Meet heinrich

(First published in Issue 5, June 2022) At the end of 2019, we bought the bus — a VW Bus T2b, built in 1979, with Westfalia Berlin equipment. The previous owner had already named it "Heinrich," so we didn’t change the name. It was in such good condition that we didn’t have to do much to it and could focus on planning our travels for 2020. We wanted to explore Germany and had chosen the northernmost, westernmost, southernmost, and easternmost points of the country as our cornerstones. We also wanted to visit France, Spain, and Portugal.

Then everything changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, and we had to deal with lockdowns, as well as exit, entry, and travel restrictions. This forced us to change our plans. Our first trips were limited to Hamburg and were mostly just day trips. Again, we aimed for the northernmost, westernmost, southernmost, and easternmost points, but this time only from our hometown, and only as day trips. As the COVID measures relaxed, we were able to extend our trips into the countryside surrounding Hamburg or sometimes to the German Baltic Sea coast.

First, we plan to head south to Bavaria, where there are many great lakes for stand-up paddling and beautiful landscapes where we can relax. After that, France and Spain are on the agenda—or maybe Italy? We’re not quite sure yet and need to plan it out again.

But one thing we’ve already learned: no matter whether we were looking for a spot in Hamburg, driving to a nearby lake, or heading to the Baltic Sea, the journey begins as soon as we get into the bus and start the engine.