Rolling on out

The past few days have taken me south then west across the island, where I now camp over in Korsor. The scenery has been pretty amazing, especially large expanses of yellow flowered fields, lilacs (which seem to be popular), thatched houses, windmills new and old, and cool little towns to explore along the way. I also stopped at a Danish bakery, which did not disappoint. Denmark is also very flat, which has really helped when my bike is heavier then it could be. Marked bike paths correspond to Google maps, and with the built in compass, my phone has been a very valuable navigation tool. I have not had to use the handlebar GPS unit or paper maps too much yet. Danish drivers also seem to be pretty respectful and patient when dealing with bicyclists, which is something I'm not used to.

What has not helped is the weather. Three days of mid 40's temperature and on and off rain has put a damper on things, making riding and camping more difficult. My gear has been holding up well, and the expensive rain gear I got for the trip is proving its worth. Still, with cold weather and not sleeping well, I starting to feel run down and decided to jump for a small cabin. This will allow me to to dry my stuff and get a good night's sleep (which even at the hostel I did not really get). My first few days of riding of about 30 and 50 miles were shorter then they could have been, but I am trying to take it easy on myself, ramp up difficulty, and go for the long term.

A few problems have crept up on the bike; the leather saddle, which after wet, became deformed and uncomfortable to ride. I think the shifters may have been knocked out of alignment during the flight as well. There was also one flat tire the second day which was simple enough to fix and get rolling again.

Personally, I'm starting to get warn down too. I spend most of the day by myself, and have a hard time making conversations. Since I've left the city, fewer people speak English, and those that do I have a hard time finding common ground. People I do talk to seem impressed that I'm from NY, but it's the same polite conversation over and over again. Besides the lack of company, I've had a hard time relaxing with all the work that needs to be done. It seems that I'm working in one way or another most of the day. Yesterday I went to the supermarket to make dinner at camp. The Danish supermarket was a trip in itself, and somethings were really puzzle to what they were, or what they were used for. This was one of the times I really started to feel like a foreigner, which didn't really bother me too much. Still, the work has been constant, and the cold rain has made everything more difficult. I find myself getting annoyed, misplacing things, or other actions that indicate lack of rest. I don't know if I'm getting tougher or just warn out from this experience. I haven’t even had a beer since I got here. I think I'm going to take a day and explore a city, have some fun, and try to talk to a few more people. Someone asked me to see if Danish girls are good kissers. How could not oblige?