Through The Netherlands, Germany and Poland

1st stage: Europa-Radweg (R1)

Dates: June 13th to July 1st, 2010
Distance: 1469½ km

Click on this sign for photos

Ich bin in Berlin!

E-mail of Monday morning, June 29th 2010

Europaradweg Greetings from the Burger King at the Main Station in Berlin!
You’ll be thinking, what’s she doing there at 8.15 in the morning?? Well, I’m camping at a site in the middle of Berlin, only ten minutes’ walk from the station. I arrived in Berlin on Sunday afternoon at 13:00, having cycled 1100 kilometres, zigzagging, up and down and to and fro.
I’ve had two wonderful weeks. A very varied route. Nice up to Munster but not really special. After that, it became more beautiful, more interesting and tougher: across the north end of the Harz mountains, often on unpaved forest roads. Then through former East Germany. What a difference with the West! Towns and villages are behind the times, often looking very dilapidated and neglected. The roads, too, are often unpaved or cobbled. My bike doesn’t like that and so I once had to tighten some screws. But that’s all I’ve had to do, it is really behaving itself.
As the camp-sites are few and far between, I cycle some 90 to 100 kilometres a day. A bit too much, really. On the third day, on the way to Munster, I already had some trouble with my knees but, by using a lower gear, it didn’t get any worse.
Up to now, I’ve had some very nice and special encounters and what I mostly hear is: all alone??
Yes, all alone...

Apart from two days, I’ve only had good weather. One day was cold (only 12 degrees) and on the other I had a shower (yes, only one).
Now I’m in Berlin, in blistering heat. Yesterday, I did all sorts of odd things, buying new route guides and visiting the Memorial Church. The next part of my route has changed: instead of the Oder/Neisse-route, I shall take the Spree-Radweg (cycle-route), There are hardly any camp-sites along the first and along the Spree-Radweg there are lots and I want to take it a little easier. I shall go to the Polish border (as I shall be near there anyway...). The route description for the R1, which I have used so far, describes the route up to the Polish town of Kostrzyn, just across the border. I then go to Frankfurt-on-the-Oder, and then follow the Spree-Radweg which wriggles southwards. From Bautzen, I go to Dresden and then take the Elbe-Radweg to Prague.

Today, I’m going to explore Berlin again, but tomorrow I shall cycle further. It’s a bit too crowded for me here :-) and I’m longing to cycle some more.

Greetings from Gea