So, here it starts. The big bike adventure I had been dreaming about for so long. Maybe not so big in duration, as I only had a 1 week holiday, but the distance, the area and the first proper long trip on the old Katana.
 I was nervous. Would the bike make it? If not I could always leave it behind and fly home, but I had to try!

So on a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon I left home and headed towards the car-train in Hamburg. Great feeling!

Weather was great, traffic was light and the bike sounded good. It wasn't until somewhere south of Neumünster that I saw big black thunderclouds somewhere in the direction of Hamburg.

I drove a little faster.

Packed & Ready

And that proved to be luck in disguise. I managed to avoid the rain, but more importantly I made it to the train on time. I had mistaken the Hamburg Altona station for the Hamburg Dammtor, and I ended up getting lost with no phone signal or internet to access a map.
 I was stressing! But having spend half a year in Hamburg back in 2008 I improvised. I headed in the general direction and asked a policeman by the road on Reeperbahn. Sorted! Back on track with 20 minutes to go.

I made it and checked in with shaking hands. Parked the bike with some other 20 or so motorbikes waiting to get loaded onto the train. Now I had time to get some snacks and drinks , find some free wifi and call Mozambique.
 I met two other bikers from Denmark who had planned a trip through Slovenia. Not the first time I had heard Slovenia and Croatia being mentioned as good bike destinations.

Everything had worked out. Just needed to get the bike on the train and then relax while heading to München Bahnhof Ost.