Day 313 - 321, Washington DC to Miami

Day 313, 10 km

After I had my talk in Potomac Crescent Waldorf School, Johanna guided me home to Victoria's (another teacher) house, were I could update my blog and rest. They had a meeting and came home late at night, as teachers often do...

Day 314, 130 km

It was another hot day and again I had a headwind all day. 

The hills were good because they did not make me feel the headwind so much,

 I followed route 1 and it was not as many towns along the road as I expected

In the evening I found a sleeping location behind a bank office.

Day 315, 110 km

I knew that there would come rain in the morning and I had not covered my tent with a flyer. That did not allow me to sleep deeply that night. Or was it the bright illumination of the parking lot? Anyway, I went up right before it started to rain and ate my breakfast under the roofed area of the bank. Since it would not stop raining I decided to use test my new rain jacket.

 It rained a lot but it was quite warm and my new Gore Tex jacket was really good.

 When I came to Richmond I had to decide what route I should take to Clarksville. I decided to follow route 1 which went first south to Petersburg and then southwest.

 After Peterburg this route turned out to be a 2+1 road without shoulders.

 Sometimes, in front of a hill, car drivers did not like to use the lane in the middle, where they could expect meeting cars.
But the traffic was not dense.

 I saw a lot of butterflies that day. This is a Yellow Swallowtail.
 In the evening I stopped before dusk, so I could find a good sleeping location in a wood.

When I made a campfire I heard something on my sleeping bag. It was a little frog!

Day 316, 115 km

Again I had headwind that day. But the landscape was very scenic. In a wood I saw some flowers on a tree I had not seen before. They are called dogwood.

 And in gardens the Flox was blossoming which butterflies seemed to like.

 In the afternoon I passed South Hill, where I visited the Train and Doll Museum.

 Then I rode on smaller roads west, to Clarksville,

 It was a beautiful route.

But on the small road there were many dogs trying to attack me.

 Again I found a good sleeping location in a wood.

Day 317, 105 km

Soon I passed the border to North Carolina. Now I rode on small roads south to Chapel Hill.

 It was a calm day but the promised headwind did not appear.

 In gardens they often had dogwood as decoration trees.

Somewhere I passed a colony of about 10 Turkey Vultures.

 I also passed Hillsborough, a nice little town.

 In the afternoon I arrived at Barbara Holloway's house who is the Marketing Director of Emerson Waldorf school.

Her neighbor Peter comes from Sweden and he joined us to drink a beer on the porch. 

 Then we picked some lettuce (I never had picked my own lettuce in April, but the Winter had been mild enough to let it survive)

What happened to my feet?

 And Barbara made a wonderful dinner for us.

Day 318, 15 km

I woke up and found out that I had got a eye infection called Conjunctivitis. I tried to treat it wit a bag of Chamomile tea but it did not help so much. I rode to school where I prepared my talk in the High school building.

The whole school from class 3 and up should come and listen.

 Everybody was very interested and appreciated my talk very much.
Barbara prepared the evening talk by arranging information posters of the school,

while I tried to treat my red and training eye.
Even the evening talk was a great success, although my eye issue.

Day 319, 0 km

My eye had become worse although I had done my best to treat it with chamomile tea and homeopathic medication which I had got from Barbara. I decided to visit the Urgent care to get antibiotics. It took half the day and I had to pay 150 $ but finally I got it.
Then I rested the whole afternoon.

Day 320, 75 km

In the morning my eye became a little better. I joined Barbara to see the play "As You Like It" which was performed by class 8 of Emmerson Waldorf School.

 They had a nice outdoor stage and the weather was wonderful (almost too hot?)

 Her daughter Lizzie was acting as Rosalind. I was really impressed!

 Then I left the wonderful garden of Holloway family, to ride 55 km to the train station in Raleigh.
I still felt weak and dizzy because of my eye problem, so I did not look on the map so well. After 1,5 hours I found myself in Pittsboro, which is southeast from Chapel Hill and 60 km from Raleigh!
I was happy that I had planned an extra day in Miami, so I could take the train next day as well without missing the cruise ship to Barcelona. But still i decided to catch the train. Without I rest I would be able to do it.

 And suddenly I felt strong and my eye did not hurt any more. The train was delayed and I had no problem to pack my bike in a cardboard box at the station.

Day 321, 30 km

The train arrived in Miami at 7 pm. Then I rode to Sanford's house, where I already had been two times before.