Leer to Oldenburg:

Today (Sat 30th) I rode from Leer to Oldenburg. It was raining HARD this morning but the woman at the DJH youth hostel was scary in her insistence that I check-out by 9am and wait in the reception area, so I just wanted to get away (if I had enough toilet paper in the first place woman I could?ve had a shit earlier and been gone by 9am!). Leaving was a mistake. Soaking wet, lost, mad as hell.

Oh, before I forget, my RHS big toe is infected. I messed with it last night and made it piss blood over the floor.

It was fun. I took photos.

The nail has lifted up and underneath is all kinds of scar-tissue, pus, blood, skin goodness.. what a fscking mess!

hippy?s aus.bicycle nemesis would say “mediiiic!!!” 🙂

Service station guy in Hesel? was super-helpful and even gave me a USEFUL map to take with me. Saved!

Hesel, Remels, GrosBander, Hollreide, Moorburg, Hollwege, Westerstede (checked for hostel bed here – it was full), GieBel-horst, Langebrugge, Elmendorf, Helle, Gut Horn, Mansholt.. or something like that..

As has become the tradition for me, once I know where I need to be riding, my mood improves dramatically!

It’s strange that this mood-change seems to be linked to the weather, because the rain stopped and it soon became sunny enough that I got a bit sunburnt! Can I really control the weather with my mind? Stayed tuned for the answer on hippy?s Believe It Or Not..

German bike paths are pretty shite compared to the ones in the Netherlands. I took a photo at one stage where the entire path is a 10m-long puddle! The paths are often very rough too. This would not be an issue normally but I’m super paraniod about destroying another wheel or snapping the panniers off the rack (I bent the hook once already so I know they aren?t too strong now)! Bumps are bad! Some of the German paths are more like MTB trails than path.. I started riding on the road instead in places.. much to the dismay of one horny driver..

When I wave to other riders or nod or say “hi”, all I seem to get is a stare back. Maybe because I’m in knicks and jersey they think I’m Jan Ullrich in the off-season? (Nah, I wasn?t that fat.. oooh! harsh! :P).

Hostels here appear to close between 1200 and 1700. I arrived at 1600. This sucks, but I will have to adapt. The DJH hostel in Oldenburg only costs 19.80euro and has TV rooms, lock boxes in rooms and stuff – guess this place is a bigger city (it has a uni) so it needs to be a bit better? The guy here was really nice too – let me into the room before I?d paid and stuff.

Bakeries here rock! I had some awesome goodies from “Back Factory” when I rolled into town.. mm mmm! 😀

“Plundermohnsnecke” – sweet, snail-looking, glazed scroll thingie.

“Schoko-Quarkkuchen” – pastry base with a kinda cheesecake centre, topped with perhaps a choc version of the centre?

unknown – looks like fluoro fake spew but tastes really nice. Think mini pizza but sweet. Has cherries and icing mixed up on top.

Cappucino from their machine was waaaay too hot. I’m a fussy bastard for someone with no tastebuds left..

Looong shower (and clothes washing session). Noticed my jersey is starting to fail. Guess where? Yeah, where my guts is exerting too much pressure of course! haha 😛

Theresa emailed suggesting I drop in if I make it to Dinklage (pron. “dink lager”).

Can?t find anywhere trad. so I have a yummo “Rigatoni Spezial” (champignons, tomatensahnsoBe, Doner-fleisch) and an “Alster” beer. The Alster is very sweet but loses its initial appeal after half of the 400ml glass is emptied. Try a “Diebels altbeer”. Brown, 4.9%, 330ml bottle, looks like a Hightail, doesn?t taste like one 🙁

Love to say I went out and had a ball but… I fell asleep back at the hostel reading local gig guides!

Leer to Oldenburg Stats:

77k (total for the day: 87k), 4h 30m, 17kph (told yaz it was shite!)