Day 09: From Gelting to Kappeln

Date	10 Dec 2025 (Wednesday)
Today's Distance:	8 mi / 14 km

Total Jutlandica:	51 mi
Total Germany 2025	51 mi
Total Spain 2025	245 miles.
Total All Caminos:	2404 miles
Lodging:	Jugendherberge Kappeln @ € 43
Total Lodging:	$ 466
Airplane(s):
Total Airplane(s) / Insurance:	$ 1020 / $ 132
Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides:
Total Transportation:	$ 94
Food:	€ 10 bakery Gelting € 7 bakery Kappeln € 20 Fährschänke Restaurant. Seelachsfilet gedünstet in Senfsauce mit Salzkartoffeln / Bier vom Fass € 10 Emma's Cafe
Total Food:	$ 244

Weather

Unbelievably it's 51° in Northern Germany.

My partner tells me that Rochester is still in the midst of single digit wind chills, with average temperatures in the teens and inches of snow.

Once again who would have thought Northern Germany would have had much better weather. Gray skies, but I'm not cold.

Today's route of 8 miles.

I forgot to start my app to get an official track.

On the Road

7:30 a.m. Got up early so I could visit the Bäckerei (bakery) for coffee and pastry before I hit the road. Something I haven't been able to do in Germany yet because, as I said elsewhere, in the small beach communities in the off-season, everything's closed.

Some of my clothes dried last night, but others are still damp. Could have done a better job laying them out on the radiator. But also I noticed that the radiator shut off for a little while during the night.

Feeling good that I took the time for the coffee shop and set up a easy walk today instead. I couldn't justify the long distances to take the very roundabout trail today with no opportunity for a sleeping place along the way to break up the length.

So I've started walking. I have about I'd say 6 and 1/2 Mi to the youth hostel left, down from 7. No rush this morning, which is fine cuz I'm still a little tired from yesterday's 17 miler.

Hoping that at least I have pastures and farms outside the villages to walk through, as I am taking the country road option.

The walk was as I was hoping. Lots of farm land on both sides so, despite being along a lightly used road, the scenery was pretty. There was a bikeway the whole way so I didn't have to walk on the road.

Checked into the youth hostel here. So far I am the only one in the room. Let's see if I stay lucky the rest of the night.

I apparently took too much time on my afternoon walk just going around looking at things. Because it seems the restaurants that were open have all closed up on me.

Anyway, as part of relaxing, I'm in a coffee shop with an apple kuchen and a coffee topped with cocoa.

Back from a walk around the town. Seemed pretty quiet so I asked the woman who checked me in, if I am the only person here. She answered definitively " yes ".

Quick Google Maps search and I found a restaurant that serves dinner. It's German style food, which I haven't really been trying yet because, believe it or not, it's easier to find Middle Eastern or Greek or Oriental food than it is to find authentic traditional German cuisine.

Fährschänker Restaurant. The meal is great. Just what I needed, nutritious but light. Salmon fillet under a light sauce with boiled salt potatoes.

Just walking around now and there's almost nobody on the streets. But as I pass by each restaurant I see groups of people dining. I like that feeling of seeing people out and about.

Found me a coffee shop where everyone is sitting outside. The decorations are green Christmas lights overhead LOL and white lights on fir trees surrounding the tables. Perfect way to have my dessert. Lots of conversations going on around me but I don't understand a word. 🙂

Meaningful Moment

Getting here early to Kappeln, since it was a short hike, has given me the opportunity to kind of walk around and relax.

I'm enjoying it here, but I clearly see that I'll be headed to either Kiel or Rendsburg tomorrow.

In a freak accident, at night as I was leaving the hostel, there was a 2-inch step up that I could not see in the dark. You would think there would be a light there or reflective tape or something.

My foot caught that step and down I went first on my hands and then rolling onto my rear end with a bang.

All I can say is that it feels like I've got one heck of a bruise.

The irony is that I've made it through many more challenging scenarios here hiking in more isolated places.

But instead in a small city, I actually trip and go flat.

The only thing I can think of for this is "unf***ing believable".

Random Thought of the Day

Weird dreams last night.

One that I clearly remember involves saying goodbye to a Navy buddy as he's making his rounds of goodbyes in the office, and we hugged, and I was feeling very sad that there will be a place in me where I will miss his humorous outlook on life.

The second one I don't remember, except that I dreamt something that left a reaction in me when I woke up.

Thoughts on the route

It's interesting that what started out as a Camino has devolved into a straight-on hiking experience.

First, along the fjords of the Baltic Sea.

And second presumably along the Kiel Canal which links the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

Speaking of which, I believe I have my plan in place.

Rendsburg to Breiholz 17k. Fri
Breiholz to Hademarschen 17k. Sat
Hademarschen to Hochdonn 22k. Sun
Hochdonn to Brunsbuttel 16k. Mon

Finding German food

So don't you know. Tonight I finally found authentic German food. A meal I truly enjoyed as it was both very nutritious and still very light.

However, now walking down the marina a little further, I find four more German restaurants. That's four more German restaurants than I seen anywhere else. When it rains, it pours. LOL