Rolf

Alpine foothills instead of a Munich city villa. The honorary consul for Kyrgyzstan prefers beautiful scenery to short distances. Which means for me today, a good 30km hike south along the Isar River. And luckily, with the bonus of being able to take a lunch break at the best kebab shop south of Munich

Record: Today I want to visit seven countries in 20 kilometers.



Israel is the first stop, discreetly located next to a cube-shaped building belonging to the Technical University. The only noticeable thing is the unfortunately necessary security measures.



Next up is Italy, situated right next to Great Britain

The walk to the client's office: 3.3 km. Doesn't count. After the meeting, on to the starting point: 5.2 km. Doesn't count either. With 8.5 km already in my legs, I decide, despite the good weather, to do only a minimal run again today: 10 km and two countries.



Ireland is supposed to be hiding in a backyard

The rules of the Mega Challenge require hikes of at least 10 kilometers. Luckily, from Guatemala, the next three countries in alphabetical order can be visited on a short loop today.



Honduras is hiding; even a current Google search reveals no new address, so on to India. They have a consulate general

After yesterday's reorganization with new consular addresses, France is giving me a second chance to visit. The consulate is supposed to be located in the new development on Schwanthalerhöhe. And indeed, hidden behind a white lion, I spot a blue, white, and red Marianne. Surely Guatemala, which was missing

Note: Never create a list of consulate addresses between Christmas and New Year's if you plan to visit them in the new year!



The disappearance of France and Ghana were already harbingers; today I couldn't find either Guinea or Ireland. Both addresses belonged to currently empty buildings. Ghost consulates

This afternoon I have to catch up on work, so I'm already at Odeonsplatz at sunrise. The sky is clear, the light beautiful, and my hands are warm – the old man is testing out his new battery-powered thermal gloves today in -7°C (they should last almost the entire 3.5 hours).



The first destination is close

The route to China begins beautifully, following the Isar River. On Saturday morning, I'm practically the only one walking at a leisurely pace – despite the icy ground, countless runners circle me. Before reaching the Tiergarten (Berlin Zoo), I cross the river and climb the high western bank to the old

Fifteen degrees warmer than at the beginning of the week, and the fresh snow from last night is melting at a record pace. So, puddle jumping today—thank goodness for Gore-Tex shoes, and that this year's challenge doesn't involve me traversing icy forests.



My first stop today is Belgium. The consulate

Today the weather is dreary and gray, so I must visit some of the more colorful consulate flags.



The path to Bangladesh leads me to the old town, to Theatinerstrasse. Just before Max-Joseph-Platz, in front of the State Opera, the consulate is tucked away in an office building. How refreshing, in this