November 21, 2010

pics #147 - #165

 

Friday November 19th - Red Self-Existing Serpent

This day was already chronicled on previous page, having more to do in Leipzig than getting to Dresden, due to the little distance cycled.

 

Saturday November 20th - White Overtone Worldbridger

This night has been fertile with remembering dreams. Various dreams in which were involved members of my families -relatives and yogis- It is always nice to see people who are far away through this enigmatic trip, although I would like to have a better understanding of them.

          Großsteinberg: stone career

I wake up to the sound of the nearby stone career, and cycle around it in the forest hill. Groceries in Grimma for the coming two days and I leave in the direction of lakes that I've seen on the map. There is some serious up hill to start  with and after it's rather a plateau. At noon the lakes appear and shortly after, I stop at the last one, set up the yoga mat to practice in front of the sun while the beans - cereals boil. Adding veggies and mushrooms for one of my best stove-cooked meals so far.

          Lakes between Mutszchen and Wermsdorf

Back on the road, crossing large fields, huge areas without hedgerows which make me wonder where to camp. Finally I will find a good spot, on top of a field, hidden from the road by woods. From there I can contemplate the farms spread over the plain. When night has fallen, the moon, which is full on Sunday, looks wonderful, shining through cotton clouds.

          The nearly-full moon shining on camp 8

 

Sunday November 21st - Blue Rhythmic Hand

This morning is cold at awakening time. It's been freezing outside : the fields and the tent are all white. It is as sunny as yesterday -as always on Sundays so far- but the cold is intense, around 0 degrees to start the day with. My feet are cold, my hands too. I cross villages with 'itz' or 'szch' in their names, and there are still climbs and descents.

          Zsochau from a distance

This stops when I reach Zehren and meet the large river Elbe. All the waters I followed and crossed since passing the Göttinger Wald end up in this river: Bode, Wipper, Unstrut, ...

          The Elbe river in Zehren

The distance counter indicate 1000km from the start of the trip when it's time for lunch in Meißen, famous for its porcelain.

           Meißen

          Meißen, lunch break: 1000km since start          

Reaching Dresden is easy, following the river is flat but there are still some traps of German bicycle paths. Next stop, I am in the center of Dresden, looking for a map in the tourist office to locate my host. 

           A view of the left bank of the Elbe on the way to Dresden

           Dresden: Großgarten

To congratulate me for the milestone of 1000km, and for reaching the most eastern point I've been on earth in that life, I enter a backery to get the speciality from the area. Older people in former DDR do not speak English, but Russian, despite this language barrier, I am adviced an Eirshege.  I take a detour to the wide Groß Garten before getting to Steffen. My host is cool and friendly, and lives in a hippy-like appartment. One of his room-mate is a french girl, and we both can finally talk in our mother tongue; another has a picture of the palace of Mysore on his door. Steffen let me use the computer in his room and as I get out of the virtual world, good vibes are filling the house, people from next doors joined for diner, nice talk around a good meal. I get to the kitchen and hear one of my favorite songs: All Along the Watchtower arranged by Jimi Hendrix, I miss my guitar for the first time of the trip. it is soon forgotten as my plate gets a re-fill.

"No reason to get excited, the thief he kindly spoke

There are many here among us, who feel that life is but a joke

But you an I we've been through that and it is not our fate

So let us not talk falsely now the hour is getting late" Bob Dylan