Nomadic Tales My perception of small countries is that the chances of finding a secluded spot to pitch a tent without being seen are very low. The land tends to be expensive and fully utilized, and I imagined that landowners wouldn’t appreciate tents on property they’ve paid dearly for. I resisted the temptation to try even a single night of wild camping in Switzerland, fearing a hefty fine. However, I did camp in Luxembourg, not one, but two nights. In Kehl, Germany, just across the river from Strasbourg, I managed one night of wild camping, but it was far from comfortable. Two men walking in the distance kept watching me for about half an hour. Despite my green tent blending into the grassy ground with a forested backdrop, and being 400 meters from the road, they appeared suspicious, stepping left and right, perhaps trying to get a better view. Since wild camping is generally frowned upon in Germany, I usually avoid it, but I wanted to try anyway. I had spent a full week near ...
Nomadic Tales The end of my 8-month journey required careful planning, a skill I thought I had lost after so long of just going with the flow. I'd already missed out on a few cheap flight deals simply because I didn’t book when I should have. Despite multiple attempts where I went through all the steps, selecting flights, baggage, seats, and browsing various offers, I would stop right before the payment screen, without a second thought. The main reason I hesitated was that I still had a strong desire to explore the Benelux area and wasn’t ready to wrap things up before I satisfied that curiosity. The secondary reason? Well, that’s just how I am. More than once, I’ve added things to a shopping cart only to abandon them without buying. As I headed back from Amsterdam, I took the coastal route, which, naturally, is windier, but I also got caught in some rough weather. Gusts often exceeded 50 km/h, with steady winds over 30 km/h. Of course, the wind was mostly head-on, otherwise, it ...