Stonehenge Autumn Equinox

Dream Seed was the most spiritual on this morning in the midst
of the Stones.

Affirming Three Aspirations:  

Lead me from darkness to light
lead me from the unreal to the real
from death to immortality

Stripes

Hayling Island

In memory of my friends childhood, we took the Hayling Billy Trail from Havant to Hayling Island.
The trail runs 9 km from Havant station down to the island, and runs off road, Lady Sadie was happy to run :)
Unfortunately the small foot-passenger ferry to Portsea Island stopped operating in 2015, so we had to cycle up to Havant again in order to get on with our journey along the coast in direction west.

Chichester Ship Canal

I was happy to reach the Chichester Ship Canal, boats and the reflection of water, that is something I really enjoy :)
The Canal is navigable and was opened after three years of building in 1822. It runs 4.5 miles from the sea at Birdham to Chichester through two locks. The towpath is cycleable on the whole stretch.

Chichester Cathedral

Chichester - Town

Mostly following the long distance cycle route number 2, which runs along the south coast of England, we reached Chichester within a day.
We stayed for the night on a nearby campsite and went for sightseeing on the following day.
 ... And for shopping as I needed new water tight boots.
I will leave my old ones as rubbish here on the Island :P

Traveldog

After a month of warming up my friend and I decided to cycle along the southcoast together - with Lady Sadie.
It was her first long journey in trailer, and she loved it. Sitting in the trailer and looking out, the ears flapping in the wind. But the most she loved running beside us, she manages 8-13 miles per hour ;)

Hidey-Hole

After my arrival on The Island I decided that I had enough of cold winds and wet. I took the train from Manningtree to London where I visited a friend for a few days.
Afterwards I spent the rest of April in my hidey-hole in Sussex, waiting for the warmth to arrive, and doing all the things which are far better then blogging: emptying the dog, picking weeds, cooking, wading through sea´s of Bluebells, watching the gulls on the beach, making music with friends, and eating fish and chips - just for the sake of variety. ;)

Heracleum Sphondylium

Heracleum sphondylium, common hogweed/ Wiesen-Bärenklau, is my new favourite weed. They are growing near hedges and on grassy places.
The edible parts at this time of the year are those tiny shoots you see in the middle of the first picture. I cut them with a knife as close to the ground as possible. The shoots which are to become the flower stems are especially fleshy and big.
Shoots can be found from  March on until June. Later you can eat the unopened flower buds.

Wheel of Life - Pi

Kate Bush - Pi
With greetz to the Netherlands :)

Through The Netherlands

Shortly after crossing the boarder dark cloudes dumps their waters over me. Since Dörpen I am accompanied by cold wind as well. Searching for hide underneath a bridge I met 2 siblings, both of them looks like drenched cats. Their family went to live in Germany as the housing is less expensive compared to the netherlands. But it didn´t work out for them at the german school, they felt badly treated by the other kids. Now they feel more comfortable on the school in the netherlands and since they are cycling between the countries twice a day.

I am longing for dry shoes and warm tea. The lady in the next cycle shop tells me about the Mini-Camping Kolderweide.
The campsite is empty, nobody in sight. The doorbell in the next house sets dogs off and a man with only one arm opens the door.  I am invited to dry my shoes and socks in front of the fireplace, and am offered hot sweet coffee. His brother and a friend are there as well. They were 5 brothers, all of them farmers. The family always owned land on both sides of the borders. But the german parts has been sold off now.
We are talking about the situation in europe as well, but all these conversations are too big for this place.
I am the 3rd camper this year, I am invited to sleep in the big canteen, and to hang up my tent for drying. I am offered spuds and onions and a hot coffee in the next morning.
What a welcome! Thanks Gerard!

Tom The Toad

Sing on this tune Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Tom the Toad, Oh Tom the Toad
Why are you lying in the road?
Oh Tom the Toad, Oh Tom the Toad
Why are you lying in the road?
You did not see that car ahead
And you were flattened by the tread.
Oh Tom the Toad, Oh Tom the Toad
Why are you lying in the road?

Home Sweet Home - The Herbalist´s Home

Edible Weeds - Spring

I went to Syke for a short stop because of Heike König. We had made up the appointement that I help her with the preparations for Rohvolution. She instead would secure me in my knowledge about the edibles and show me more.
This post contain pictures of some of the plants I more or less am eating regularly since.

Pulmonaria officinalis - leaves and flowers are edible.

Through Germany

The first day of my journey didn´t bring me very far, just around 15 km to Syke. Accompanied by Heike I spent the night on a small space in the woods beside an arm of the small River Hache.

Home Sweet Home - The Flying Donkey

May I proudly present The Flying Donkey, my home for the next months. 
To see what my vehicle is carrying during my journey, check behind the fold.

Happy Cycling

I tried this link for planning a route. It offers you three alternative routes between starting point and your destination.

Happy Birthday Vitiworks :)