Day 12: Wind, ferry and a birthday song

Finally a night in the warm again! As teased in the last post, Theresa really summed up the benefits of the Christian charity we had prayed for:

What a premium accommodation – we could even sleep in shorts and T-shirts.

Since the rounds of table tennis the night before had gone on quite a while, the morning started off pleasantly relaxed. Ahead of us were “only” 47 kilometers – a piece of cake compared to yesterday’s monster stage. But before we even set off, there was something to celebrate: Johanna’s birthday. Spontaneously, and with rather shaky singing, we launched into Happy Birthday and handed over the cake that Ms. Angebrandt and Mr. Bock had picked up – while we honestly thought they were about to jump into the Zwischenahner Meer at a brisk eight degrees. The choir may not have been perfect, but it was full of energy. Johanna enjoyed being celebrated until Trixie put an elegant end to it with the words:

So, that’s enough now.

Off we went in good spirits, though it quickly became clear: the wind would be our biggest enemy that day. Every meter felt twice as long, every little hill twice as steep. Often it was more about mental strength than muscle power. We stopped again and again – to drink, catch our breath, or check the map. Still, it was tough.

Some distraction came from Ms. Angebrandt, who told us excitedly about a couple of pot-bellied pigs she had seen and even petted. Jasper, Romina, and Lisa were looking forward to meeting them too – only to be disappointed: Google Maps sent them a different way, and they missed the pigs.

After two thirds of the route came a real highlight: the Weser ferry. Finally, a break from pedaling and battling the wind. On board, Mr. Bock made a quick call to a colleague – only to realize that we had passed Ms. Angebrandt, who was now sitting comfortably in a riverside café, waving at our ferry as it crossed to the other side.

The last few kilometers dragged on, but eventually we made it to Schwanewede. There, the day’s highlight awaited: a shower in the elementary school’s gym. After a very North-German style conversation with the caretaker, Mr. Bock and Trixie had managed to arrange it for us on the spot. After a showerless day before, the warm water felt like pure luxury.

Then came the big food question. Johanna, Clemens, I (Liam), and a few others ended up at “Golden Buns.” Mr. Bock and Ms. Angebrandt had already tested it and hadn’t exaggerated – the burgers were unbeatable after a full day of headwinds. The other group went for pizza, with Jasper’s Nutella pizza sparking lively debate: culinary revelation or absolute sin? Opinions differed.

In the evening, the birthday crew grabbed some snacks at Lidl, and we made ourselves comfortable together. On the way back, we briefly considered hitting the dance floor at the local dance café – but decided against it (for reasons ;-) ). Music, card games, and laughter at the community center seemed like the better choice. Only Doppelkopf was left out for once that evening (Yassssss!). One by one we crawled into our sleeping bags, and despite a few snores, we all slept deeply and well. Probably just because we were completely wiped out.