some degree it’s still work in progress. To use Sir Terry Pratchett’s words once more - ‘Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.’

Update October 2019

Countries visited: Sweden, Germany

Cycled mileage in October: 826.4km
Cycled mileage per country: 44.7km Sweden, 781.7km Germany
Total cycled mileage incl. October: 58,273.8km
October mileage not cycled: 440.8km (Ferry)

Days per country: 3d - Sweden, 13d - Germany
Days cycling: 12d

Technical failures: 3 Punctures

Link to this month's route

We had finished last month in Kungsbacka about 40 kilometres south of Gothenburg. In Kungsbacka we had found a host on Warmshowers (a hospitality network for touring cyclists). The night had been stormy outside and even the next morning the wind was fairly strong. At least it was rather sunny. We got a late start and despite the headwind and the photogenic landscape on the way to Gothenburg we rolled into town in the early afternoon. We had sent requests to a number of Warmshowers members in town but when we checked our emails we hadn't heard back from any of them. Reluctantly we booked a cheap-ish hostel. Together with the booking confirmation we received an invitation from one of the hosts we had texted. Bummer! Needless to say that the hostel booking was non-refundable. We checked in to our rather filthy hostel. Unsurprisingly the price was the only thing it had going for it. We couldn't be bothered to spend much time indoors really and so we just crammed our bags in the ramshackle lockers and went out to explore Gothenburg. We had booked tickets for the ferry to Kiel in Germany for the day after tomorrow. This left us with another day for sightseeing anyway and so we mostly just wandered around aimlessly.

The last kilometres to Gothenburg

Strolling around Gothenburg

After a rather sleepless night in our disgusting hostel we set off to another round of sightseeing the next morning. We explored the historic Haga neighbourhood, the Cathedral, the indoor Fish Market and the Market Hall. By mid-afternoon we were back in the hostel and chatted with other travellers for the remainder of the day.

Market Hall

Cathedral

On the way to the Haga neighbourhood

Fish Market

The next day we were booked on the evening ferry to Kiel. Unfortunately check out at our hostel was at 10am. We persuaded them to let us stay in the communal area and so we put in an admin-day until we left in the late afternoon. We briefly stopped to do some shopping and then we cycled straight to the ferry terminal. Boarding for the sailing had just begun and so we were ushered to the car deck immediately. We parked our bikes in a storage room and then continued to the passenger deck where we checked in to our 2-bed cabin. We had dinner with the stuff we had bought earlier, Dominik popped some anti-nausea pills as he is prone to sea-sickness and then we went straight to bed.

Ready for the sailing to Kiel

Our cabin

Thanks to the anti-nausea pills Dominik slept like a stone while Simon was kept awake by the loud music from the discotheque on the deck underneath. Whoever visited the discotheque – they kept partying until 2am and Simon was rather shattered when we arrived in Kiel just after 9am the next morning. After some rather sunny days in Gothenburg, Germany greeted us with overcast skies and drizzle. It was 4th October and the day before had been German Unity Day. When we arrived in town they were busy cleaning up after the big party. Even though we craved a coffee we couldn't be bothered to stay in the city centre while the cleaning was in full swing. Instead we pushed on and got our well-deserved coffee at a bakery well out of town. The rest of the day went by rather uneventfully. The route could have been nice but it was almost continuous rain. In the evening, drenched and shivering we reached Hennstedt where we had found a Warmshowers host. A hot shower, some delicious pasta and good conversations with our host Jürgen brought a miserable first day back in Germany to a nice ending.

Arrival in Kiel

First kilometres in Germany

On the way south

Waiting out another rain shower

Jürgen had to leave at 7am the next morning and so we got up early as well. We said our farewells and just after dawn we hit the road. Not for long anyway. It was damp and freezing cold. In the next village we sat down in a cafe and decided to wait until the sun was a bit higher. When we left the cafe it turned out Dominik's rear tyre was flat. There was a gas station just down the road so we pushed the bikes there, fixed the puncture and used the compressor at the gas station to inflate the tyre. Today's destination was Hamburg. The shortest route from Hennstedt would have been a mere 70 kilometres but we had elected for the more scenic route along the Elbe river. That route would work out at 120 kilometres. We had found another Warmshowers host in Hamburg and Jochen wouldn't be back home until 8pm anyway. The weather was rather sunny and the route through forests was quite nice. Until the next puncture that is. And the third puncture a mere ten kilometres after the second. Eventually we reached the outskirts of Hamburg in the late afternoon. It was too early to meet with our host Jochen and so we asked Tobias, a friend from Warmshowers, whether he would be in to meeting for a coffee. He was and an hour later we sat in a cosy cafe and were chatting about bicycles and cycle touring. Conveniently the cafe was open till 8pm and so we said farewell to Tobias when the cafe closed and continued straight to Jochen's flat. We parked our bike in the cellar and then we chatted some more.

Sunny weather on the way to Hamburg

Arrival in Hamburg

The next morning Jochen was off early. It was the weekend but he would be on a hike with friends all day. While Jochen was away we were planning to take a day off the bikes and to stroll around Hamburg for a bit. We wandered around the port, the old warehouse district Speicherstadt, the Old Elbe Tunnel and the old town with the famous Town Hall. The weather was rather mixed and it was pretty chilly and so we also spent some time indoors in a cafe. In the late afternoon we slowly walked back to Jochen's flat where we spent some more time exchanging travel stories with our host.

Hamburg old town

Hamburg Port

Old Elbe Tunnel

Speicherstadt

The next morning we got up early but outside it was still freezing cold and so we faffed about for a while. When we left around 10am the temperatures were back to pleasant and there was ample sunshine. We cycled to the Port of Hamburg and took a ferry across the Elbe. From there we continued towards Bremen on the route that Jochen had recommended. It was a nice ride but as always the scenic route was much longer than the direct route. Our friends Judith and Mirko were expecting us in Bremen that night and we had a whopping 130 kilometres to go. It was a slog. Some of the roads were unpaved and fairly muddy and for the second part of the day we had to battle strong headwind. Just after sunset we rolled into town, found our friend's flat and called it a day.

On the ferry across the Elbe

The way to Bremen

We had been chatting with Judith and Mirko until 1am last night and predictably it was quite late when we got up the next morning. During a very late breakfast Judith invited us to stay one more day and we happily accepted. For most of the day we stayed indoors, exchanged travel stories and prepared dinner together.

With our friend Judith in Bremen

The next morning we got a late start and said farewell to our friends. We briefly stopped in the old town and took some pictures of the Market Place, the Town Hall and St. Peter's Church. It was overcast when we left Bremen and it remained like that with some on-and-off drizzle. In the afternoon we reached Vechta. Not much special about the town itself but we had found some cheap accommodation in the centre.

Sightseeing in Bremen

The grey weather continued the next morning but at least it was a bit warmer. Today's destination was Osnabrück where Warmshowers hosts Susanne and Stefan were waiting for us. The ride to Osnabrück was rather uneventful. The only noteworthy sights along the way were a massive stretch of marshland where they were cutting peat. The other sight was the site of the Varus Battle where an alliance of Germanic tribes destroyed three Roman legions in 9AD. After that battle the Romans never again attempted to extend their empire east of the Rhine river.
In the afternoon we reached Osnabrück and quickly found the house of our hosts. After a hot shower and some chatting Susanne and Stefan gave us a quick tour around the old town and through the medieval Town Hall. We rounded off the day with a visit to a local brewery where we had some delicious food – and some beers obviously.

Peat-cutting

Signpost for the site of the Varus Battle

Osnabrück old town

Susanne had to leave for work early the next morning but Stefan had a day off. We had breakfast with Stefan and then he accompanied us for a good 20 kilometres towards the town of Münster. The route he had recommended worked out to be rather beautiful and wouldn't it have been for the strong headwind and the occasional rain showers it would have been an enjoyable day. In the late afternoon we reached Münster where another Warmshowers host was waiting for us. Lars lived in a flat share and soon we sat in the kitchen together with his flatmate Ralf and were exchanging travel stories.

Crossing into our home state North Rhine-Westphalia

After some more chatting during the breakfast we didn't get going before late morning. And we didn't go far. Lars and Ralf wanted to show us the Saturday market and so we joined them for an early lunch at one of the market stalls. We also got to know some more friends of them and ended up chatting with them until mid-afternoon. We were planning to continue to Haltern where we had an invitation from another Warmshowers host. The original plan had been to take a long, if scenic, route but we soon realized it was too late to take the long way. Eventually we said our farewells and left Münster just after 3pm. We elected for the shortest route possible. A mere two hours later we rolled into Haltern. We were welcomed by Sabine and Thorsten and their two kids and invariably we found ourselves with a bottle of beer in our hands chatting about cycle touring. Sabine and Thorsten had done a bicycle trip from Germany to Singapore themselves and so there were a lot of stories and experiences to be discussed. We didn't get to bed until well after midnight.

Posing with our hosts in Münster

On the way to Haltern

Predictably we got up late the next morning. We had planned to cycle on but Sabine invited us to stay longer. After many short nights since our return to Germany we felt shattered and happily accepted. In the afternoon and with the help of some coffee we did find the energy to accompany our hosts on a walk through the heathland around Haltern. There were some scattered rain showers but overall the weather cleared up during the afternoon. After a delicious lunch in an Indian restaurant the weather finally switched to sunny and we spent the rest of the day in the garden of our hosts, chatting some more.

Heathland around Haltern

We didn't get a super early start the next morning but we did manage to leave before noon. We didn't have to go far anyway. Next on was Wesel where new Warmshowers hosts were waiting for us. Nina and Gregor wouldn't be home before 6pm and so we faffed about on the way. The weather was sunny and pleasantly warm and we took some extensive breaks in the sunshine. Just after 5pm we crossed the Rhine river. The first time we saw Germany's most famous river in 3.5 years! Only kilometres later we reached the house of our hosts. We had a nice evening chatting with Nina and Gregor.

On the way to Wesel

Back on the Rhine river

We did get an early start the next morning. Unfortunately the weather was back to overcast and just minutes after leaving the first rain shower started. The rest of the day went by rather uneventfully. In the late afternoon we reached a suburb of Krefeld and took a break in a cafe. Our friends Lina and Christian had invited us to stay with them on the last night of this journey and their flat was just a few kilometres away. They wouldn't be back from work before 5pm and so we had to pass some time. Eventually we left the cafe and cycled the short way into the centre of Krefeld. Lina and Christian welcomed us with some sparkling wine. Later we prepared dinner together and after a lot more chatting we went to bed well after midnight.

Coffee break in Krefeld

With Lina and Christian

The next day was the 16th October 2019 and the last day of this journey. We had embarked on this journey 3.5 years earlier on 16th April 2016. On this morning we were a mere 60 kilometres away from our starting point in Langenfeld. Lina and Christian had to leave early and so we got an early start as well. Against all odds the weather was sunny and we made good progress. We stopped for a second breakfast in Düsseldorf and then we tackled the last kilometres. Eventually we reached the outskirts of Langenfeld and at 1pm we were back where we had started exactly 58,273.8 kilometres earlier. We were welcomed by family and friends and just minutes later new rain started. What a finale!
We will follow up with some thoughts on being back home and with sort of an epilogue shortly. Stay tuned!

Passing through Düsseldorf

Back in Langenfeld

Update September 2019

Countries visited: Ukraine, Poland, Sweden

Cycled mileage in September: 1,684.7km
Cycled mileage per country: 97.9km Ukraine, 1,128.9km Polen, 457.9km Sweden
Total cycled mileage incl. September: 57,447.4km
September mileage not cycled: 172.4km (Ferry)

Days per country: 4d - Ukraine, 20d - Poland, 6d - Sweden
Days cycling: 22d

Technical failures: 2 Punctures

Link to this month's route

We had finished the month of August about 50 kilometres short of Lviv in Ukraine. September started with the same sunny and warm weather that last month had ended with. Even the wind was in our favour and we had bashed out the remaining kilometres to Lviv in no time. It was Sunday and the old town was full of people. We zigzagged through the crowds and eventually found a nice hostel right in the historic centre of town. We dumped our stuff into the room and then we went out and joined the weekend crowds.
The next two days were spent pretty much in the same fashion, doing a bit of sightseeing, enjoying excellent Italian, French and local cuisine and drinking lots of coffee. A saying has it that while most of Ukraine is running on vodka, Lviv is fuelled by coffee. And there were so many coffee places selling excellent brews! The weather stayed sunny for another day but on September 3rd it was pouring down for most of the day. Also the temperatures plummeted to just under 20ºC.

Lviv old town

Lychakiv Cemetery in the outskirts of Lviv

PIZZA!!!!

When we eventually left Lviv the next day it was back to sunny but still rather chilly. We could have easily reached the border crossing to Poland the same day but we didn't have to and we didn't feel like it. Instead we slept in, enjoyed yet another coffee and didn't get going until well after midday. In the last sizeable town before the border we found what was probably the cheapest hotel we ever had in Europe and called it a day.

On the way to the Polish border

After cycling smooth tarmac for most of the last day the bumpy gravel road from the hotel further on to the border was a surprise. It was only about 30 kilometres to go but they took considerably longer than we had expected. Near the last village before the border we cycled past a military training camp and the sound of explosions formed the soundtrack for our last Ukrainian kilometres. When we finally reached the border we were advised that the crossing was solely for motorised vehicles. We stared at the young guard in utter disbelief and of course he did come up with a solution. A young Ukrainian couple in a car was recruited to adopt us as sort of their extended luggage. We cycled alongside their car through all checkpoints, unconvincingly claiming to be passengers of the car. After not even 45 minutes we were officially back in Poland. A great lesson in how to deal with bureaucracy! From the border we continued to the next town. It was quite a bit off our way but we desperately needed a place where we had good mobile reception. Local German radio station Radio RSG had requested an interview with us and all the way from the border we didn't have mobile reception at all. In town there obviously was cellular network and so we gave the interview sitting in a sunny spot right in the middle of the town square. You can check out the interview here (German only). After the interview we pushed on for another 30 kilometres and eventually called it a day at a cosy pension near our route. We had some great conversation with the lovely owners who kindly invited us for dinner and a couple of beers.

Last kilometres in Ukraine

The next morning we had breakfast together, chatted a bit more and were eventually seen off with two bottles of beer for our lunch break. Thank you very much! For much of the day we were cycling along quiet back roads and through forest. Dotted in between were small villages with the odd wooden church or wooden houses. In the afternoon we cycled through a particularly dense stretch of forest. Usually it would've been a bit early for setting up camp but the place was just so beautiful that we did anyway. During our search for the perfect camping spot we had seen traces of all sorts of game and so we shouldn't have been surprised when the night wasn't as quiet as we had expected. There were noises all around us and at the same time it was pitch black night under the trees. Luckily we were tired enough to no worry too much.

Lunch break

Cycling through dense forest

Camping routine

The next day went by rather uneventfully. For the first kilometres we were still riding through beautiful forest but soon the scenery changed and we found ourselves cycling across rolling hills and endless berry plantations, mostly raspberries and blueberries. In the afternoon we reached a small town, found accommodation and did some shopping. Just when were done with everything the first rain started.
When we woke up the next day it was still raining and it was the same picture after breakfast. It didn't require much convincing to extend our stay. Late in the afternoon the rain eventually stopped and we went out so buy some food – just to find all shops closed. We tend to lose track of weekdays and so we had missed that it was Sunday. Ultimately we found a small shop and managed to sort lunch and dinner.

Some more forest...

...and raspberry plantations

The next morning it was back to sunny and we got an early start. Again most of the day went by rather uneventfully. There were more endless fields and meadows and that was pretty much it. The most exciting sight along the way was a majestic oak tree. In the afternoon new clouds appeared and just before the rain started we reached Radom.

Impressive oak tree

Radom

We were expecting an easy 70 kilometres-ride from Radom to Łódź the next morning but things didn't go as planned. The first 40 or so kilometres were easy cycling along fairly quiet roads. Then the bike route we had been following ended. We must have looked confused and soon a local approached us and warned us about the road we were about to take. There would be too many trucks to safely cycle it. We reassessed our plans an opted for a road that looked much smaller on our maps. For the first few kilometres it actually was quite okay but soon traffic increased and there was construction work just about everywhere. Cycling felt seriously dangerous and it definitely sucked big time. By the time we reached town we were so fed up we couldn't be bothered to do any sightseeing apart from a quick visit to the next supermarket.

Łódź

The way out of Łódź the next morning was luckily less of a hassle. Not particularly enjoyable but not dangerous either. In fact the next three days just flew by. The route was easy if rather boring. Endless fields in various states of harvesting, rolling hills and small villages, some picturesque, some not so much.
Three days after leaving Łódź we reached Poznań in the late afternoon. We checked in to a hostel and called it a day. Poznań apparently is one of Poland's prime party destinations and as it was Saturday night it remained noisy until the early morning.

Impressions from the way to Poznań

The next morning was crisp and clear with ample sunshine. Most traces of last night's parties had disappeared when we went out to explore town. Poznań holds a quite significant place in Polish history. It was the capital of Poland in the early Middle Ages and is even considered the cradle of the Polish state. No surprise there were heaps of historic sights to be explored. The most prominent feature certainly was the Stary Rynek, the Old Market Square with its colourful houses and the central Town Hall. We even saw the famous mechanical goats that butt their heads twelve time at noon every day above the clock on the Town Hall's tower. Equally worthwhile was the river island Ostrów Tumski with the monumental cathedral. In the late afternoon we finished sightseeing and rounded off our day with a cold beer.

Old Market Square

Town Hall

The famous mechanical goats

Cathedral

We had planned to put in big miles the next day but the weather was against us. Temperatures had plummeted over night and there was strong north-westerly wind. For the first kilometres we cycled though forest and the trees sort of sheltered us from the headwind. Downside was the sandy ground that slowed us down constantly. Drained from battling headwind and soft sand we threw in the towel after a mere 40 kilometres. The forecast was for another very windy day and so we decided to wait out the bad weather.

Waiting out bad weather

Eventually the weather improved albeit there was still a notable headwind. It was about 300 kilometres more to the Baltic Sea and it was slow progress. The route was again rather boring, lots of agriculture, very little in terms of towns but at least the traffic was quite okay. It really felt like autumn now. In addition to the unrelenting wind temperatures were rather chilly and there were occasional rain showers. After four rather exhausting days we reached the outskirts of Wolin National Park, a stretch of forest, beach and sand dunes along the Baltic Sea coast just east of the German border.
Over the past few days we had done some soul-searching. Should we continue from Poland into Germany or should we extend our journey a bit longer? The prospect of spending another winter on the road wasn't too tempting. In the end we decided we'd finish our journey on October 16th. We had embarked on this journey on April 16th 2016 so it would be a nice symbolic date. This left us with almost four more weeks. How to use them? We elected for taking a ferry from the Polish port of Świnoujście to Ystad in Sweden. We booked the ferry ticket for September 24th which left us with two more days on the Baltic Sea coast.

On our way to the Baltic Sea

After cycling in grey weather since leaving Poznań the sun finally broke through the next morning. It remained sunny for the rest of the day and also for the day after. We used the great weather to do some short hikes along the coast.

Wolin National Park

Our ferry to Ystad left on 24th in the late evening. The weather was back to cloudy and so we stayed as long in our hotel room as they would possibly let us. In the afternoon we cycled the short way to the resort town Międzyzdroje where we passed a bit more time in a cafe. Just before sunset we continued to the ferry terminal in Świnoujście. We checked in, parked our bikes on the side of the car deck and were then ushered to our cabin. We had chosen the cheapest option, bunk beds in a 4-berth cabin. For the rest off the night we enjoyed the company of two snoring Russians.

Cycling to the ferry port in Świnoujście

Aboard the ferry to Ystad

We did manage to get a fair bit of sleep, though, and when the ferry arrived in Ystad just before 7am we felt surprisingly fit. There were no customs or immigration checks and it was still dark when we had left the port. We found a bakery where they were serving breakfast - and most importantly - coffee. By the time we had finished our coffee morning had broken and we got going. The weather was rather grey with fog and high humidity. At least the wind was in our favour and we cruised along on some fantastic cycle ways. Just after 3pm we reached Malmö. Per, a Warmshowers-host, had invited us to stay with him for the night. Unfortunately he would only be back from work at 5pm. We used the waiting time to do a bit of sightseeing, visited Saint Peter's Church, the historic castle and strolled around the old town. Eventually we met with Per at his apartment. We chatted a lot about travelling and had some delicious dinner. Still it had been an exhausting day and we went to bed early.

Cycling to Malmö

Malmö old town

With our host Per

The next morning we had breakfast together. We were faffing about like most mornings and Per had to leave for work before we were even remotely ready to pack up. We faffed about for a bit longer and didn't leave before 9.30am. Most Warmshowers-hosts are fairly relaxed about leaving their flat to us which – positively – surprises us again and again. We had been hoping the sun would break through the dense clouds at some point but unfortunately it remained overcast. The wind was in our favour, though, and we made good progress. By early afternoon we reached Helsingborg. The forecast was for heavy rain during the night and throughout the next day. We checked in to a cheap hostel and booked two nights to wait out the bad weather.

Riding to Helsingborg

Helsingborg

The day after was our first proper sunny day in Sweden. The ride along the Kattegattleden cycle route was also absolutely beautiful. Jungle-like forests, rugged coastline and lush green meadows. In the late afternoon new clouds appeared and we called it a day when we reached sort of a resort town on the coast. Most hotels were already closed for the season and the remaining ones had rather affordable low-season rates. Throughout the night there were on-and-off rain showers and we felt lucky not to be out there in our tent.

Cycling the Kattegattleden

The next morning started with a rain shower and low-hanging clouds remained a topic for the rest of the day. There was still southerly wind and so we cruised along with a nice tailwind. The route was also still rather beautiful and despite the adverse weather it was an enjoyable day.

Waiting out a rain shower

Grey weather on the way along the coast

For a change the next morning started with thick fog. Visibility hardly exceeded 100 metres and it was a bummer to not get to see the landscape really. When we reached Varberg the fog had lifted a bit and at least we got a glimpse of Varberg Fortress. The fog actually gave it sort of a mystical touch. Soon after Varberg the sun broke through and for the rest of the day it was mostly sunny. Unfortunately also the wind changed and we were now battling strong headwind. Still the scenery was absolutely stunning. In the afternoon we reached Kungsbacka. There was another Warmshowers-host waiting for us and again we were too early. We sat down in a cafe, faffed about and eventually it was time to meet with Simon. Together with his girlfriend he lived in a rather unique house in the outskirts of town. Much to our surprise he had built the house all by himself. We chatted for a while and were treated to a delicious dinner. A good way to finish the month of September, the last full calendar month on this journey!

Varberg Fortress

Sunshine after Varberg