Odo: forget to check
Location: near Landskrona / Sweden

Mostly driving. I crossed Denmark completely taking the bridges.  A decent hitch hiking guy came along, so time flew by while talking about travelling, differences between Denmark and Germany and stuff. Try to explain the German healthcare system to somebody in a country where you just go to the doctor, flash your ID card and get treatment….

I stopped at a broken down Opel Kapitän in quite decent shape. The guy already called the roadside assistance so I only had a quick look. The wiring looked like a rodent had quite some fun with it and he told me that the fuel gauge went from 50% to not in a second and than the engine stopped. Hanging fuel gauge? Faulty ground connection? Whatever, I left the riddle for the roadside repair guy who is being paid to worry about it…

On the search for a decent spot to sleep I left the tarmac for the first time on this trip. Even without a body lift the ground clearance is quite good and the new heavy duty shocks and springs pay off. I neither got seasick nor rattled to death. At the end of the track I was at a beautiful spot close by the sea. On a private field. Directly between zillions of power lines leaving a nuclear power plant just a couple of hundred meters away. After a cup of tea I decided that I’ll better move on…

Bärseback, a decomissioned swedish power plant… Thanks to wikipedia / Lars Bo Wassini for the picture.

After quite some time I found a nice spot at a public beach. Just a couple of hundred meters from a commercial camp-ground which was crammed while the parking spot was empty and in front of some rental houses. Tired enough I gave it a try. I was a little afraid to be sent away and it was my first night but as I hoped nobody cared. I woke up at six any ways because some workers did cut some hedges with quite loud tools.

The beach. Finally….

Odo: 281787
Location: Flensburg (German/Danish Border)

Shopping sucks. Big time. Instead of shopping in Hannover I did it close to the border where everybody tries to rip off the Scandinavians. Not too clever. But by visiting two shops I avoided most of the traps. One issue is beer. You’re allowed to bring something around 90L and there is no refund for the german recycling deposit. You pay like 15 cent per bottle (including the crate) or 25 cent per can. If you’re a permanent resident of another country you can also but beer without deposit in shops near the border. Some people just ask fellow travellers from abroad to buy beer for them. I thought I might do the same even if it’s probably not 100% legal. But then I saw the pricing. You pay at least 1,4€ / L for premium beer. At citti market in Flensburg the only “decent” german beers where König Pilsener and Bitburger. Not exactly my choice. I ended up in legally buying Veltins and Jever for 1,6€/L (including deposit) in glass bottles. I think I will give the empty crates as presents to fellow germans travelling back or bring them to the german embassy or try to get rid of them in another way. Or I put the glass bottles in a recycling container and give away the crates as decoration. We’ll see…

The water pump is still broken. It sounds like it turns but it doesn’t transport water. Even if you suck on the tap until the water comes it’s still not pumping. I started to drain the water tank so that I can open it up and remove the pump. Since the tank has no drainage valve this isn’t exactly fun. I’ll stay in germany for the night because it’s probably more easy to get a replacement pump over here if I can’t fix it.

Odo: 281501km
Position: Industrial area in Isernhagen, just north of Hannover

I just left. Finally. I’m tired. I try to be smart, so I will stay close to home for the first night. If I forgot something important it’s only a short drive home… It already was dark when I started searching for a spot and I didn’t find a nice place at the nearby lakes. Instead of searching around I’ll stay here, I’m tired any ways. Plenty of truckers around, at least I’m not alone… Tomorrow will be shopping day. Since everything is more expensive up north I should gather as much food /alcohol as I can transport/is legal to import. My preparations were not exactly perfect. Here is some stuff I don’t have:

• guidebook
• maps on paper
• shoes in mint condition
• decent waterproof jacket
• a plan what I have packed (I just took everything which seemed worth taking with me)
• a working water pump (just discovered that one)

(posted the next morning)