Ronchi dei Legionari (Italië)

Geel roete / Yellow route

Nic, Sib, ek (Lodie) en Cornelis. Each evening we had our small meeting up there.

Drie bottels met Naboom2Germany plakkers dryf nou in die Middelandse See. Die geel streep wys waar bottel nr. 1 dryf.
Three bottles with Naboom2Germany stickers are floating in the Med now. The yellow line indicates bottle no 1.

Goue oomblikke. Golden memories.

Ronchi dei Legionari (Italië)

Ek was vandag so 5 uur lank in die saal. Ronchi is so 2 km van Monfalcone af.

Ek het vandag baie kans gehad om op die fiets te sit en glimlag. Die weer het goed saamgespeel om my byna te laat uitsien na enige ander weer as Europese weer … Dit was bewolk, koel, en vir ‘n groot deel van die pad het so ‘n ek-wil-nie-eintlik-reën-nie reentjie geval.

‘n Paar weke gelede sou ek plat op die pad gaan lê het om die koel nattigheid te geniet. Nou laat dit my koud, letterlik en figuurlik.

Ek het vir ‘n groot deel vandag net klein paadjies gery. Die Italiaanse dorpies was so mooi: Nou straatjies, ou geboue, groen koringsvelde met rooi blomme tussen die koring. Ongelukkig was die lig was te swak vir fotografie. Kom ons hoop dat die son more skyn en dat ek ‘n paar mooi foto’s kan neem.

Ek het vandag van Tessa (die Hollandertjie) ‘n e-pos gehad. Sy en haar pa is ‘n dag voor die aanval op Khartoem weg uit Khartoem. Hulle het nou in Aswan, Egipte, aangekom. Sy het iets interessants in haar e-pos genoem. In Wadi Halfa (Soedan) het hulle op ‘n taxi afgekom met ‘n Naboom2Germany plakker op die voorruit! ‘n Taxibestuurder daar het my vir ‘n plakker gevra. Tessa-hulle het nou al in Adis Ababa op ‘n N2G plakker afgekom en nou ook in die verre noorde van Soedan weer.

Die wêreld is klein.

Ek en Sib en Nic het vanoggend vir oulaas totsien gesê. Die kanse is baie skraal dat ons paaie ooit weer hier gaan kruis. Alhoewel ons net 4 dae saam gery het, het ons mekaar so gereeld gesien dat hulle al deel van die reis was.

Ek is besig om my nou finaal op klaarmaak voor te berei. Dit help nie om daaraan te dink hoe bevoorreg ek was nie. Ek was. Ek weet. Maar ek sukkel nog steeds om aan die idée gewoond te raak dat ek binnekort een oggend gaan opstaan en nie verder gaan ry nie.

Hoe gaan my gees dit regkry om binnekort tussen die vier mure van my kantoor vasgekeer te wees?

I was on the bike for nearly 5 hours today. Ronchi is about 2 km from Monfalcone.

I sat and smiled quite often today. The weather was so helpful in bringing me to the point that I looked forward to any kind of weather except European weather … Today was a cloudy, cool day. For most of the way it drizzled.

A few weeks ago I would have enjoyed such weather. Now it leaves me cold. Literally and figuratively..

Most of the ride I was on small roads, riding through beautiful Italian towns and villages with narrow streets and beautiful old buildings. The wheat is still green on the fields. The most beautiful red flowers stood in between. Due to the bad light I couldn’t take any photographs. Let us hope that the sun will shine tomorrow!

Today I received an email from Tessa (Dutch overlander). She and her father left Khartoum a day before the city was attacked. They arrived safely in Aswan, Egypt. She mentioned something interesting. In Wadi Halfa (Sudan) they met a taxi driver with a Naboom2Germany sticker on the windscreen! When I was there a taxi driver asked me for a sticker. Tessa and Peter saw one of the stickers in Adis Ababa and now in northern Sudan again.

The world is small.

Nic, Sib and I said goodbye for the last time this morning. The chances are slim that we will meet again in Europe. Although we rode together for only 4 days we saw so often that they felt like part of my trip.

I am busy preparing myself mentally for the end of the trip. It is not easy. I know I was privileged. I know I had chances that most other people never will have. But that still does not make the end easier. I cannot picture myself getting up one morning, and no riding.

How on earth am I going to manage back in office?