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Pirate
Hello Pirate-Offspring and their friends…!

Here you can read some dates to follow my trip from Damlos to Cologne, for the last home match of my favourite club, 1.FC Cologne.
I gotta tell you, hoe I got this idea. Well, I think, a Pirate should be true to his own word, its like a question of Pirate-honor…it was a day like this, where you got to proof that you still got balls in your pants, as being a Pirate…
I said, that I wanted to ride on my bike to Cologne to the last match of the FC, if they´re able to win a match finally again the pill-producer from Leverkusen after 14 years of waiting, and finally they won again!!! And myself??? I hold my word and rode by bike to the last home match to Cologne, but their was one difficulty, because the last game was already sold out.
So, I wrote to the FC agency and told them, what I´m up to. Their they told me, that I´m a maniac, but all the guys, the carnival-reveler are a little bit maniac. Finally on Wednesday before the game, I got my answer, and they told me, if I would really make it, they will give me free ticket. Wednesday, the game is on Saturday…damn it, how should I do this.???
I thought about two stages. Yes, this should be possible, for anyone, who´s a little bit skilled in riding a bike. Si, it should be something loco…no break…all in once…how far is it? 540km…wew,is it possible? Well, the girls and guys from the triple-triathlon in Lehnsahn did it, and they even swam before it 11,6km and ran after it 126km, si, it should be possible to ride 540km all in once. Okay, let´s go.
On Wednesday evening I visit, a good friend of mine, Wolfgang Kulow, I thought, if anyone should be able to give me some hints for this trip, than it´s gotta be him. I wanted to ride all at once, but what should I do by night? Batteries? No! Wolfgang got a front wheel with dynamo hub and a LED-light, he borrowed it me for the trip? How horny is that than? As well like a bike case, made of sail material, which I can coil up, so, it gotta match with my baggage porter, and so I can travel home by the ICE, where are no bikes aloud in it, but I could do it, because I got a bike case…
On thursday, I still had to go to the gym after work, because I´m a spinning instructor, and should be back to work until half past nine, but I spoke before with my boss, and so I could home 21 o´clock. So, I went home, prepared everything for the trip, took a look at my watch, whew, midnight, so hurry up to get some sleep.
My alarm clock, woke me up at 5o´clock, it felt like a man standing next to my bed, and keep hiting me with a hammer on my head, allright, just give me 10 more minutes, but than I gotta stand up…
Bath, washing, fix my hair, air drying… Kitchen, a good breakfast with coffee and cereals, my wife comes in the kitchen, she still doesn´t believe, what I´m up to and is of course a little bit worried about it…myself, all alone in the boondocks…all the sorrows…Im a Pirate….

Well, bike is ready, all dressed up and off we go...sun is shining, a kiss from my Pirate-lady, everything started quiet well.
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

I borrowed me also a mobile with GPS, so I gotta ride to Lübeck at once, but when I reached Lübeck, we remarked that the mobile, don´t work like the way it should be. The finnish persons, don´t know anything about how a mobile should work, so I bought me a regular street map, and lost two hours, but who care´s, I cannot do anything about it, after all.
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

Even Ron asked me, where I`m, he wanted to travel a bit with me, but sadly he did not have much time left, when I reached Hamburg, but at least, we met at the old Elb-tunnel for a small talk, but before I reached Hamburg it started to rain when I left Lübeck, and of course some wind from the west, of course…headwind, kicking the pedals won´t become easier by this, but at least, the rain stopped when I reached the Saxony forest, its realy nice to know, that there´s something like this in SH.
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

Finally, Ron is still waiting…Hamburg.
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

Right thru the inner city of Hamburg, damn its full here and all the traffic lights, where the heck came they all from, no wonder everythhing getting down here, and the bike ways, are that bad, that my saddle is playing ping-pong with my family-balls.
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

Finally…Landungsbrücken ( landing bridge), the entrance of the old Elb-tunnel...and there he is...RON, I almost missed him.
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

Pirate 1.Fc Köln

Cool. He brought me a Pirate rainjacket, gels, bars, and an air-pump. We ate a little bit, of course when you ´re in Hamburg, a bread roll with fish and french fries, nice break with the boss.
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

On we go, thru the old Elb-tunnel, nice thing, Ron told me, that this channel is really interesting, he was right.
Pirate 1.Fc.Köln

After the tunnel, I headed towards Harburg, just keep it rolling. Yes, its possible to loose track in Harburg, where is the way to Tötensen? Dieter? Got some time for a visit? Well, I´m sure he´s in Cologne, coll, I wanna go their as well.
Then when I passed the city limits of Harburg, I found the way to Tötensen, its not a big city, anyway further on to Bucholz, I already been here before in january at the Steventrophy and for the general meeting of the Pirates, heading Tostedt and Scheeßel ( Hurricane-festival) No, time for  it, what a pity, rock´n roll is not bad at all.
Reaching Rothenburg a.d.W, now passing Bremen, midnight, what they do here, all the lights went of here, what the f....? Maybe because of me… Well, I think its time to visit my favorite American (MCD), a coffee as well, than I rode on to Verden, than to Nienburg. Weird, not the legs are tired, my eyes, allright, time for a small nap, hey there is a small bus shelter. Lay me down on the bank, setting the alarm clock for half an hour, I almost fall asleep, ring, ring, ring, damn it, half an hour over yet??? Damn fast…okay on the bike again, it´s really dark here, right in the forest, no car, no truck n the road, hey there is a badger, all the funny noises to the left and  right, here a there a clicking noise, whew a weird feeling, there a whole herd of deers, right on the road, go away, a Pirate is coming, I ´m feeling like I´m in a zoo.
Finally again civilization, Verden and than again for long time nothing, just small dark villages, and all lights are off here, how late it is? I don´t know, it must be two or three o´clock in the morning, than I came to Nienburg, another MCG, another coffee, the eyes won´t stay wide open right know, I would say, it the typical dead point, but it will pass again, I´m sure and go on, another hot coffee, yeah, feels good. More small villages and finally  I can see the sun set in the east and than a sign, I´ve been waitng for it, for so long…NRW…
Pirate 1.Fc Köln

Well, crossing SH, HH, Lower Saxony and now I just have to ride across NRW, but I thing I´m feling hungry a little bit. Minden, city limits, supermarket, just opened, a bakery, smells like fresh rolls, how can I overcome a temptation???
Hmm, tasty rolls, chocolate croissant, hot chocolate and a coffee and than I gotta go on again, than I was there Porta Westfalica…the door to Phalia, right alongside the river Weser is a good bike-paths, and no cars, silence…
Pirate 1.fc köln

Bad Oeyenhausen, the first hills are approaching, how mean, two third of the trip all flat, and now, when the legs are getting tired, the hills are coming, and of course my butt starting to hurt, and now I´m getting in time delay, so I gotta kick the pedals a little  bit more, but more I start to kick the pedals, my right knee start to hurt, more´n more, how long anymore???
Herford, Bielefeld, the most friendly construction site in the Teutoburger forest, than reaching Gütersloh, Rheda-Wiedenbrück,Oelde, Ahlen, Hamm, Unna and all the time more and more hills, and my knee won´t get better from this,passing Schwerte, a stitch in my knee, hills...Hagen...come to Hagen, became a pop-star, the guys from Extrabreit told once, and aswell the home town of Nena, if her knee hurt here also, by riding these hills? Ennepetal, than my town, I really like the most becasue of the name: Radevormwald ( ride before the forest). Now my knee won´t go anymore, but I gotta made it, but I won´t made it, just in tim, even I pushed the pedal really hard since Minden, it´s now 13:00o´clock. Damn it. So, I called my brother, he should meet me halfway, I still can made it to Wermelskirchen, I can see the church towers…and my brother. Bike in the trunk and way up to Cologne, but there are some more, who wants to reach the stadium…well…out of the car, back on the bik and go on, it´s not far anymore, now its 15:20o´clock, I can see the stadium, just in time after 33hours.
Now heading the members entrance, they´re already waiting for me with the free-tivket in their hands, want to take a picture of me, the guys of the FC, in my Pirate-dress, they want to write about me in the club-newspaper, the maniac who get on the bike and ride on…
When I open the ticket and saw on which place I´ve been seating, I barely believe it, east-section, 3rd row, place 4, how horny is that than? Almost at the field, I can yell and shout at the guys, and they´ll hear it. It was an awesome game, and my team won, against the guys from Schalke with 2:1, now they´re on the 10th place with 41points, I would say, the trip was worth it.

Pirate 1.Fc Köln

The next day, I went home by train, and felt like a wimp...
That´s all folks…
Thanks to anyone, who supported me, first and foremost RON, thank you…
Seey ou soon, wait´n see, what I´m up to next time
Your carnival-reveler Hakan

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