Saarbrücken

My time in Saarbrücken was more of a time for reflection than exploration. Not to say that I didn’t explore, but most of my energy was spent on figuring out what I should do without a bike. Should I buy a new bike and then continue on as I had been? Should I completely change my trip and buy a Eurorail pass to cover more territory? Should I say screw it I’m going to walk the rest of the way? There were a lot of options and when it came down to it I found that a mixture between bussing and walking was going to be the best. After a bit of research I found that Europe contains about 18 different walking routes that hikers and backpackers use to cross the continent. Now obviously most of my biking routes are either too long or aren’t even applicable anymore so, from now on, during the course of this trip there is going to be a lot more improvisation. I’m going to still try and stay on my original route, but there may be times in which that isn’t possible and I have to diverge from the route a little bit. For example, I’m writing this from Strasbourg which was not on my list of cities I was going to visit, but it made more sense for me to come here than my previous destination.

I have been lucky enough to experience almost every single kind of transportation during the duration of this trip (plane, fairy, train, bus, car, bike, and walking) and what I’ve found is that the main difference between each mode of transportation, besides speed, is it’s sensory effect. When someone is on a plane for example the effect that natural surroundings have on you is slim to none. You may be able to see something out of a tiny window, but that’s about it. Furthermore, because you are flying you’re detached from the earth. Every time a mode of transportation simplifies one is able to experience more: one’s senses are more effected. This is why I am excited for walking. Being able to fully immerse myself into my surroundings and being able to travel off roads as well as on is something I couldn’t have done on a bike. In addition, the prospect of conversations with other hikers is something that I am extremely excited about.

This is honestly what this trip is all about. When things go wrong one must adapt to the new situation and sometimes those situations turn out better than you could have hoped for… let’s hope that that’s how this adaptation works out.