Day 0 – Farewell at Lake Garda

Fundraising Tour 2025, General 1 Minute

After an early start to get some more work done, we walked alongside the beach to the neighboring village of Lazise to get some breakfast. We found a place directly by the lake. The food was unhealthy and yummy. And it was a great spot to watch all the different people on the promenade. Afterwards we did some shopping for Carolin.

Lazise was buzzing with people, and around noon, I felt happy when we were “back home”.

After a little nap, I installed all the gear on Rosinante and made final packing decisions. I decided to leave behind a new fleece jacket because it just needed too much room. That means that I am a little exposed now when it comes to cold weather. We shall see.

A bicycle fully loaded with panniers and gear, parked on grassy ground with laundry hanging in the background.

In the afternoon, we took it easy and in the evening we went for an official farewell dinner at a nice terrace restaurant by the lake. The food was delicious and the water was really friendly.

A couple enjoying dinner on a terrace restaurant by the lake at sunset, surrounded by nature and a beautiful view.

Carolin gave me a little bracelet with a cross to keep me safe during my journey. She also got one for herself to wear during the coming weeks. What a beautiful symbol of love and connectedness.

In 2023, I had accompanied Carolin to Aosta where she would continue her pilgrimage to Rome. So she knew exactly what was going through my mind.

In her presence, it is a little hard for me to get into adventure mode. With her, I want to chill, relax, and stroll around. But now it is time again to cowboy up, leave my comfort zone, and push towards my limits.

I am feeling excited now.

Published by Karsten Drath

About 30 years ago, two zis scholarships helped me to broaden my horizon, expand my understanding of what is possible, and develop more self-confidence. zis is a non-profit organization that has been awarding scholarships for study trips to young people between the ages of 16 and 20 for more than 60 years. Today, the word we use for tenacity and grit is resilience - and I've made it my profession, to help managers around the world to develop more of this inner power. In retrospect, the experiences I've had on these trips to Scotland and Iceland have been priceless for my development. After having had a childhood with some challenges, I learned that I could cycle 1,700km on my own and get wet every day without despairing. I have learned that I was able to get along with only 300 € for 4 weeks and still had a good time. I have learned what it's like to be threatened with deportation and how to get an interview with the President from such a crisis. I have understood that limitations are primarily constructs in our heads, and I want to make these insights available to as many adolescents as possible.

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