Part 2: Bend The Trend By Bike by Pieter Parmentier

Republished on Urban.Bike198.com with permission from Pieter Parmentier

Lamstedt, 7-12-2009
7,5 hours cycling, 162 km, arrival 17.00

During the second day the Dutch radio called on my mobile phone. If I would like to participate in a radio programme on the climate summit? Of course I did not mind, for some extra publicity could mean some extra converts for the good cause.

The position that was put forward ran as follows: we are doing already enough for the climate!

The discussion started with questions about my view on the results of the climate summit.

At that moment there were no results as yet but in my opinion it was hopeful that both China and the US had already shown their willingness to go for targets. They were perhaps not high enough but vastly better than the Kyoto conference where Bush stated they would not sign because ‘it would be bad for their economy’. Whatever comes from this conference, for me it is clear that worldleaders and citizens alike cannot ignore anymore the urgency of the climate problem. Then the interviewer told me that 60% of the listeners agreed with the position mentioned above. Big sigh.

I went on telling that one of the main reasons to cycle to Copenhagen was that we have made quite a mess of our environment, used up most of the valuable resources and even disturbed the earth atmosphere. We cannot leave that inheritance to future generations!

“When I held my grandchild in my hands two weeks ago, 2860 grams of human being, it was very clear to me that I could not and cannot let this happen without making an effort.”

My contribution will be small on a global scale but even if I convince one single person to live more sustainable it is worthwhile. A cathedral can also be built using small bricks.

Ahrensböck, 8-12-2009
6,5 hours cycling, 125 km, arrival 16.00

Some parts of the journey were quite boring; almost like the odd day at work, being busy from eight till four without notable incidents. To do something about it I am having fun writing parts of this travel account in my head or by having discussions with my alter ego.
She also helps me rehearsing the interviews that will take place in Copenhagen. Question: “How do you feel?” “Well, some parts are sore and the others not anymore.”
“Right, and how did you do it?” “It is quite simple really. You start cycling and after three minutes you have done one kilometre. After 30 minutes you did 10 km and after one hour …………….” Etc.
Also I do some singing now and then. My usual cycling friends, strangely enough are not enthusiastic when I start singing the Pearl Fishers (Georges Bizet). Here in the middle of the swamps there is no one to appreciative the quality of my performance but ok, such is life.
Luck was with me crossing the river Elbe. At the very last moment before departure they saw the lonely black and yellow cyclist coming and let me aboard. This happened to be the crossing going to Glückstadt (which means Happycity).

The landlord of the inn in Arensböck, which I cannot recommend to anyone, warned me for the road ahead. It is called the Holsteinische Schweiz which means Switzerland of Northern Germany. He was talking about difficult climbs which would make the area hard to cross. When I asked him if my experience in Tibet and Peru would help, he thought it would.
He allowed me to use their computer and its internet connection to send my travel account around. Shortly afterwards his wife told me I had to stop ticking away because it would anoy the other guests. After dinner I wanted to pay but that was impossible; with the same card I have been using for years and all over the world. Next morning I was served coffee without being asked what I would prefer and when I wanted to leave all doors were locked except for the emergency exit. Fortunately this was the only exception to the hospitable receptions during my journey.

Several times signs were to be seen saying: “No highway through our village” or “DEPO-NIE” (rubbish dump – never). Most people are not willing to drive less or to produce less waste, but they are all members of the NIMBY movement. Germany is ahead in the production of sustainable energy but the Germans are very much addicted to their cars and would not want to miss their beefmeal every day. Around every city you will find large areas full of shopping centres, parking lots and car dealers. When oil prices go up in the near future Germans will be in big trouble. It will take them some time to adjust and that goes for every other country/population around the globe when it comes to changing un-sustainable habits.

Guldborg Havn, 9-12-2009
6,5 hours cycling , 132 km, arrival 16.30

It is very comfortable in the Lagunen Grill Café where two Danish girls are serving hot meals. Only one hour before for the first time I asked myself “what am I doing here?” And even half an hour ago on this cold, misty and windless day when there was after 132 km still no bed or hot meal in sight, I was not sure there would be a roof over my head tonight or rather where that roof would be. The camping looked not very promising but when it happend to be open and even had a cabin available, hope glimmered. As I could not very well survive without a proper evening meal I had to find some place where they would want to serve me. And there it was. I put on the little electric heater in the icy six bed cabin, had a hot shower and went for a hearty meal hoping that the temperature in the cabin would be slightly higher on my return.

I had used a route planner which was sold as a device you could also use for a bicycle tour and so far it had shown me the way very well and was also waterproof, which was essential on this journey. However, one day it just stopped working and that was not the only part of my equipment starting to falter. After almost 700 km in five days the gears were giving trouble, as were my overshoes and some parts of my body (hamstring, knee, feet and especially my bottom). They were definitely longing for a few days relaxation.

Well, they had to wait, but 12 hours of sleep in Guldborn certainly helped.

The only other problem I had with the routeplanner was when it sent me onto the highway at Heiligenhafen and could not find the cyclist path crossing the bridge towards Fehmarn.

Fehmarn and the village of Puttgarden are places you pass when you want to catch the ferry (in Puttgarden) towards Danemark.

Køge, 10-12-2009
4,5 hours cycling, 92 km, arrival 13.30

In spite of the icecold rain I could enjoy today the H.C. Andersen landscape with its thatch covered houses, seaside villages, ages old oaktrees and rural estate. It had a sign saying ‘Godkantor’ which could mean Office of God. Well, if I were God I would probably also have chosen this area for my office.

As a human being I was very glad to find a comfortable little hotel in the city centre of Køge just before more of my parts stopped functioning. The hot shower made me cheering because Copenhagen was very close now and my feet were defrosting.

The city was quite nice with its Christmas market, hundreds of little girls in white dresses including candle and wreath. It was impossible to have my clothing washed (before next week) but in the library the second newsletter could be sent away to my ‘fans’ at home.

Copenhagen, 11-12-2009
2,5 hours cycling, 50 km, arrival 12.00

Two months ago I was able to make a reservation for what must have been the last bed in town. And here it was, one of fourteen beds in a dormitory in one of the almost thirty Youth Hostels of Copenhagen. One of the roommates was a grey disabled biologist from Brasil.
He had gathered around him an incredible amount of stuff: books, bags, leaflets, etc. and he immediately started to pinch (not pull) my legs, after I told him I had come from Holland by bike. There were several other nationalities and people (men) of all ages in that room and they had all come (by plane) for the climate conference.

At the European Environment Agency they were glad to hear I made it and told me they had a place for me at the conference centre to do my presentation. That would be on sunday at the old Staerekassen Theatre in the city centre. But today is friday and a perfect time to take some rest and prepare for the demonstration day tomorrow. Almost by itself my bike went straight to the old harbour which the Danes call Nyhavn, which seems strange to me. This harbour is a lovely place; well it was very agreable last summer. Dineke and I went to visit our son Joris who was doing some subsidiary biology subjects at Copenhagen university. We were leisurely sitting in the sun sipping a glas of white wine and enjoying the scenery.

In the middle of December only the incurable smokers were outside on the terras and I enjoyed a good meal in front of a blazing fire. I like to sweat it out but do not mind to enjoy myself if I can grasp the opportunity.

by Pieter Parmentier