About Frost, Love and Brown Bears

 Dear Friends and Family,


two months ago we set off. With a tandem, tent and 8 bike bags we started from our front door. We would like to share how we are doing and where we have been so far.


All beginnings are hard. That's how the first days in the Jura felt. It was pouring with rain. In the morning there was even frost on the tent. Do we really want to travel by bike for two years? Suddenly we were not so sure anymore. But then one ray of hope followed the other. For example, we sought shelter from a shower under a roof. Catherine lived in the house. She spontaneously opened the door and invited us to a glass of tea. A little later we had dinner together and slept in the living room. What a gift! In our first three weeks in the Jura, on Lake Geneva and in the Valais, we were privileged to experience many such spontaneous and warm encounters. With their strength we are on our way today.


Mamma Mia Pizzeria. These were Anna's words on our departure for Italy at the Simplon Pass. A few days later we met 16-year-old Virginia on a country road near Como. Her friend Anna offers us her tree house for the night. But her 81-year-old Nonna means well with us and invites us into the house. "Who are you?" asks Anna's father seriously when he comes home from work. We quickly make friends. Our Anna performs magic tricks, Walter talks about his love for his wife and Isabella shows us footage from her time as a figure skater at the Olympic Games. We realize that the insights into the lives of others are much more valuable than any tourist attraction. It is the encounters that count.


Heat and streams of tourists make us flee to Slovenia. In the village of Otok we meet Tatjana, who is harvesting beans with her three cousins. We get the advice to camp close to the village. Only this way we would be safe from brown bears. We pitch our tent and are welcomed with vegetables and sweets. In the end we stay three days in Otok and get to know the daily work of Tatjana and her family. Anna plays with the cousins, feeds animals and learns her first words in Slovenian. We quickly take the country and its people into our hearts. 


How are we really doing? In our morning rounds we always feel inside ourselves, share needs, wishes and emotional states. Here are a few excerpts:


Carsten: "Every day is new. You don't know whom you will meet and what will happen. Often I move outside my comfort zone. I had to learn to listen to myself and consider the needs of my family on a daily basis. It's been a great learning experience."


Katharina: "After a life that was quite structured, it feels strange not knowing what's coming next and where you'll pitch your tent in the evening. On the other hand, it opens up an incredible freedom to do what you really feel like doing."


Anna: "The stalactite cave of Postojna has been the most impressive so far. I also discovered climbing for myself. Of the three of us, I'm usually the one with the best mood and make up lots of stories on my bike."


Currently, we are at the Plitvice Lakes on the Croatian-Bosnian border. This is where Winnetou and Old Shatterhand found the treasure at Silver Lake. In the next few months we will continue south and are already excited about the further encounters and experiences.


We are looking forward to hearing from you. If you have contacts in Albania, Montenegro or Greece, please feel free to share them with us. We will update you again in two months. 


Best regards from Silver Lake,


Katharina, Anna and Carsten


--

Our trip in numbers


Kilometers cycled: 2.337 km

Hours in the saddle: 136 hours

Average kilometers per day cycled: 51 km

Nights in tent: 34

Nights as guest: 20

Nights in pension or hotel: 4

Number of sunny days: 37

Number of cloudy days: 13

Number of rainy days: 8

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