Berlin

I guess Germans have little opportunity to visit the coast but they just love to take a dip when the sun is out - in the lake! Its a scene which is innocent and touches the memory chords.

My 'ribbon of green' route allows me to leave the waterways of Potsdam and enter Berlin effortlessly. Past the Victory Column (pre war triumphs) and through the Brandenburg Gate.

There is something very special about this city.

Magdeburg to Potsdam

Saturday

Magdeburg cathedral on the River Elbe and more modern architecture. The landscape is heavily wooded and testing long tracks  unwelcome on a day with a b&b deadline!

I disturb a deer with a stunningly glossy coat of hair. Seeing it leaping through the undergrowth was breathtaking. What a beautiful creature in its natural surroundings! Wolves have migrated into this more northerly part of Germany and generally welcomed, but not by all farmers!

Nature gave me and the bike a hammering today!

Potsdam in the Federal state of Brandenburg is 30 kms short of Berlin and lies within a network of small lakes and waterways.

An extravagant rococo palace and the Summer residence of Prussian King Fredrick the Great reminds me of the extensive history of this part of the world. The rebuilt Evangelistic Lutheran St Nicholas church with dome is still sparklingly new. Steadily post-war rebuilding continues .....

Saxony-Anhalt

Crossing the line which was once the border into the Germanic Democratic Republic, East Germany, is an important moment on the journey. It all happened back on the 20 December 1989, remember (some of you anyway)?

Romanesque style churches in mediaeval towns in this region of Saxony-Anhalt are a surprise and the area is beautiful. Memorials to dead German soldiers often seen on the roadsides.

Magdeburg is a major city on the River Elbe and once one of the most important cities in Medieval Europe. Otto 1 the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire is buried in the Cathedral. After being heavily bombed in the war the Soviets cleared much of the historic part and rebuilt the city. It is an impressive place nevertheless!

The Jugendherberge (Youth Hostel) saves the day as I am turned away from my 'fully booked' Hostel with whom my reservation was made! The language barrier is sometimes an issue in these circumstances.

Harz mountains to Goslar

Goslar has a lovely mediaeval center and stands alongside the Harz mountains which are the most northerly mountains in Germany.

The Imperial Palace and what's left of the original Cathedral together with the town center make up a World UNESCO site. Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire used to spend time here. Interestingly, mentioning the Romans, the area north of the Rhine was never conquered by the Romans - like Ireland!

Hazy sunshine for the first time today!

Holzminden in Lower Saxony

From my living room sofa I saw Jorge leave in the early hours for Suisse and a paying tenant set off for her course in 'Infomatics'. She prefers the teaching methods in Holland but had to come to a German College to pursue her preferred career! I simply have to lock up when I go!

Lovely countryside with rolling hills and time to reflect in the quiet AirBnB in Holzminden..