The journey is over! Yesterday I was on the train for almost the whole day. In the early evening I arrived at the family reunion weekend in Oostkamp, near Bruges. We celebrated the 65 years of marriage of my maternal grandparents.
Today late afternoon, I was cycling again - the last 50 kilometer home! You know what? Simply, It felt good to be back on the bike, just as good as the very first kilometers to Lier 40 days ago...
I feel there is a lot left to tell about this journey. I am always a little bit skeptical when people point to the benefits of travelling, both as being a means of self-development as a way to pursue more global understanding between people. Mostly I am rather unsatisfied when I ask to explain this a little more as all I get is the vaguest of terms. I am not sure if the planet would be a better place if all 7 billion people would go travelling like a global minority does today - by plane or bike-touring, that's even not the point.
It's ironic. As for myself, a journey like the one I've just finished is the best what can happen. My personal physical and mental well being, a significant part of my world view, my beliefs and my hopes: it's all thanks to the bike. The road is my safe haven. Travelling by bike all the way to Russian wilderness is not about leaving my comfort zone, to the contrary, it is my comfort zone. Cycling and cycle touring is more than a passion, it's a raison d'etre, a life's signification.
Once again, I feel contended now.
Thank you very much to everyone being part of this journey, above all: my hosts (*), but also thank you everyone following my writings. I was glad to be able to share my story with you and it was great to find out you were many (more than 50 unique visitors per day on my site (**)). Last but not least thank you to my family and to my friends - you might not be many but that's also not the point - you were travelling with me and after all you are the reason to come back home I guess, ough! That's enough emotional talk for now!
To end this writing: congratulations to my grandparents! Sixty-five years of marriage and the story is far from over! How I could I better end this travel than celebrating this moment together?
That's all for now! Thank you, and good night!
(*) and (**). see below pictures
Today late afternoon, I was cycling again - the last 50 kilometer home! You know what? Simply, It felt good to be back on the bike, just as good as the very first kilometers to Lier 40 days ago...
I feel there is a lot left to tell about this journey. I am always a little bit skeptical when people point to the benefits of travelling, both as being a means of self-development as a way to pursue more global understanding between people. Mostly I am rather unsatisfied when I ask to explain this a little more as all I get is the vaguest of terms. I am not sure if the planet would be a better place if all 7 billion people would go travelling like a global minority does today - by plane or bike-touring, that's even not the point.
It's ironic. As for myself, a journey like the one I've just finished is the best what can happen. My personal physical and mental well being, a significant part of my world view, my beliefs and my hopes: it's all thanks to the bike. The road is my safe haven. Travelling by bike all the way to Russian wilderness is not about leaving my comfort zone, to the contrary, it is my comfort zone. Cycling and cycle touring is more than a passion, it's a raison d'etre, a life's signification.
Once again, I feel contended now.
Thank you very much to everyone being part of this journey, above all: my hosts (*), but also thank you everyone following my writings. I was glad to be able to share my story with you and it was great to find out you were many (more than 50 unique visitors per day on my site (**)). Last but not least thank you to my family and to my friends - you might not be many but that's also not the point - you were travelling with me and after all you are the reason to come back home I guess, ough! That's enough emotional talk for now!
To end this writing: congratulations to my grandparents! Sixty-five years of marriage and the story is far from over! How I could I better end this travel than celebrating this moment together?
That's all for now! Thank you, and good night!
(*) and (**). see below pictures
(*) in order of appereance: Bram - Ajax forever! - in Lier, Martin in Koln, Paul and Sanne in Frankfurt, Steffen in Dingolshausen, Marion in Neualbenreuth, Petra in Prague, Honza in Hradec Kralove (CR), all Kovarik Family in Olomouc (CR), Zosiaaahhh in euhmmm... Silezia! (PL), Giovanni in Falkow (PL), Katarzina in Warsaw (Zabki more exact!), Algis, Lina and baby Iulia in Kaunas (LT), Kostas in Vilnius, Joel and Linda in Zilupe (LV), Dasha in Demidov (RUS), Alex and Dasha in Novosyolki (RUS), Alex in Moscow, Aldis in Riga (LV), all Narkevicius family in Kepurenai (LT), Martina and Arne in Lubeck (GER) and Bernhard and Friederike in Hildesheim (GER).
(**) the most unique visitors I had when I was in Poland on June 4th... 105! The less passed by at June 22 (18) when I had a day in Moscow... but I just posted a Pitcruisers' video ;) You should check them anyway!
(**) the most unique visitors I had when I was in Poland on June 4th... 105! The less passed by at June 22 (18) when I had a day in Moscow... but I just posted a Pitcruisers' video ;) You should check them anyway!