Journey so far – 02.11.2021

By now, I have made it all the way to Verona. It is an amazing feeling to have come this far purely by my own muscle power. The route I chose has been absolutely beautiful! I travelled through picturesque Switzerland along the Rhine to Chur, continued to Disentis, and crossed the Lukmanier Pass to reach Lake Maggiore. After that, I briefly returned to Switzerland, to Astano, where I spent a day hiking in true autumn weather with drizzle, sunshine, and clouds. From there, I cycled to Lake Lugano, then Lake Como, before enjoying a two-day break just outside Monza with my uncle’s cousin. From there, I headed back into the mountains, visited the old town of Bergamo, and pitched my tent right by the shores of Lake Iseo. My journey then continued to Lake Idro, which turned out to be the toughest stage so far. I had not even planned to cycle that far, but I simply could not find anywhere to stay for the night. The route was not only long but also packed with plenty of elevation gain. Since I was following a quiet country road through the mountains, I also could not find a suitable place for wild camping, and from October onwards, almost all campsites are already closed. Thanks to Uwe, I eventually found an open campsite—and it even had a pizzeria! Another downside of travelling in autumn is how quickly it gets dark. Thankfully, my bike has a great light and all my bags have reflective elements. Since my left calf started protesting after that stage, I decided to take another rest day and explored an old mountain village above Lake Idro instead. After my day off, I cycled through a stunning valley up to Lake Ledro. That was the first ride that was really cold. There was frost in the morning, and even around midday, at an altitude of about 800 metres, it was only around 5°C (41°F). At moments like that, every ray of sunshine and every bit of warmth feels like a gift. From Lake Ledro onwards, it was almost entirely downhill towards Lake Garda, although I had to push my bike quite a bit because the route was much better suited for mountain bikes. Since the stage itself was fairly short, I had no rush to arrive before dark. Once you get used to quiet roads with very few people and cars, cities suddenly become overwhelming with all the noise and hustle. At Lake Garda, I made the most of the beautiful autumn weather by going hiking once again. Hiking is simply so much fun—it gives me so much and is a wonderful change from cycling. The trail constantly rewarded me with breathtaking views of the lake and the vibrant autumn colours. It is also always a little sad to realise that wherever lots of people gather, there is usually litter. Only once you leave the easily accessible places behind does the landscape become clean again, cared for, and respected.

After spending two days in Riva del Garda, I cycled to Verona in pouring rain. I definitely need to improve my rain gear. My rain jacket and the supposedly waterproof gloves were completely useless in that amount of rain. I am incredibly grateful for the two angels who crossed my path that day. The first one stopped me shortly after Torbole and suggested that I turn around and cycle along the lakeside instead because there would be very little traffic at that time of year and I would have plenty of places where I could stop if needed. Turning around turned out to be a very good decision. Eventually, after passing the town of Garda, I walked into a café completely soaked. The waiter looked genuinely shocked at how wet I was. He found me some dry clothes and even dried my jumper on top of the coffee machine. That moment reminded me once again that when life presents you with opportunities, all you have to do is accept them—and that sometimes people cross your path exactly when you need them most. It made me think of a quote from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: "There are no coincidences."

What I am finding genuinely difficult at the moment is the time of year. Of course, I knew autumn would arrive, but I had not fully realised what that would actually mean. Since the clocks changed, it gets dark around 5 p.m., many places are closed, mornings now come with frost, and the dampness settles in very quickly. Despite all of that, autumn is an incredibly beautiful and colourful season that I would not want to miss—nor would I want to miss the experiences it has already given me. I simply have to find a way to adapt to these new conditions and figure out what direction this journey will take next. Since I never set out with a fixed destination in mind, I have the freedom and flexibility to change my plans whenever I want. That is both the beauty and the challenge of travelling this way because it inevitably makes you ask yourself why. Perhaps my "why" is simply the journey itself—going with the flow, meeting people, and discovering new ways of living and seeing the world.