It’s funny the things that you remember. Sometimes a moment captured in my mind is brought back by a smell, a visual reminder, the feeling of the heat radiating off Trinity or simply the temperature reading on her control panel. It’s not the beauty of the object or landscape that I remember most but how I felt in the moment. The feelings are branded in my memory.

The most wonderful part of every memory is that I’m transported back to that moment every time I experience one of these remainders. The excitement fills me as if I was experiencing it all over again. Those are the moments that make my travelling worth it. The moments that make me feel alive!

Today I was transported back to Utah.

I started my day in Lubeck, northern Germany. The old town is an UNESCO world heritage site with buildings dating back to the 1400s. It is very cute and quaint! I’ve included a few photos for you to enjoy (you may need to click on the photos and visit my Instagram page to view all the photos).

I spotted a chocolate store on my walk around which I decided to visit in the morning. I’m so glad I did. It is the most amazing chocolate store I have ever seen! I was like a kid in a candy store and all I could think about was how Mr G, aka the sweety monster and my ‘adopted’ big brother, would LOVE the store. I had no idea how I was going to fit it into my panniers but I knew I had to bring chocolates back for him. So I did, after having the house special marzipan and cream cake and a latte at 09:45. Yes, it was definitely overkill!

I was barely out of Lubeck and planning my day. 3.5 hours to Munster would mean that I could be there my 2pm and enjoy the day lazing around. That was the plan until route 1 came to a standstill. As far as I could see there was a queue of cars, three lanes across. One of the drivers eventuality jumped out of his car and said that the queue was 3km long and that the road had been closed off due to an accident.

We stood around chatting for a bit but when the traffic in the fast lane started to move I jumped onto Trinity and joined the moving cars. It didn’t take long before they stopped but I decided to drive through the standing traffic. I don’t often do this with my panniers on but I wasn’t keen on sitting in traffic any longer than I needed to.

The queue was easily 2-3km long. People were getting out of their cars and I was even waved by a family clearly trying to keep their toddler entertained. I was soon joined by a fellow rider who I let pass to pave the way. We stopped when we appeared to be getting to the front of the queue. I had no desire to see what had happened as the thought of someone hurt was upsetting enough.

My fellow rider was Swiss and was riding a Ducati Multistrada 1200; a gorgeous bike! He had been touring Germany with some friends and was on his way to Hanover for a Guns ‘n Roses concert and then heading back to Switzerland. How brilliant! I didn’t know Guns ‘n Roses still performed. I was slightly jealous!

We didn’t have to wait long before the traffic started moving. The accident involved two trucks, which explains the road closure, but fortunately it didn’t look too bad so hopefully no serious injuries were sustained.

With that I was off and only about 30-45 minutes off schedule. No harm done and I was ambling along nicely for 30 minutes or so and then I saw the clouds. There was a storm on its way and I was heading straight for it.

As it had been pretty warm and clear I was riding in jeans so had no weather protection. I knew I needed to stop. My stop couldn’t have been better timed. I had just enough time to pull off the road (not something I like to do on a motorway) and pull my waterproof riding pants on when the hail started. That I hadn’t expected!

I had stopped next to some trees along the road but the hail was battering through the gaps so I moved Trinity forward a few meters where I had maximum cover. The hail was blowing in strongly from the shoulder (the north I think) so I faced the road to avoid any damage to my visor. That was the last thing I needed. The strategy worked but resulted in my neck getting drenched. This was going to be a fun ride!

Fortunately the hail only lasted a few minutes. I had no idea how long the storm would last so I hit the road. The heavy rain and wind continued for about an hour; long enough for me to get thoroughly drenched. Strangely the storm didn’t bother me a bit. I think the storm I experienced in the USA had prepared me for anything. I had never been so scared in my life but I got through it so I would get through this. The storm was in Utah.

All I had to do was follow route 1 to Munster so even I couldn’t get lost. Around Bremer the sun started shining and it kept getting hotter and hotter, peaking at 37 degrees. I stopped to have a break and use the opportunity to dry off. Trinity played her part perfectly and makes a very pretty drying horse (see for yourself below).

Every move on the temperature gauge reminded me of a different place. When the gauge hit 32 degrees I was in Vancouver. I so vividly remember the shock of Canada actually getting hot that the temperature on my approach to it is firmly set in my memory.

When the gauge hit 36 degrees I was in Utah. At first I was in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks with their beautiful red rocks but as the temperature rose I was in Capitol Reef National Park. I remember the incredible heat and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere when I saw a lonely cyclist along the road. I was completely humbled by and in awe of that cyclist!

I reached Munster around 15:00. I stopped at what I thought was a corner cafe but turned out to be post office. No water here! Now drenched with sweat I took a seat in the shade next to the store to find a place to sleep. It didn’t take long before I was chatting to a lady that had popped into the post office. She was so sweet! She thought I was very brave being on a motorcycle and it got us talking about travelling. Turn out she’s heading to Vancouver in six weeks time for four weeks. I gave her some tips of where to go and got quite excited when I thought of the places that I visited while I was in British Columbia. She’s in for such a treat!

On the lady’s advice I booked into a youth hostel near the city. I generally avoid hostels as I like my own space but thought it was worth a try. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than the hotels in this area. My attempt to be sensible with my money then made me giggle. Two nights ago I booked into a ‘BnB’ on Bookings.com that was on the beach and had on-site restaurant facilities. After a day of riding that’s all I wanted. I reached the BnB only to discover that it was a high school which let out its dormitory for extra cash. At first I was shocked but then I couldn’t stop laughing. This was an evening I was not going to forget. I look forward to remembering it with great fondness.