Wednesday, 08.04.2020
For two weeks now spring weather has made us happy with bright sunshine and temperatures around 15°C. Anticipation to the traditional season start in Nottingham rises. A week ago the school holidays started, the Didimobile has been washed and cleaned and it is ready for this year’s first big tour.
Like every year around this time, the Didimobile has been packed the day before and had to join Didi going to work today, only to participate in the daily commuter traffic jam on the A1 Autobahn southwards out of Hamburg afterwards. Today, there is no traffic jam and hardly any traffic at all, after two and a half hours we reach the Cloppenburg services. The “Golden M” sells its burgers only for takeaway, the restaurant itself is closed as is the gambling hall next door and the diner at the gas station. All in all the services make a deserted impression.
There is reamarkably little traffic for a weekday on the B213 road. There are actually quite a few lorries on the road, but hardly any private cars. The radio is playing R.E.M, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It“, and the small village of Helminghausen is even more deserted as it normally is. The only thing missing is literally that tumbleweed-shrubbery rolling across the road in western movie style.
We continue our roadtrip into the sunset, the Didimobile is the only vehicle on the Autobahn at the Welcome Bridge, which marks the German-Dutch border. No ten minutes later we pass the border giraffe, still an hour to go to Zwolle.
However, the Didimobile will not make it to Zwolle on this tour. In reality it has not even left Hamburg yet. The only thing which is true in this travelogue is the perfect weather.
Balcony instead Travel Fun
A nasty virus called Corona, which can trigger the lung disease CoVID-19 and by that cause severe, life-threatening symptoms and even death for some people, has been ruling the world for some weeks now. Many borders are shut, all sports- and mass events have been cancelled until further notice. As sad as the whole situation is at the moment, the Didimobile will continue to stay at home and Didi will continue to be happy on his sunny balcony. And if we are really lucky, we might be able to start over on a small roadtrip within our home countries in summer again, but this the future development and the peoples’ behaviour have to show.
Today would have been the start of the season, tomorrow the ferry to England would have left and on Friday we would have handed over the Spicy Tomato to our friends in Nottingham. Would. Indeed we will catch up with it, hopefully next year at the same time. Better and bigger and more intensive than ever before.
Therefore stay safe, stay home and avoid unnecessary contact and trips for a few weeks – even if it is especially hard at the moment due to the perfect weather. Your fellow men and women will be more than grateful.