The official journey is over — but we’re still moving, still documenting, still listening as we bring the ship back home. The crew has changed: Gigi and Stephan have left; Markus and Christine remain on board, heading upstream with a changing cast of artist-friends. The logbook continues.
Once again, we struggled to find a good place to anchor. The ground just wouldn’t hold. It was too late to continue, so we spent several hours trying different spots and tactics until we finally found a safe hold. No sunset as a reward this time — just mosquitoes and a cold beer.
But the morning made up for it. We watched a beaver working on its lodge, completely undisturbed by our presence.
The Danube is getting wider again — today up to 900 meters. We feel that birdlife is becoming a bit scarcer the further we go, which makes us all the more attentive to what we do see. We watch every passing flock, even those we can’t identify. And each pelican is followed for minutes through the binoculars, as if heading upstream sharpens the sense that the journey is slowly coming to an end — and everything must be absorbed a little more deeply.
