Wednesday 1.8.2012
70km Total: 940km
We sleep in until 9PM again and hit the breakfast buffet before we start to pack up the gear.
This day also began gloomy and grey but it cleared and transitioned into bright burning sun.
We grabbed lunch in Itzehoe at a restaurant where the waitress explained that the kitchen was "kaputt".
Even so they managed to serve us schnitzel with fried potatoes.
I think it's the best meal we've had yet, not bad with a kitchen that's kaputt!
We ride on to Heiligenstedten and the hotel Julianka on the Autobahn, obviously with pileups with cues stretching several kilometres just like last year.
But even though we are pretty wide assed with the panniers lane splitting was easy, the Germans drive crazy fast but they are considerate and competent drivers.
At the hotel we're just off the bikes when Thorsten comes out and greats us with a firm handshake and Doris came out on the stairs and gave us both a hug.
It's not surprising we booked this again last year because they sure make you feel welcome.
We checked in, unloaded the gear and then headed back out for a ride through Wacken.
Bear had decided beforehand that he wanted to film a ride on the main street and it might turn out fun depending on if the crazies have woken up yet.
It didn't feel as hysterical as last year but that probably due to us getting a bit jaded after the initial shell shock and not because the crazies has gotten any less crazy.
Just like last year Thorsten drives back and forth to the festival for a small sum so after a shower back at the hotel we get in the car and head to the Mecca of heavy metal.
We didn't really see any band worth mentioning this night but the Bear did a real "Hodown" with some like-minded misfits to Saor Patrol so it wasn't for nothing.
The main instrument of the gig was a bag pipe which is pretty fresh at a metal festival but it definitely isn't the most musically versatile of instruments.
We went through the security check to watch an all female Swedish band called Frantic Amber.
I have as much of a soft spot for a low growl as the next metalhead but this wasn't really my thing at all.
But at least we served our duty as it's nice to see Swedish metal represented in a place like this, I'm sure they gained a few new fans even though I'm not one of them.
We're back at the hotel at 0.30AM with packs filled to the brim with merch.
Does this mean that they want you to do it or that it's verboten?
This sounded a bit like the singer was the model for the sign above.
For the music nerd I've included setlists for all the gigs we saw on the festival this year.
Saor Patrol • Frantic Amber
This is the ride-through of Wacken from Bears helmet cam.
They'd changed the main street through Wacken to one-way so we had to get back via the Autobahn.
Bear still had the camera switched on and captured this.
I'm not a reckless rider and I thought I had made 100% sure there weren't any other vehicles within distance, still this guy appears out of nowhere.
With no speed limits what was a speck in the distance looking back might come at you a lot faster than you think.