Germany almost done

Well its been a while since I sent an update, I thought I had done one more recently that what i have.

 

Last time I wrote I'd just started into Germany, and got as far as Wuppertal.  Since then I've headed up further north than I'd originally planned, as I was told the lakes area above Berlin was worth seeing.  It was very beautiful.  On the way there I passed through the tourist area of Möhnesee and picked up my new tent fly and stove parts from the Dix's in Bückeburg. 

 

I've gone to sleep with the sound of machine gun fire and shelling near Bergen. And been forced to do a military detour the next day.  And I'm not in one of those so called "scary" places yet.  NATO have been a bit busy here doing exercises.

 

Europe has finally had some rain, since last I wrote. 

Rinteln

I've managed to avoid a bit of it when sleeping under a real roof in Wuppertal & Buckeburg, and also by taking short breaks during the day at selected places.  I've only gone really wet once, and that was because I rode on with a group of school kids touring when I should have waited for a little while for the shower to pass. (They were already drenched and were heading home having cancelled the trip early).

 

en-route to the lakes

Steinhude (not those lakes yet)

 This says sleep here get shot

 

 My first restaurant (pub) meal since starting 2 months ago.

 

 one of the activities that occur on the lakes on a public holiday

 

After touring around the lakes area up north I headed down to Berlin for a quicker than intended stay there. 

 this road near the lakes was made before the war (no doubt) then only ever got patched, and hasn't made it onto the post-reunification priority list yet.

 I was in the lakes area on a Thursday public holiday and lots of people had gone to the lakes to fish, kayak, or just drink.  this meant that I'd get to Berlin on what many would take as a 4 day weekend.  This worked very well in Brussels a few weeks ago as the city was nice and quiet with everybody gone on holidays.  Berlin was a different story, where in Belgium everybody left the big city, in Germany everybody came to the big city.  There was no accommodation anywhere, and I had planned to spent at least a couple of days there.  I did the rounds of a few backpackers and eventually stumbled across a few girls who had been searching all day and only found one hotel with a room available (at €300/night).

 

 

One of the remnants to remind you.  this is the east, apparently the western side was painted (I didn't see)

 

I elected to go for the bush, but to fly around the must sees before I did.  That was a good day of riding that one.  I was on the road at 7am and finished about 11pm - in Wansee a southern outer-suburb of Berlin for a suburban bush camp.

 

I then had a couple of nights in a hostel at Wittenberg catching up with clothes washing, me washing etc, as well as looking around the old town that is quite involved in German history, and especially in the church reformation with Martin Luther and the formation of the protestant churches.

 

Wittenberg was my gateway to the Elberadweg (or the Elbe River Cycle Path as we would say.) and how I will get to the Czech Republic and Prague.  A few lazy days cycling the Elbe with its lack hills will be good before I hit the hills to come.

 

One day from Wittenberg to Torgau was memorable because I had company for the whole day.  Instead of Annette ruling over a group of 6 she had a tag along, the sole male of the group, me.   I got to enjoy some good German and Swiss (thanks Vera) hospitality, taste the local delicasies and enjoyed the first swim of the trip. (Its been quite hot the past couple of days and the swim was a great way of getting out of the worst of  the midday sun.)  The girls had a few days of getting away from home (mostly between Hannover and Berlin) and were riding up the Elbe.

 My company from Wittenberg to Torbau

 

I'm now in Dresden and looking around the historic city of lovely old buildings and tomorrow will head toward the Czech Border for the next stage of the journey, another language and a new set of money.  Quite amazing really to have riden through 5 countries so far, all with the same money no border checks, passport and visa requirements

 

Well its time I headed off for some more sight seeing.

 

until next time...

 

Jeff

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www.whereonearthisjeff.com