Day 13: From Hanerau-Hademarschen to Burg

Date	14 Dec 2025 (Sunday)
Today's Distance:	15 Mi / 25 km
Today's route
Total Jutlandica:	87 mi
Total Germany 2025	87 mi
Total Spain 2025	245 miles.
Total All Caminos:	2440 miles
Lodging:	€ 86 @ Burger Fährhaus
Total Lodging:	$ 819
Airplane(s):
Total Airplane(s) / Insurance:	$ 1020 / $ 132
Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides:
Total Transportation:	$ 111
Food:	€ 20
Total Food:	$ 367

Weather: The hiking was a little more challenging today because the temperatures were in the low 40s and I walked into a cold southerly wind which just put a little added effort into each stride. 

On the Road

Had a very good night's sleep. Got up and went down to the restaurant area for breakfast. The manager made it inclusive for me which was a nice gesture.

Today's route appears to be about 13 Mi. Tomorrow's will be about 8 MI, and that will be the end of the hike. 

After 3 and 1/2 Mi from my lodging last night, I finally make it back to the canal.

And this is what the canal trail looks like today. Let me point out that beautiful blue sky.

I am about 8 and 1/2 mi into the hike and the day's been relatively uneventful. 

So far I've counted seven sea-going freighters. One of them was huge because it was carrying 12 wind turbine blades.

Wind turbine blades

 Underneath the Autobahn

Had to take the ferry back across the canal today

Ferry back across the canal again

My count for freighters for today so far was seven. And I thought that was a good day. 

But with  about 3 Mi left, just had the coolest experience out here. 

Three really big freighters were going eastbound while two really big freighters were going westbound. They passed each other right nearby me. That was really super to watch. 

This is a railroad bridge over the canal.

Evening's coming

It's 3:20 p.m. and sunset is in 39 minutes. That's right, 3:59 p.m. Sunset is before 4:00 p.m. 

I should just about make the hotel at sunset. 

Watching all these freighters going up and down the canal and headed for either the North Sea or the Baltic Sea or some port somewhere in the world, made me suddenly want to listen again to Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I think it is one of the best mariner songs out there.

My final count for the day is 13 big sea-going cargo freighters. I'm quite happy with the count today. Good day for ship spotting. 

Made it to my lodging about 4:30 p.m. The restaurant is closing shortly so the only thing they have left, and the staff boss was very apologetic about it, is french fries. 

I said no problem. I then joked with her that I did notice the cake and we laughed. 

I asked her to recommend a beer and I understood her to say it's a house brewed local beer. I have at least an hour where I can sit here at the restaurant, before they close, and chill before I need to go to the room. Possibly even longer. 

I must have been incredibly hungry, but the french fries and the potato pancakes were just delicious. I can't describe what makes them so good over here, but please don't think I'm getting served American french fries. 

So to continue with this healthy meal, I'm finishing a beer and ordering a slice of butter cake and a coffee with milk. If that don't help me sleep well tonight, nothing will. 

The server brought me my butter cake, and they're throwing in, on the house, a slice of apple kuchen, cuz I'm guessing, the only thing they had to offer me for dinner was french fries and potato pancakes. LOL

My feet are killing me though. True that it was a 15 Mile day. True that it was almost all on concrete. True that my feet aren't in the best shape. 

But I am surprised by the pressure points that formed on the edges of the feet, the usual suspects.

Burger Fährhaus

After dinner, a nighttime ferry ride. The hotel is located right at the ferry crossing.

Meaningful Moment

I really got to exercise my German at the hotel. I chatted with several people over the issue of the kitchen closing shortly. It wasn't their bad, I arrived late. But they were really super cool. 

Plus that I kept using German, I think made a nice impression on them. 

As I said above, I'm not sure why they gave me a free extra dessert. I'd like to think it's because I was polite in their language, and understanding about the kitchen.

Random Thought of the Day

Just one more day of hiking. It's been a pretty good trip so far. Kind of odd that it started out in the planning as a Camino de Santiago, or as they call them in Germany, a Jakobsweg.

And then for some reason it just deviated from that into two separate trail hikes. That's a first for me.

German practice

Business premises

Unauthorized entry

prohibited

Bathing and boating prohibited

Private property, access not permitted

Wasserentnahmestelle 

Treppe Grollbarnholt

 "Water extraction point"

 The stairs are located in Grollbarnholt 

A water extraction point is used for drawing water, potentially for the fire brigade or other purposes.

Betreten auf eigene Gefahr

 Eltern haften für ihre Kinder

  "Enter at your own risk; 

Parents are liable for their children".

This is a common combination of signs in Germany used to disclaim liability for accidents in private or hazardous areas like ponds, construction sites, or paths, reminding parents of their duty of supervision.

Wasser-entnahmestelle 3

 The third water extraction point in the area.

No entry permitted for vehicles. 

However, bicycles are permitted and

agricultural vehicles are permitted

Dückerswischer (town name) 

Canal weather station 

Kreinfot (Street name)

Stone wet: Rain

Stone dry: Sun

Stone casts a shadow: Sun

Stone moves: Wind

Stone white: Snow

Stone invisible: Fog

Stone frozen: Frost

Stone swinging: Earthquake

Stone missing: Tornado

 "Departure on request" or "Departure as requested".

This means that the ferry or vessel will not leave at a fixed schedule but only when instructed to do so, possibly by the captain, the port authority, or once a minimum number of passengers or vehicles has boarded.