August 17: Germany: We’re Back!
We’re back! After traveling through 19 countries over a period of 62 days, Adventure Baby and I have come full circle, returning to Heidelberg, Germany where he will remain for the school year. Arriving last night, I was a lot dirtier, sweatier, and smellier than I was several weeks ago, not to mention several pounds heavier. But we had a great last day on the road, and Adventure Baby is now all set up for this winter’s storage.
Since I wanted to maximize time with my grandmother in the morning before leaving Switzerland, I elected to take the most direct route from Morges north. Winding my way towards Zurich and then beyond, I passed green and brown patchwork quilt shaped fields on both sides of me, resplendent under bright blue skies sprinkled with puffy white clouds. Quaint villages dotted the landscape, with red tiled roofs and church spires standing tall, framed by the foothills of the mountains in the distance.
Perhaps because it was my last riding day on Adventure Baby for the season, I was a little more introspective than usual pulling into gas stations, weaving through spots of heavy traffic and parking for groceries before reaching my destination. As I hopped over four-inch curbs, rode between lines of stopped cars, skirted my way around traffic jams, and bumped and jostled over uneven surfaces, I could sense a higher level of confidence in my riding abilities in these relatively new circumstances than at the beginning of the trip.
Those of us who live in the United States are relatively spoiled with the generally well-maintained roads. With space for cars going in both directions, a clearly marked center line, and wide shoulders, we can focus much of our attention on the horizon or the view in front of us rather than the riding surface itself or wondering what to do with the bike if a semi comes barreling towards us taking up most of the available pavement.
Similarly, our parking spots are typically flush with the street, making for a seamless transition between the road and where we leave our bike. In Europe, however, I’ve found it common for hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores to have a large lip at the entryway to their parking areas, making it necessary to ride up over a curb before stopping the bike. When I first started riding in Europe last summer, I found these obstacles rather formidable. However, realizing that my circumstances were not going to change, I learned to adapt, developing strategies for making it up and over a variety of many such edges. How freeing!
After arriving at my lodging last night and taking a picture to celebrate our safe return after so many days on the road, I headed out for what a thought was a nice sit-down restaurant. I found myself instead at a rather primitive food shack in a gravel pit with a few outdoor picnic tables. The smell wafting off the grill was intoxicating, and after speaking to a few customers about what to eat from the menu, I ordered what turned out to be one of the best plates of barbequed ribs I’ve ever had.
Apparently, the owner of the Hakims Imbiss-und Steakhouse retired from working as a chef at the nearby army base and decided to open his own shop, hand cutting his potato fries, creating a signature sauce, and putting all his skills to use creating the perfect char on every plate of meat. As I bit off each bite, I could feel a little bit of a crunch as my teeth cut through the slightly crispy exterior before the soft meat inside melted in my mouth. Dipping both the meat and the fries into the homemade sauce, I experienced a perfectly balanced sweet and salty flavor explosion.
Today I slept in later than I have in months as there was no need to load up my bags. Instead, I inspected Adventure Baby for damage, disconnected the battery to ready the bike for storage, and put some thought into some changes I might like to make for next year’s trip.
I’m so darn grateful to have arrived back in Heidelberg safely after such an adventure – filled journey. With all the excitement I’ve had the last several weeks, I feel more ready than ever to enter the school year full of enthusiasm and optimism for what lies ahead.
