This was one of my favorite evenings from the last couple of weeks. I was somewhere in the city center, buying a new bag, and I knew Anna was out on the Alster, paddling around on her SUP. So I stalked her on Find My, got off the subway early, and ran to catch up with her. She picked me up and paddled me all the way back to my apartment.
Every time a long train ride is part of the itinerary, I pack my Switch 2. Every time, I pull it out for maybe ten minutes, if that, before it ends up shoved back into my backpack. You’d think I’d have learned by now and just leave it at home. But I’ll do exactly the same thing next time.
Marcel from four years ago would never have been able to go for a run after a day of travel. For one thing, I wasn’t running back then. For another, travel used to take so much out of me that I’d be completely spent.
But over the last couple of years, I’ve worked on my relationship with travel, and this run felt like one of the clearest signs of progress.
Travel day!
It was such a lovely day. Everyone was there. So many friends came to Hamburg for the weekend, and we all had a wonderful time.
I sometimes forget to make enough time for myself, which leaves my social battery completely drained and brings on headaches.
Baltrum is one of those strange little places you find on Germany’s islands, where nothing much ever happens except for the twice-daily ferry that brings in and carries away the tourists. I have a peculiar fascination with villages like this. They feel like a theatre production where most of life revolves around serving tourism, but the actors and crew can’t leave the stage when the season ends and no one is left to watch the show.
We drove to Bremerhaven, very close to where I grew up, to visit the Klimahaus and my father. It was a surreal experience to be in those places with Anna. I usually try to avoid going there, but this time it was nice, even if Linus, my father’s ageing dog, tore a ligament later that day while trying to chase a cat.
Being back at the sea did something to me. The sounds, the sights, I love it all. Every summer of my childhood, I spent all six weeks of the holidays by the sea. No internet, barely any infrastructure, just me, my boredom, crabs, seagulls, and the ever-changing tides. Come to think of it, it might be my favourite childhood memory.
Anna's mother had always dreamed of doing a Wattwanderung, a walk through the Wadden Sea at low tide to one of the nearby islands. So we packed our things, rented a car and a house, and made our way to Germany's north coast, where I'm originally from.
I'm very strong.
I mentioned the quality of beds in the UK to a few friends, and many agreed that modern sleep technology doesn’t seem to have made it across the Channel.
This was the first vacation I never wanted to end. But I was also glad to be back with the cats.
Visiting Tower Bridge while melting wasn’t exactly a highlight of this trip, but I’m glad I saw it.
London’s parks are on another level. Ted Lasso didn’t lie about Richmond’s beauty, and Anna surprised me with a Sofar Sounds concert in an old chapel.
Big Ben is far prettier than I expected. I thought it would be just a boring old tower, but it’s so detailed!
We arrived in London, and I couldn’t have had a better initial impression. I loved it from the very first second.
We didn’t have a single day with fewer than 20,000 steps, and after a while, it definitely started to show.
I expected to like Edinburgh more than I did. The people were great, but the city just didn’t have the right vibe for me.
What's up with GBP? It feels like fake plastic money!
I later discovered that Waterstones is just the starting point. There are so many incredible bookshops in the UK. What a paradise!
Aaand we're off to the UK. First Glasgow and Edinburgh, then London.
Packing is the worst. I’m not even bad at it, it just isn’t fun. It’s like a puzzle where the result will never be perfect, and you just have to live with the compromises. Especially when you’re flying with only carry-on luggage.
Hamburg is considering a bid to host the Olympic Games, and the citizens have been voting on it.
It was a slow and cozy day.
I slept like a baby after this day.
I haven't seen much of Prague, unfortunately.
8-hour train ride to Prague
This marks the end of our little Barcelona adventure.
Our second to last day in Barcelona.
I miss my little Boldu buddy.
Not even the very expensive tickets could lessen my amazement about Sagrada Família.
I'll never enjoy flying. It's against nature and shouldn't be possible.
