Day 02: Boarding on the ferry in Denmark (Hirtshals)

I didn't sleep very well, so I'm still pretty wrinkled.

My breakfast is in the fridge. Fortunately, the grandmother of the Danish family, who also stayed here, prepares a coffee and also turns on the oven to bake the ragged rolls.

I leave at 8 a.m. to get to the ferry on time. One should be there two hours before departure: I even queue up three hours earlier. I am standing behind a car with a license plate from the city Mosbach, near my hometown in southern Germany. The driver, Birgit, has just started a sabbatical year. She works as a teacher at the vocational school in Sinsheim and is a far-traveled and experienced person.

After the check-in has started the queue moves forwards from time to time. A couple of times I start my bike, a couple of times I push it forward.

When it came to Birgit's turn, I wanted to start my machine again and whoosh, no more power to start.

My shock and anger are huge at first. There I stand now and perhaps can't board the ferry? Such a crap! Fortunately, Birgit first persuades me to push the machine through check-in. She says she has a starter cord so we can try to start the machine after check-in.

So I push through the check-in. You get an electronic cabin key. The check-in is pretty casual in terms of the Corona conditions. I have to point out that I still need a PCR test because I am still within the fourteen-day period after the second vaccination.

Then we push the machine next to Birgit's car.

In order to get to the battery with the cables, I have to loosen the tank and lift it up a little. Unfortunately, the jump start cable is too short and I have to take the machine off the main stand and move it. Birgit draws my attention to the fact that one of the belts is hanging into the tire and next moment the bike falls over. I'm way too excited! A security guard helps pick up the bike. Fortunately, the jump starting works straight away. So at least I can get on the ferry on my own. But when it fell over the top case's bracket has been damaged, but this is not a major problem.

I do a few laps and then go to the lane where the PCR tests are done. That happens relatively quickly. For the first time a swab is taken from my throat, not pleasant either. After that I can drive up to the ferry quite quickly.

There, in the midst of the other motorcyclists, I fasten my motorcycle with belts and ask around if someone has a starter cable, because I would have to get help starting again when leaving the ferry. Fortunately, a few people get in touch with me and promise to help me on arrival.

Of course I am very concerned about how things will go next. One possible and probable cause is that I just started the machine a few times too often. The battery should still be good (just a year old). Researching the causes and my alternatives on Iceland keep me busy during the entire ferry trip.

On the ship, I first go to my cabin on the couchette deck. Due to Corona, these cabins, in which there are 6 beds, are not fully occupied. You can share a cabin only with your travel buddies or even you travel alone. Fortunately, you have to say. I do not want to experience a ferry trip on a fully booked ferry!

I spend the afternoon talking on deck. For a long time with the well-traveled Birgit, but then also with Oliver, who had promised to help me get started when we parked the motorcycles on the ship.