This one was one of my more exhausting rides, even though I made only about 150km. When planning this trip, I had decided to book two hotels. One closer to the Baltic Sea and the other close to the North Sea. That’s the beauty of Schleswig-Holstein, where you can do both in a single day.

Yesterday, I checked out of the hotel in the east and drove over to the one in the west. Avoiding the highway, as usual, I took a route via Rendsburg, where I might even have stayed a little longer, but the weather was not inviting, and I just wanted to arrive at my new destination.

It was once again very windy. Dark clouds constantly threatened with rain, and it was so chilly that I needed to get a fleece jacket out and put it under my motorbike jacket to keep me a little warmer. It helped, but the ride was still unpleasant.

Which is a shame as the landscape was quite beautiful and the roads were great for the most part. Had the weather been more pleasant, I would have had an awesome ride.

To think that my initial plan was to go via Flensburg, which is much further up north and would have meant a ride at least twice the distance I actually did.

Quite inconceivable.

Thankfully, upon arrival, I was able to get my room right away, which meant I could relax for the rest of the day. It did clear up somewhat, but I wasn’t exactly disappointed not to get to ride any further.

That’s the thing about touring on a motorbike, you have to contend with the weather. Either you’re prepared and pack everything for every eventuality. Or you hope for the best and prepare to stay put if the best doesn’t come about.

Since I tend to pack light, I’m not packing for every conceivable scenario. If it were to rain, I would have to stop and seek shelter. But packing another layer of clothing to keep warm is less of an issue.

Today, it looks to be a bit of a mix again. It’s still relatively early and I plan on heading out soon. Since rain is expected tomorrow, I may only ride in the afternoon. We’ll see.

Here is yesterday’s trip: