Cloppenburg, Germany
Usual mix of weather.
12:34 am
As I lay here in my tent waiting for the pepto bismal to settle my stomach I thought I'd capture the moment. It's very dark in these woods. It hasn't really been dark, this dark, much on this trip. If you'll remember, I lost my headlamp way back in Ireland at the hostel, but I haven't missed it. It's just never that dark and besides I'm asleep when it is. Except tonight. Two other nights I've had sharp stomach pains during the night. Not fun. Tonight it's different. Heartburn. Too much Nutella, I'm sure. The sell it in a tube here so I can eat it and bike. It's my caloric source:). Better than wine gums. So I do both. Guess I over did today.
So I wake up in this very dark tent feeling oh so ichy. My pepto bismal tablets are in my "repair kit" on the bike. It has bandaids, ibuprofen, glue to fix my thermarest, sewing needle, and safety pins. But Blaze is a bit of a ways away from the tent because of all the little trees and stuff in the way. How am I going to see to get there? Oh don't bother. I put my head back down. My stomach rolls some more. Light. I need a light. My phone! Sure enough. Works just fine. Find "repair kit" and headlight I had taken off Blaze the other night (when I had to move:-/). It really doesn't work well as a headlamp because it's so piercing! But it helps. So I've munched my tablets and now chatted with y'all. I'm feeling better. For awhile I had thoughts of "where in hell am I?". In the woods, in the dark, sick to my stomach, in a country I don't speak the language. How would I even get help in the middle of the night if I needed it? I wouldn't. I couldn't.
But I'm okay. Fixed myself. Inside and out. Now for 6 wonderful more hours of blissful sleep:)
10:30 am. I could not get up this morning even though it wasn't raining. Maybe because it wasn't raining:-/. But I slept and slept and listened to my book. And wanted long enough so that I could pack up in the rain! How smart was that? So instead of packing a dry tent 10 minutes ago, I'll get to pack a wet one. Again. Oh well.
I'm feeling better this morning although lethargic. Think I lost another item: iphone charge cord (got a backup, though:)). That's added to the short list this year of gloves, headlamp, red fleece hat, and outlet adapter. Not bad for forgetful me. Guess I'm doing better!
Ok, rain is stopping...time to move!
Look closely at that statue and tell me they didn't....
Same town...this is at a roundabout!
6:30 pm. Camped on the edge of a cornfield tucked a ways back off a cycle path. Thank goodness the corn is over 6 ft high and I'm hidden by it, I think.
The grocery store I found was...Aldi! They had them in Ireland too. Ok. I got some veggies. Haven't seen farmers markets since Ireland either. Or health food stores. So I asked the cashier who didn't speak much English where a cafe was. I wanted my morning coffee and some lunch. She gave me directions. I went there. No one spoke English. Got my coffee and sat down to look at the menus on the table. All were for ice cream in some form or another. Including spaghetti ice cream! I did find a crepe with fresh fruit and yogurt. That was the closest to something nutritious that I could find. Just not finding the bakeries and cafes in these towns. And no English. A word here and there. Lots of gesturing:). And I wish I remembered more from 40 years ago! A word here and there. Each day a few more are coming back.
Even though I love the paths, I took to the roads (which have paths along side) to make some time. The paths were double the distance.
I'm sitting in my tent, in the rain (surprise, surprise!) listening to music blasting on my iPod and dancing while sitting. I know my daughters will appreciate that vision:). I did it a lot while driving:). "Oh! Oh! Mom's dancing again!!". And usually I'd try to sing too. That really tortured them!
I'm having a teary evening. I think it's just all this pent up emotion needing a release and music always does it for me. Right now I'm listening to Patti Griffin (one of my favs!) "When It Don't Come Easy"
Well there's a flashing on the highway
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home
tonight
Everywhere the water's getting rough
Your best intentions may not be enough
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home tonight
But if you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I try to remind you
Stay by me but it don't come easy.
I don't know nothing except change will come
Year after year
What we do is undone
Time gets moving from a crawl to a run
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home
You're out there walking down a highway
And all of the signs got blown away
Sometimes you wonder if you're walking in the wrong direction
But if you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I try to remind you
And stay by me but it don't come easy
But it don't come easy
So many things that I had before
It don't matter to me now
Tonight I cry for the love that I've lost
And the love that I've never found
**********************(unintelligable)
*****************
Someone who'll say what's been said before
Someone to love what you're looking for
If you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I try to remind you
I'll stay by you when it don't come easy
That was a fun exercise!
Goodnight, BagLady
Many gardens have these altars with Christ on the cross. I've seen them a lot!
And here's one for ya, cigarette machines right on the street. Saw 2 of them only 50 ft apart in a neighborhood. That way, if you run out at night, you don't have to go far!
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