Day 14: From Burg to Brunsbüttel

Date	15 Dec 2025 (Monday)
Today's Distance:	10 Mi / 16 km
Today's route
Total Jutlandica:	97 mi
Total Germany 2025	97 mi
Total Spain 2025	255 miles.
Total All Caminos:	2450 miles
Lodging:
Total Lodging:	$ 819
Airplane(s):
Total Airplane(s) / Insurance:	$ 1020 / $ 132
Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides:
Total Transportation:	$ 111
Food:
Total Food:	$ 367

Weather: Great weather with lots of sunshine. The temperature was it in the high 40s. The trail again was all concrete. Kind of hard on the feet and legs.

On the Road

8:30 a.m. and on the road at sunrise. Sky is clear. Temperature is crisp but good. And I've only got about 9 Mi to go and I'm finished for this trip. 

Sunrise at the ferry launch. This is the ferry I rode last night in the dark. 🙂

Breaking dawn over the Kiel Canal

Beautiful to see the rising sun reflected in the canal 

10:30 a.m. At the Kundensee ferry launch. Stopping to eat something. It's about 4 and 1/2 Mi to the end. 

One more chance for some ship spotting

Just booked my bed at the Hamburg youth hostel for three nights. 

Got in touch with someone at the Flensburg youth hostel. They have my bag, my day bag. I left it there by accident. I'm attached to it so I'm going to try real hard to get it back somehow. Don't know how I'm going to do that yet.

12:20 p.m. Just made my way into Brunsbüttel.

12:45 p.m. I stopped by the canal locks viewing point but no ships were in the locks. 

Kiel Canal locks - North Sea side

 

1:15 p.m. and it's all done. I've reached the Mole 4 marker. A "mole" in relation to lighthouses refers to a substantial artificial breakwater or pier built into the sea, protecting it from waves and currents.

     A "mole" is a lighthouse or navigational beacon at the seaward end of a breaker to guide ships into a harbor, 

I have reached the end. 

Just over 90 Mi in Schleswig-Holstein this year.

I had 9 days of hiking.

Hiking along the Flensburg Fjord was actually easier because the terrain kept changing and so every part of my legs got some exercise during the day. 

The last 4 days of the Kiel Canal were actually a lot harder. It was essentially all flat, and because the path was superbly maintained for service vehicles, it was all concrete. 

And I have to admit that after some 44 Mi of concrete hiking, my feet and legs are pretty beat up.

Now I need to find the bus stop so I can begin the journey to Hamburg.

Meaningful Moment

I realized how far my German has come over the past years. I had a lot more confidence in seeking basic information and confirming plans. 

I was even able to do some lowkey humor.

Certainly nothing philosophical or so to speak deep, but it was nice to be able to get a smile from folks.

Random Thought of the Day

It's been a fast 14 days. I've hiked along the Baltic Sea, technically the Flensburg fjord, and I've hiked to the North Sea along the Kiel Canal. 

All in all, a good adventure.

Every time I came to a lighthouse I had a chance to think of my mother, which was something I've been trying to avoid. I guess I haven't fully processed that she's gone.