I believe to have several good friends in Germany. But there is one unexpected one which accompanied me faithfully every single day since I crossed the German border. The wind, or to be exact, the headwind. Round Dresden he was just teasing me, from Magdeburg he sometimes challenged me. Today on the open dykes after Hamburg he decided to embrace me fully, firmly and permanently. Simply playing tough practical jokes on me. A game of who is stronger. Even worse, he maliciously told all other cyclists, so that they were informed and thus riding in the opposite direction.

Glückstadt, literally “Happiness Town”, is on the right Elbe side. Before taking the ferry, I asked a young lady in the tourist office for some B&B recommendations on the other side.
“Sorry, I can’t help here. I simply do not know any. It is not Schleswig-Holstein any more.
“Oh, I see, it is Lower Saxony, so no friend but the arch enemy” I replied.
“Yes” she confirmed smilingly.

Coming back to friends, I cannot keep quiet about a group of 14 years old boys. I met them today in the morning when riding through Hamburg. These friends were cycling together to school and challenging each other by who can ride longer with his hands crossed behind his back. Since there was not a clear winner, one of them reached for the victory by additionally stretching out one leg completely aside of the pedal. With a full car traffic just a few feet from them. For a second I felt tempted to try it as well. But then resisted somehow and just wished them to arrive safe and sound at their school.