Day 15: Üdersdorf - Wachtendonk

Today we didn't start the day with jumps or joy. Papi Edu had slept badly —he says his head felt like a washing machine spinning stones— and I, who am very empathetic (when it suits me), decided to stay calm and not give him a hard time. Well, almost.

Even so, we got up early (for our doggy schedule). At half past nine we were already saying goodbye to the chatty gentleman from yesterday, who gave us another good dose of morning chat before saying goodbye. They exchanged contact details, because he wants to send something to Papi Edu. I don't get involved. As long as a tick with a post-it note doesn't arrive in the mail, everything's fine.

We headed north, towards the Netherlands. But we still haven't crossed the border. Among other things, because the day was one of those that drag on more than they walk.

We took the A1 highway, which sounds fast and direct, but surprise! It has a hole in the middle. Yes, you heard right. Suddenly you have to get off and go on secondary roads with potholes, silly curves and roundabouts with more flowers than cars. It turns out that this section of highway was never fully built, due to legal problems, environmental conservation issues and protests from the neighbors. Come on, nature won this battle… and the drivers lost 40 minutes.

Papi Edu was very tired. It showed in his eyes and in his pace. Besides, highways bore him to death. He says they're like eating toast without jam: functional, but joyless. And of course, when he's bored, he gets sleepy. So we made many stops along the way. Sometimes just to breathe. Other times to close our eyes for a while. I also took the opportunity to stretch out in the sun or to sniff every corner of the grass as if there were clues to a crime. It's a talent I have.

The journey seemed long, but little by little we got closer to the border with the Netherlands. And when we could almost smell the tulips… we decided not to cross. It turns out that in Holland, sleeping freely is more forbidden than eating ham at a vegan meeting. So we stayed in Germany, where there are still parking lots in the forest that embrace you without asking for your license plate or a sleep certificate.

We found one of those. Lonely, surrounded by trees, with signs for hiking trails and not a soul in sight. Papi Edu sighed as he parked. Me too, but mine was more out of the excitement of finally getting out of the car.

Before taking refuge, we took a walk through the forest and fields. The landscape is already starting to look a lot like Holland: flat, green and with more sky than mountains. But here there are no cyclists with colored helmets or caravans of tourists. Just us, the birds and a lot of silence.

And here we are, parked at the edge of the forest, with the moon peeking out between very straight branches. Today there has been no cheese, no friends, no epic adventures. But it has been a day of moving forward. And sometimes that's worth it too.

Now I'm going to curl up in doughnut mode. Let's see if Papi Edu's head wakes up clearer tomorrow. And if not… we can always stop again.