Bristol - Berlin update

Ich bin ein Berliner! .. or at least "ich bin in Berlin angekommen"

Excellent news (for me at least) ... I trundled into Berlin at 1pm on Saturday to be greeted by John and Liz with a huge outstreched banner they made for my arrival.

Possibly the hardest, most rewarding thing I've done on two wheels and although I travelled through Northern Europe - very much the "developed" world - it still felt like an adventure.

The landscape here is amazing; huge open arable land, peppered with medieaval towns, half timbered "Hanzel and Grettle" houses and affable people.

The cycling is also superb. I had been to Berlin before, once on holiday with John and once to "race" (drinking with a bit of bike riding thrown in for good measure) in the singlespeed world championships and developed a huge amount of affection for the place. Holland and North Germany show the way forward for a cycling infrastructure and riding across both countries was extraordinary.

East Germany - (the former DDR) was great, I lost track of the friendly hello's and waves exchanged with people on their doorsteps, at work or riding the minor roads and lanes that criss-cross the landscape.

Highs and lows of the last days from Höxter - Goslar - Bernburg - Berlin.

The hostels were universally top notch - clean rooms and bed sheets, welcoming staff who let me sign in late, responded to questions and generally tended to my needs in a relaxed manner.

The breakfasts were amazing, fresh bread, cheese, yoghurt, muesli and fruit in abundance. Talk about fuel for a day's riding! There was always somewheer to stash the bike but I doubt that any of these places have the kind of petty bike theft that you have to be vigilant against in Bristol.

Stumbling upon the Hartz steam railway in Wernigerode, Deutsche Bundesbahn steam engines being fuelled and watered, simmering in the sunshine alongside the road out of the mountains into the Hartz Forland.

The farming landscape, a farmer tending sheep with a German Shepherd, the farmer arriving in a Lidl car park in an old cart pulled by two stout working horses in his green overalls and huge moustache. Birds of prey wheeling overhead and the endless birdsong of skylarks almost too high in the sky to see.

Paved or fast dirt cycle paths that wandered away from the road and disappeared over rolling hills into hidden folds in the landscape.

Being invited to join the party at the neighbouring table at the little hotel I found in Beelitz when I realised that Potsdam was too far and the hostels were fully booked. Chatting late and discovering I was in the premier Asparagus belt of Germany!

Asking directions and finding the lady I asked was from Colorado, a geology lecturer at the University of Potsdam and being able to show her the timetable for the asparagus season that I acquired from Jürgen, one of the guests I chatted to the previous night. In her own words "I never expected to find an english cyclist equipped with information I wanted on Asparagus and when it would appear on the local menus". Apparently Beelitz asparagus is a very big deal in Berlin!

I still have the leaflet and was amazed to see an Autumn festival devoted entirely to the pumpkin "Over 10,000 pumpkins, 400 varities from all over the world". It turns out that it's not just asparagus that is a big deal in Beelitz.

Not having to pop ibuprofen or rub ibuprofen gel into my ankles. The last couple of days were practically pain free, my body having suddenly stopped complaining. I chose to make slower, smooth starts with less immediates strain on my ankles. Even the hilly ride east from Goslar was ridden without resentful grumbling from my body.

Lows were few and far between:

Riding 40 miles into a relentless headwind on arrow straight roads north of Bernburg, trying to make up time.

Cobbled roads on some of the older East German roads had worn away and dodging fist-sized cobbles became hard, jarring work on 100+ mile days. I know keen cyclists are supposed to relish the "pavé" but I'm no fan of being buffeted whilst desperately trying to cling to edges where accumulated soil and dust smooth the way.

Narrowly avoiding a collision with a weekend rider who suddenly stopped, blocking the path on a fast section through the "Grünewald" between Potsdam and Berlin. Anglo-saxon english popped immediately into my head after days of talking in German.

Eating purely for fuel - a diet of bananas, fruit-soaked muesli bars and ibuprofen wears a bit thin after a while!