This is one of the two drawings that was composed during the actual Drawn Out Journey. In some ways, having the abscess in Germany helped me because during the long days where I slowly healed in Bad Lobenstein, all the time in the world presented itself. This piece took two weeks to compose and was shown on national television (Mittelddeutscher Rundfunk or MDR for short). My predicament was also featured in the local newspaper, the Ostthüringer Zeitung (East Thuringia Newspaper). The earlier maps in The Drawn Out Journey series are more personalised and came before the idea I had where they could be educational. Due to the changeable nature of my workstations, they are also drawn with a slightly looser hand.

South-western area of the German map.

One enters the maze of the German map in the North Rhine Westphalia region, corresponding with my entry during the cycle trip. The maze leads down an escalator, straight into the region of Thuringia where I got stuck. Here the maze begins, and along the way the delights and quirks of this beautiful country can be found. Notable landmarks are also included, for example a framed image of Köln Cathedral and a giant Gutenburg printing press which are visible in the image above. The image of the drawing below shows some more whimsical additions, including the Mohnstrüdel Labyrinth. This is a German sweet that I craved and which gave me the necessary fuel to power through Germany until I became ill.

Highlights from east Germany culture are also included, notably an image of the old East German car, a Trabant together with its brand name (bottom right hand corner).  A portrait of the German chancellor Angela Merkel (not pictured) is also included in the east German region because she grew up there. The Hamburg region features images of the St Michaelis church (random fact, it is the tallest extant 18th century structure in the word) and the Town Hall. Although they are only 9mm high, if this section was through a real building then they would be just under five metres tall! Because there are few landmarks in the extreme north of the country, I added a miniature version of this map with a ‘you are here’ reference tag and a small room dedicated to the help Germany gave to Syrian refugees.

Section of northern Germany.

Without a doubt, Germany was the only country I initially planned to rush through when I was plotting my route in sunny London. Instead the kindness of its people opened me up and gave me memories that will last a lifetime. Also included in this drawing is a portrait of the lady Silke Wurzbacher who, together with her family, helped me to recover and ultimately complete the Drawn Out Journey.