… and many other miraculous phenomena we have experienced in the five months through nine countries and not captured them figuratively.
There are
… the great sounds of chirping cicadas, warning marmots and the communication of the vultures.
… the bell ringing of grazing cows and sheeps in the Pastorale zone and in almost all of Northern Spain.
… we will keep the church ringing on our way through Italy in our ears for a long time to come.
Thunder and thunderstorm that chased through the valleys of the Gavernie on July 30.
… the thunderstorms on August 3rd at Gran Camping in Northern Spain.
… the music from the tube radios, German brands, which turns the wonderful Cabuerniga campsite into the Garden of Eden, lovingly furnished down to the last detail.
The blatant thunderstorm that rages in Parthenay for two and a half hours on the evening of the penultimate day of August, after we have passed so many dried up corn and sunflower fields. Fortunately, we are on a campsite optimally equipped for cyclists and hikers and our tent holds. Only cooking we skip tonight.
Great was the scent of eucalyptus trees in Northern Spain which clears our noses. As well as the scent of the trees with the ripening figs. It smells wonderfully of the South.
Countless are the fantastic starry skies in low-light areas, such as Abruzzo and Pyrenees, with the highlight being the rare event of a moon rainbow on the stormy surf beach of Erdeven in southern Brittany where we slept upside down in the tent.
The Gesture Counts More than Money
Shortly before the Appenine crossing we are offered a coffee by the custodian of a small chapel somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
In L’Aquila we get a friendship ribbon from a lovely Senegalese who thinks that we look like Africans with our bikes.
In Bologna, the kebab guy gives me a bottle of water as he is so overwhelmed of the 50ct tip.
On June 2nd, twelve kilometers before our destination for the day Campobasso, supposedly the coldest city in southern Italy, Rolf spontaneously gets 1.5l bottle of fresh, cold water over the fence, because Astrid rode up the mountain five minutes earlier completely sweaty and the nice guy who worked on his olive grove with the scythe, called out Ciao and caldo (=hot) to her.
A little copy shop in southern Italy printed out our ferry tickets, tinkered for about an hour and ultimately did not charge us a cent. This service stands tall above the store entrance as its service.
The Reggae Festival in Arrens: it is shortly before midnight. We just have come from Lourdes and would like to drink a beer. Without paying the entrance fee for the concert, we get two beers brought to the box office.
Camping Dol de Bretagne offers us the covered and furnished terrace of the mobile home, on whose pitch we stand, because it is predicted to be a rainy night.
The best at the end
In Montesarchio on the SS7, Via Napoli 160, there is the best bakery in Italy. The most amazing pizzeria is 300 meters in front of it.
We ate the best pizza in Villach.
The best croissants can be found in the Banette-Boulongerie in Pont l’Abbe, where the ‘Tradition’ also tastes
great.
The best Chocolatine/Pain au Chocolade is in the Boulangerie Nicolas in Le Touquet (Pas-de-Calais). In addition, heavenly, still oven-warm coconut macaroons and an almond particle with Frangipane which is so delicious.