Today was brutal, possibly appalling, and yet it could’ve been amazing. We’ll come back to this, but there’s a reason why you cycle West to East in this continent and I know that reason so the blame, shame, guilt, annoyance…well, it’s all mine.

As starts to an actual bike trip go I struggle to think of any more grand.

Riding through and out of Berlin was fantastic. Whisky the bike paths are, well, a bit shit. They exist. And that made for easy ish riding. Easyish? I hear you say. Well that brings me to the weather.

The weather I knew yesterday was forecast, the weather when I went to bed last night was certain I’d be inter-railing today.

Yes, DJ MOREBASS as the wind has been come to be known on previous trips was, and is, in full effect. 15 1210’s on the go and a couple of macs to boot. What a Bas…

Anyway, yesterdays forecast was for the wind and rain, and it was dry, and so as to not attract negative reviews (a few who might read this have been know to cast aspersions) I decided to ride.

The ride out of Berlin was great. Windy, but great. Once out the shelter if the big city though….an abomination. I was in the small front ring, pedalling like someone might dance at a DJMB gig and going at 8mph. Absolute nightmare. Such a shame as well as the roads and paths were awesome.

I made reasonable pace, although already through gritted, cursing teeth to Potsdam. Which from the banks of the ‘see’ (pronounced zay (I think) and means Loch (lake to some)) looked stunning with a big Basilica standing out above the town. As I got into the town though I was reminded, quite brutally that I was in what was East Germany…

I think this, which was the closest I could get to it about sums that statement up. The city was fine, but a bit worn around the edges, a lot in fact. I pressed on

By now I was around 30 miles in. And they were hard miles, every time I came to some open landscape I cursed, and waited and then smash in the face. Drop gears, hate my life.

So does, and is this

I was flagging, massively. Border line on the major bonk. I had to eat….but not here. I love a kebab, and would indeed get one later, but this guy??

I found a Netto, it looked desolated enough that I figured my bike would be safe. And fuelled by a family pack of snack sized snickers I battled on… And then this gave me an idea

Having done 45 miles into the wind and the rain beginning a decided, I’m so so sorry, to catch a train a wee bit of the way. It was a brilliant decision

1. The heavens opened properly. 2. I went 29 miles and missed the rain. 3. Lunch in the station.

The regional trains here are banging. Cheap, and most importantly, bikes go free, and most most most importantly… platform, low rise access to the bike compartment. If carlsberg designed bike train thing…

I rode about 20 miles on the train. Missed all the rain, and decided, having completely forgotten about the wind to get out way before my campsite town and ride the rest of the way. I wanted to cross the Elbe on my bike, it’s a brand new (Eu funded) canal bridge that dwarves any others I’ve ridden – there have been a few.

Basically it took me 20 mins to pick up the guts to cross the bridge. I don’t like heights, but I like bridges, I don’t like water, but I love the geography and drama only a river can create. So, shitting myself, it was high, open and gale force, I went. I’m proud of that. My Strava will show I crossed that at 4 mph 😂

I made it finally to my campsite, set up camp, new tent, new set up, in a storm, what can go wrong… then headed off to the local decathlon for camping gas and shop for pasta and wine. That was another 14 windy miles. I am broken. But I have ravioli and wine. Ciao