Day 51 - 7 November 2012 - Wittenberg to Rehagen - 96k

We woke to a very dismal day. We are used to it being cold and overcast in the mornings, but to use Julie's words when she came downstairs to join me at breakfast "its pouring! Being the hard core cyclists that we are, were we fazed? Not by a little rain on a 5 degrees morning, no way! We enjoyed our breakfast in the downstairs restaurant area while watching people rush by outside with their umbrellas, or balancing briefcases over their heads. We had the feeling it was going to be a less pleasant day than we had hoped on leaving Wittenberg.

The plan for the day was to cycle on the Leipzig-Berlin cyclway that passed through Wittenberg. We managed to buy the 'Radweg Cycle Map' booklet from the local bookstore, but only the German version has been published. Maps are the same in any language, but these books give helpful hints, insights into the history of the towns through which we pass, and also point out any difficult sections.

A little later than we planned, we paused outside the Hotel am Schanenlicht for a final departure photo (slightly blurry at that - it was taken in the rain). The cycleway followed the roads north east out of Wittenberg, and it wasn't long before we passed from the great city of Martin Luther into the rural countryside, in the direction of the even greater city of Berlin. Berlin was some 160k to the north. We decided on a plan to reach the small town of Sperenberg, about 82k, and do the final run into Berlin tomorrow. There was a Hotel marked on the cycle map, so we were trusting that it would be open and have a room for us. That was our hope, at least.

We hadn't been on the road long before we came to the tiny village of Labetz. On entering the village we came across this beautiful pond. On a wet, cold day on the bike it is so tempting to just put your head down and get to the destination as fast as you can. However, we will never pass this way again, so a cold and wet day was not going to stop us taking photos of lovely sights (we changed our policy later in the day though!). These photos are taken on my cheap pocket camera!

Coming out of Labetz we somehow lost the cycle path signs. This is not hard to do. Sometimes the signs are not great. We followed 'logic' but somehow managed to get ourselves completely disoriented. Even trying to decipher the map, you need indicators to identify with the map. We were lost but persevered. We were on a very muddy farm track to start with, which went through muddy fields, but it also turned us down through a most beautiful forest section. We encountered views of the golden pathway that we had hardly experienced before. The sights were just glorious, helping us overcome our concerns about not knowing where in fact we were.

We somehow managed to work out that we had turned east and ended up a few kilometres heading in the wrong direction. At least though we could identify with the map, and with a few turns and some extra kilometres through muddy farm lanes, we were back on the track again. It was still wet. We don't really feel the cold while cycling (maybe Julie and SJ might differ in opinion on this) as long as all skin areas are covered, preferably with lycra. We invested in some outdoor large wool socks in Prague, and they have been brilliant. Many of the villages today have lost that old world charm. However, many nevertheless had large cobbled streets, some of which we very dangerously wet and slippery for us to cycle over. Our narrow profile tyres were wonderful on the long, smooth bitumen sections but were really hard work on cobbles and especially mud and dirt.

We were definitely in a large food bowl area of Germany. The land was very flat and fertile, and for many kilometres we rode through large, vast open farmlands. At times the cyclepath was smooth bitumen in long straight lines. It was wet, but one of the compensating factors today was the slight breeze to our backs for most of the day. The rain was rarely a bother, except for cyclists with glasses, which was both of us. We were making good time, and closing gradually on Juterbog, the major town situated at the 44k mark.

The cycleway often adds extra kilometres to give cyclists the better views of the countryside. Days like today we are just tempted to take to the roads to get to the towns faster, However, if we did, we would miss experiences such as the beautiful forests. These were frequent today, and with the wet weather the leaves were sparkling, adding to the beautiful picture of a German autumn. You will get the impression we can't resist the photos of the forest cycle paths. The path however was dangerously slippery with the carpet of wet, soggy leaves. We had to be very cautious with the many twists and turns of the leaf laden path as it wound its way through the dense forest.

Julie was amazing today. As the kilometres mounted, nothing seemed to faze her. She rode like a champion all day. Her bike is also loaded with about 35kg which includes the bike. She especially loved the long straights with the lovely slight breeze behind us.

The rain never really let up for most of the day. Occasionally we had our hopes up that the sun might eventually shine its smiling face on us, but this never eventuated. Sometimes the path went to gravel, and these sections were very difficult, spewing mud and slush over us and over our bikes and panniers. The bitumen sections are our favourite of course, but we have to handle whatever is served out to us. At one point we were literally riding through a paddock on barely recognisable grassed farm tracks. That is about as hard as it gets on loaded touring bikes with narrow profile tyres.

Nevertheles, many villages through which we passed today had their own beautiful village church. Often, the cycleway takes the route around the sides of the villages to avoid traffic, in which case we only get to see the spires standing above the village. We are always happy though to ride through the main centre of town so that we can enjoy the sights, irrespective of the traffic (or the cobblestones). This is a typical church that we saw today in many villages.

Approaching the village of Dennewitz we could see the beautiful old windmill in the distance. These are becoming more frequent the closer we go north. We debated whether this one was someone's home, and the debate has been unresolved. In any case, it provided a wonderful spectacle, so despite the weather, we took time to enjoy it and take the official photo. The bike in the photo is to prove that we were actually there!

The land was very flat today which makes photos difficult. Our normal routine is for Julie to ride in front. She is better at finding the signs on the cycleway (sometimes they are not in obvious places). We also ride together if the path is wide enough, but the Germans observe strict 'rules' about riding on the same side as the traffic, the right hand side to keep a sense of order when there are many bikes on the cycleway. Today though, I don't think we saw one other bike out on the cycleway. Probably the locals thought it was too cold and wet! Ridng behind Julie, I like to take occasional photos for the record, and also as a reminder of the kind of countryside through which we are passing. Today was mostly rural farmlands.

We eventually arrived at Juterbog, a large historical town midway on our journey today. The cycleway that we were following (the Leipzig-Berlin path) took a westerly route around Juterbog entirely, then linking to the north. On our map we could see that the Brandenburg cycleway started to take an easterly circuit but which passed through the old main centre of Juterbog, past some of the historical buildings and the famous 'Tors' (castle towers) of this ancient town, then linked up with the Berlin path to the north. We decided to follow the Brandenburg path through the town and then re-join the Berlin path when they meet to the north. To cut a long story short, we got hopelessly lost in the town. We lost the path signs. The streets were narrow, cobbled and slippery and the rain was actually at its heaviest. People were not on the streets to easily ask directions, and we were completely and utterly disoriented. We lost an hour of our time, and added an extra 8k or so to our day. We had somehow come out of town to the south east instead of due north, and were in the countryside and no one to ask. It was our most frustrating moment in the day, and to boot - we couldn't be bothered with any historical 'tors'. It was pouring, and due to frequent handling of the precious map book it became soaked. Just for the record, here is a photo from the net of one of the historical gates of Juterbog, adjacent to which we sat for a long time making judgements about which direction to take next. The one street in which we had confidence would lead us north was blocked off by workmen, who incidentally could not tell us where to go. Fortunately Julie read the small 'detour' sign which was in German. It took us on a wide route through narrow lanes around the blocked street, and we eventually made it out of town to the north, and some 4k into the wet countryside we linked up with our precious Berlin cycleway again.

We were past lunch time now and looking for a 'warm' place to stop for lunch. We agreed that when we find a covered rest spot that we would stop. We found one, and it was a beauty, but we decided that after the stresses of Juterbog that we were not hungry enough to stop, and reluctantly passed on what was the best picnic spot of the tour, right alongside the bike path way out in the middle of the countryside.

We could not resist the photo of 'Hamish', the scottish highland bull who also must have turned left at Hadrians wall instead of turning right to Glasgow. However, he wasn't alone, he brought a whole herd with him to Germany. I am sure the Germans have trouble understanding his scottish accent though!

We were again maiking good time, and now closing on Sperenberg fast, with only some 15k to go. However, we were only saying last night at dinner that despite 2000k of cycling on this trip through some incredible terrain, we had not even had a flat tyre. We spoke too soon. My rear tyre was noticeably 'spongy'. Despite pumping, it quickly went back to 'spongy'. At the tiny village of Holbeck, we stopped outside a tiny pub which had a small covered verandah, and decided to order some curried sausage and hot chocolate for lunch, while I quickly changed the tyre. All done, we enjoyed the dry experience inside. When we came out to depart, the newly repaired tyre had literally exploded! I had caught the new tube between the tyre and the wall of the rim, and under the high pressure it exploded while we were enjoying our curried sausage. On a day when we could least afford the time, it was unpack again and do it again. The wheels were dirty, the bike covered in mud. I just had to be careful not to trap any grit inside the tyre to avoid further flat tyres today.

We were now very late. It was after 4pm and darkness was not very far away. By 5pm it is completely dark. It was a race against the time. It was 15k to Sperenberg. After Schonefeld at the 10k to go mark, we passed through another glorious forest. The impact of the beauty never evaded us, despite the shortness of time available to us before darkness rolled in. We will never forget these forest experiences.

We finally arrived in Sperenberg just as darkness was upon us. We pulled up outside the only hotel in this small town, and our worst fears were realised. It was in darkness, closed for the winter. Many of them do this. We were a little frantic. We rolled to the end of town, and found another 'pub'. I asked inside, and the publican assured me the hotel guy was operating, but try the back door. So back we go, banged on the rear door. I could see the fellow inside. He came out, and very apologetically in German told us what we had already concluded. He was not operating. He showed us on the map the next village of Rehagen, and assured us of a 'Pension' right at the first intersection. We had no choice but to hit the road in the dark with its traffic. Some of it was bike path, but we just hit the road when we needed. It was the longest 3k of our life! We got to Rehagen and could only see a 'Backerie' with lights on. I enquired - no, there is no 'Pension' in Rehagen. We had no choice but to ride to Zossen, some 9k furhter - a major town. We had only gone 300mtrs and found this very large 'Pension' with massive sign out front! It was a delightful sight in the dark. The young lady in charge was wonderful, with all the grace in the world.

We were in, had a great room with shower and toilet, a private room for the bikes and breakfast thrown into the bargain - even free internet! I intend to go back to the 'Backerie' ladies and introduce them to the 'Pension' just 300 mtrs away. This is a village that would barely have 1000 people. How can locals not know of their only 'Pension' in town?

We are now 55k from the centre of Berlin. We plan an easier start to our final day to Berlin. It has been a great day, despite being our wettest day of the 7 weeks of cycling. It was also cold, but at least not windy. We always had high spirits through the day, despite our times of being completely lost. We had some concerns when it got dark and we were still on the roads with no where certain to stay for the night.

A lot of life can be like this of course. In life we can feel a sense of not clearly knowing the way, or not being confident about the immediate future. The Psalmist had the answer to this when he said with great confidence "Your Word Lord, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). To many it doesn't make sense, but the scriptures can give us confidence that eventhough we may not be able to see clearly the way ahead, when we put our faith in God we can have confidence that He will keep our feet on the path knowing that He knows the way for us.

As we rest tonight in this tiny village that we haven't actually seen yet, we rest knowing that the Word of God is indeed the lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

From Rehagen, just 55k short of Berlin we send our love.....Kelvin and Julie