Jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne/A magic dwells in each beginning

If everything goes well this will be a blog about our (Peter and mine) bikepacking trip along the Croatian coast. Unfortunately, I got a cold last week and still have a running nose. So, it could also be just a short journey 😉
I guess that’s also the beauty of life, we never know how long the journey is. Maybe, just maybe, we should therefore enjoy every step to its fullest potential.

Or as Hermann Hesse put it:
As every blossom fades
and all youth sinks into old age,
so every life’s design, each flower of wisdom,
attains its prime and cannot last forever.
The heart must submit itself courageously
to life’s call without a hint of grief,
A magic dwells in each beginning,
protecting us, telling us how to live.

High purposed we shall traverse realm on realm,
cleaving to none as to a home,
the world of spirit wishes not to fetter us
but raise us higher, step by step.
Scarce in some safe accustomed sphere of life
have we establish a house, then we grow lax;
only he who is ready to journey forth
can throw old habits off.

Maybe death’s hour too will send us out new-born
towards undreamed-lands,
maybe life’s call to us will never find an end
Courage my heart, take leave and fare thee well.

I was running the last days in order to get everything ready and on Saturday the bike looked like this:
On Sunday we started at around 8am driving to Croatia. It took us until 5pm to arrive at Opatija, which is a beautiful coast town
Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the next days predicts rain with 100% certainty. Fuck, not exactly what I need.
Luckily for me, we decided to not go cycling on Monday and rather take an easy day exploring a bit more the city. Not too much, one can rest much better in the bed of course 😉

Finally, yesterday we went! In the morning it looked terrible, with even more rain than the day before. We decided to drive to Senj (Zengg, depending on how it’s written). After a very short discussion we decided to have lunch in town and make our way afterwards. I am glad we did because the weather turned out to be really great (and it also boosted our motivation).

So, by 2:15pm we were on the bikes. The first kilometers are always the best. I felt the joy and freedom to be on the bike and the luxury of being able to experience such a beautiful country.
However, after some kilometers and especially after 2 hours I was burned out hahaha I’m not in shape and the cold didn’t help certainly. At km 30 I was sure I was not going to make it much farther. And I could see my old habit creeping in: Being pissed and mad at everything. But I was able, not always but mostly, to see it coming and not identifying with it.
I give you an example, when the wind came from the front I used to blame the world why it would make it even harder for me and why it is against me. Yesterday, I was just acknowledging the wind and knew that it just blew. It’s neither positive nor negative.

We made a break in between at around km 40 and I was very glad for that. I could recharge a bit and surprisingly (to me!) I was able to reach our destination at km 63. But of course, very exhausted 🙂

 

Today we will have another resting day, which is great for me. The weather was again the deciding factor. It’s raining a lot and with thunderstorms we don’t want to be on the bike. I’ll keep the fingers crossed that tomorrow we’ll ride again (and that I’m fully recovered by then 😉 ).

Love,
Matthias