August 28, 2016
Okay, now I've cycled around the world: The happy world of Maribo
The 28th of August wasn't such a nice day. There was light rain for most of the day, we made slow progress, and I broke a spoke. But Dea was still smiling.
The weather cleared up towards the end of the day and we stopped at one of Denmark's many fantastic free shelter/camping areas. These are really amazing places in the countryside where you can sleep in wooden shelters or camp next to them, as we did. This one had a fire pit (although my attempts at starting a fire with only wet kindling was predictably pathetic) and toilets and running water. It was great!
We took a little walk around the area and came to a lake/pond thing. I thought about going in for a swim. There was a bit of a chill in the air and I couldn't decide if I really wanted to. I sat on the little jetty thing looking down at the water. "I don't know if I want to go in," I said. "It's a bit cold. But I know I'll enjoy it." Then I talked myself into it, imagining how nice it would be to dive into all that water, so I stripped down to my shorts and sat on the end of the jetty and looked out at it. "Actually, it is a bit cold. Maybe I won't. But I should though, shouldn't I? No, maybe not."
Dea got bored and walked away around the lake. I decided to just go for it. Yes, yes, yes, I would jump in and make a big splash and impress her. I launched myself into the water, feet first, and with a thud landed on the ground. The pond was only a foot deep.
After two successive sixty kilometre days, we were behind schedule for making it to Copenhagen and the next day we decided to play a little game of pretending we were in China, trying to cross it with a visa deadline. We got up at first light and made a good early start. We were following a nice, quiet cycle route beside the coast, and made thirty kilometres in no time at all. A quick break by the sea, and we were off again, racing to try and catch the 1:15pm ferry to the next big island of Lolland. We might have made it too, except we met a cycle tourist coming the other way named Jabaz. He was from England but came to cycle a lot in Denmark and he lived on a boat and he talked a lot, so much so that we didn't end up making it to the ferry until 1:20pm.
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That gave us some time to kill at Spodsbjerg, and what should we find there but Spodsbjerg Mini Golf. Well, my record against Dea in mini golf was appalling, but I rolled up my sleeves and decided I was going to try my very hardest this time. It was a twelve hole course and I really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really wanted to win.
I lost by fourteen shots.
And Dea's good fortune continued on the ferry as she got a phone call which pretty much guaranteed she would have a job waiting for her when we got to Copenhagen. We were planning to settle down there for two months. She'd work a bit, I'd begin writing my book, and we'd both get to spend some time with her brother and sister who lived there, as well as many of her friends. We were both really looking forward to getting there, and it was now getting closer. But the phone call confirmed that we needed to get to Copenhagen the very next evening, and so as soon as we were off the ferry we resumed cycling quickly east across Lolland.
There was one more significant moment to be had. It was when, late in the day, our eastwards course brought us to a town called Maribo. It was significant because I'd been to Maribo before. I wrote about it on this blog even. I'm sure you'll remember. 7th August 2013. I said it looked nice, I sat and watched some women packing up some market stalls. It was a little moment, one of millions of little moments which made up my journey. But returning to Maribo now was a moment of significance, for it was the first time since I'd cycled away from the Eiffel Tower that my route connected. For the first time since I started telling you this story of cycling around the world, I could say that I had now actually cycled around the world (apart from that one kilometre of course). As we cycled around a roundabout that connected the roads Dea let out a whoop behind me and offered her congratulations.
So this sequel was to have its happy ending. I'd made it back to my girl, and I'd made it around the world. As we turned north and cycled out of Maribo towards our new life together in Copenhagen our shadows rode alongside us in the fields. The sun was setting, everything had come together, just exactly as it should be.
"I think it's been a perfect day," Dea said to me.
But then she would, after that round of mini golf.
28/08/16 - 60km
29/08/16 - 130km
Today's ride: 190 km (118 miles)
Total: 57,583 km (35,759 miles)
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