On the road...

Moreover, the mayor is a member of the Green Party and actively promotes ecology in the city. And so the first entirely self-sufficient energy estate was created.

Every day it’s visited by various delegations from around the world. Waste separation awareness and disposal possibilities are also present anywhere in Germany.

 Apparently a group of parents demanded a ban on showering naked at a public pool.

My friend made a splendid comment on this one – Here it’s like in a Muslim country, where it is best to go to the sauna or beach fully dressed.

But not everything is well in Germany.

While cycling through forests and meadows, one sees many hunting blinds.

It seems that the Germans still like to shoot now and then.

At 8 am the next day I left for Frankfurt. The villages along the way were not as captivating as the ones between Hahn and Limburg and the weather went bad. The road varied; sometimes I had to push the bike up some steep uphill roads. Numerous wild apple trees with their delicious fruit made the journey more pleasurable. Bottom line is that after 82 km, I reached the city at 6 pm.

- Well… after all you came to Mother Meera – was her answered.

That convinced me and so I stayed in the forest.
 
Having a bath was no problem. For a small fee Frau Schneider allowed me to use her elegant bathroom.
At the darshana I met a Polish guy who lived in Cologne since the eighties. The next day he took me to Limburg. Alas, shopping didn’t work out. Inflatable mattresses cost an arm and a leg and my sleeping pad is useless. Maybe I should get one from Poland.
 
Oktoberfest is on since yesterday; Germans celebrate.

Today, after the Mass, two nice ladies were handing round fresh, delicious rolls.
 
The weather keeps up in the Mediterranean style.

It’s all damn splendid!

In the woods around 18 km away from Hahn I spent my first night, without water and fuel but with some apples collected along the way and a dry roll from Poland. 

The very next day, things changed. I bought half a liter of gasoline from a gentleman who was filling up, in addition to some water and fruit from a nearby supermarket.

I spent my second night in the Rhine valley, just by the river – it was like a fairy tale. The water temperature wasn’t too encouraging but given the need to wash, as well as the magic of the place, straight after dark I dived into the cool depths as if it was Ganges itself.

I fell in love in Germany at first sight, meaning my first longer stay in the autumn of 2010. This present stay only confirms my feelings. Traveling by bike in Germany is exquisite. The drivers treat the cyclists like sacred cows. They don’t blow the horn nor do they run the cyclists over.

Bike trails are everywhere, 
meandering through picturesque landscapes (and not just marked with a white stripe on the pavement… my dear Mayor Majcher). Everything is precisely signposted and the German people I’ve encountered have been generally friendly and helpful.

The towns on the way are absolutely wonderful. I wish the Euro was cheaper... but it’s not, just to spite!

What's more ... the merchandise in the stores is overly ordered. Petrol is seemingly of better quality, coz the Primus gives a nice, blue flame and doesn’t soot the pot.
Unfortunately the bike doesn’t raise any interest! Apparently people are accustomed to eccentricities to the west of Poland but not to the east.

As for Poland itself my bike still causes puzzlement in many places that proves we’re still missing some openness to the new!
And so I get back to reading ‘By Bicycle and on Foot across the Black Continen’

Cheers!