Santiago de Compostela

Pictures are now available in the Gallery section.
Enjoy.

I would like to thank you all for your amazing support.
To be honest, I did not expect to have that huge success for my homepage ( more than 10.000 visitors !!)
I really enjoyed updating the website.
And I hope the pleasure was also on your side.
Using the internet tool will never replace face-to-face communication, but for quite a while, it can help to bear solitude and loneliness.
For me it was some sort of link with my family, friends and colleagues.
Knowing that they were “watching” me, also pushed me for going on.

I have now crossed nearly half of Europe by bicycle and I have reached my destination safely and healthy.
I am absolutely glad about that and so does my family.

Please allow me to publish some food for thought:

During that one month I have encountered unpleasant people (remember the violent person with the pepperspray), but the really vast majority was kind and helpful.
We are living in a rapid changing world, but I can only confirm that the basic principles and values are still present:
Politeness, kindness, respect and helpful.

The world is so big and yet so small.
There is so much nature perfection and man-made beautiness out there to discover. Whatever type of locomotion you are using (hiking, cycling, sailing, flying…) you (and I) will not live long enough to see and appreciate only a tiny part of it.
So, as long as you are still able,
make a plan, pack your bags, and move your ass!

¡Buen camino!

For the statistics lovers:

Km done total: 2602
Average speed: 16,29km/h
Cycling time total: 159hrs 05min
Departure day: 01 OCT 2011
Arrival day: 28 OCT 2011
Total cycling days: 27 (+ 1 rest day)
Total metres in height: 19320

Day with most metres in height:
28 OCT: 1930
Longest cycling day, distance and time: 11 OCT, 160km, 8:15hrs
Shortest cycling day, distance and time: 28 OCT, 43km, 2:55hrs
Worst day: 26 OCT, cycling through the “hurricane”, (I call it the “washing machine day”)
Nicest day: 28 OCT, (last day, arriving and finishing in Santiago.)
Fastest speed: 63,4km/h (Woww, that was scary..)
Slowest speed: Hey ! stupido 
( maybe cycling backwards during the storm )

Total animals encountered:
– dead: (but, not killed by me) (rabbits, rats, deers, squirrels, snakes, wild boars, cats, dogs, frogs…): 257 (including flat ones and not recognizable)
– alive: for sure more than the dead ones, but, sorry, unable to provide exact figures.
Crashed bugs and flies: 3467 

Batteries used for the GPS: 32

Personal weight:
01 OCT: 72,4kg
30 OCT: 70,7kg
Liters of water consumed: 94 ( so about 3,5 liters a day)

Flat tires: 0
Broken parts or defects on the bike:
– one back light,
– rear hub losing oil, but survived till final destination.
After the next bicycle maintenance, I will post how much oil was left.
Oil used for chain lubrication: 50 ml

Hei zou Santiago de Compostela fänken ech en puer Kärzen un fir un all dei Leit ze denken dei net mei önnert ons sinn an speziell dei an der lechter Zait fun ons gangen sinn. Meng Groussmam, d’Boma Marianne an mengem Schweierpapp seng Mam, d’Boma Yvonne.
Een Kolleeg huet mech gefrot fir och eng Kärz fir sein fir un net all ze langer Zait verstuewenen Papp unzefänken. Dat ass gemach.
Och fir 2 Arbeschtkolleegen, dei firun kurzem opereiert goufen, fänken ech eng Kärz un an wenschen all dat bescht.

Wat awer vill mei wichteg ass, ech fänken eng mega-rieseg Kärz un fir all dei Leit dei nach do sinn, fir hinnen Merci ze soen fir hir Önnerstötzung. Meng Fra an meng Kanner, meng Famill, meng Frenn an Kolleegen. Dir sidd all dat wat fir mech an mengem Liewen am wichtesten ass.
An ech hoffen dass et dat nach ganz lang ass. Zesummen: ¡Buen camino!