Distance: 20.4km
Duration: 4.5h and 2h breaks
Weather: sunny, hardly any clouds, hot with up to 30C
The first part of the trip took me along the channel and I was lucky to see a vessel cross the channel over the Elbe when I left the hotel. Afterwards, I passed by the lock of Hohenwarthe which is an impressive lock for industrial shipping. It just makes you feel so tiny and irrelevant as a human being.
For the majority, the route was quite diverse with some shady parts in the forest, paths through small quirky villages or along the meadow along the river. I even took the liberty of having a nap in the meadow under a tree. That to me is absolutely freedom and what I love about this trip amongst other things. At some point, I walked past a massive mine for potassium salt which is being used for fertiliser. I’ve never seen anything like this before and the picture doesn’t do it justice.
The final part took me through a forest full of pine trees. Due to the high temperature, there was the typical smell of the Mediterranean countries when you cross those trees on your way to the beach. I love that smell and it comes with great memories. The only downside was, that there was no beach at the end of this trip. Nonetheless, a nice finish for a hot and exhausting day.
My accommodation was a little village of wooden bungalows in the forest which had the atmosphere of a camping site. It was nice to have a different character and for once, I had a lazy evening as there was only the forest around and no city or village to explore.
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