2007 Flashback #5

So there i was, sitting on a bench along a bike path somewhere south of Munich just waiting for dark so i could go to sleep. I was working on a sudoku puzzle or something when i heard the rumblings of
thunder off in the distance. Each crack was louder than the one before it, and they echoed forever. It started to rain a little while later, and i moved under a pine tree to try to stay dry. Aside from not getting any sleep, getting soaked, and getting my backpack soaked, the night went just fine.

I got up when it was light out to find that the bike path was dry. I learned something about pine trees that night. They do a pretty good job of keeping water off you, until they get saturated. Then they continuously drip on you, even if it stops raining. It apparently didn't rain all night long, but it sure seemed like it under that tree. I guess i was focused on how miserable i was and not getting attacked by someone walking down the path at 3AM.

That was pretty much the end of the trip. That morning I rode the rest of the way into Munich and checked into the hostel for one more night. The bicycle bag i had stowed in a locker was still there, thankfully. The next day i gathered up my things and made my last bike ride to the airport (avoiding the autobahn). I felt pretty miserable on the flight home and over the next day or two it just got worse. That night in the rain really got me.

Overall it was a pretty successful and interesting experience. Bicycling on the autobahn, riding through the alps, naked Austrians, and a miserable night in the rain; there was never a dull moment. I learned a lot, especially of what to NOT do (don't use a backpack, don't sleep under pine trees in the rain, don't agree to sleep near snorers). I'd take all of it into account for the 2011 World Gymnaestrada in Lausanne, Switzerland!