The day started out incredibly slow. I was very stiff and my back was quite sore, likely from carrying my loaded bike up three flights of stairs. I really haven’t learned my lesson.
I was on the road by 11 AM. The road was quite flat and I made incredibly good time. The first hour of the ride was a continuation of the previous with a winding river tamed by dams at various points.
At some middle point I was on a street made out of curved pavers. I noticed some wiggle in my back tire and chocked it up to the surface. It took a number of miles before I noticed and I kept correcting different things. I eventually discovered a missing bolt in my alternator dropout (a feature I am now especially skeptical, just another thing that can break). I put in a bodge, zip ties for the win, with the intention of finding a bike shop or hardware store in Hanover.
I passed some potential camping spots but they had the same vibe of camping in a parking lot.
There was a mausoleum that was in a farm field with barbed wire surrounding it.
I was making great time, but had skipped a couple too many meals without a solid hit of sugar. I grabbed some emergency sugar, unfortunately what I though was honey was actually Zuckerrübensirup, or sugar beet syrup. It kinda sorta went down.
The fields were pretty. The nature sign switch from a hawk to an owl. I liked that.
I’d be in Hanover at about 5:30 PM. I got a hotel.
I wasn’t able to get to a bike shop or hardware store in time. I ended up napping immediately.
I went to a Lidl and loaded up. The plan for tomorrow is somewhere near Hamburg. I wanted to stay in Hamburg for several days but Monday is a holiday and prices have become outrageous. I’ll likely hostel it for a couple days and then start making my way towards Denmark.