At the start of the day I briefly returned to the forest trails, but they remained too treacherous for the pace I needed to go. So today, for the most part, I cycled the roads & added a few miles.

I soon learnt that the courtesy motorists show to cyclists in W Germany does not always extend to here – but still better than England!

Around lunchtime, I came upon Luckau, & what a discovery! This beautiful, pristine city is a mix of quality, period architecture covering 700yrs. At its centre sits the market place and its brightly coloured, thoughtfully painted buildings, making for a very special place. It also has very pleasant cafés – a great place to chill & indulge in a cake. (I was beginning to think they didn’t exist in East Germany).

A few hours later on, I turned into Sonnentau Nursery & Farm shop, on the outskirts of Kolkwitz, to refuel. Claudia, from the shop, came by & began chatting – them Keti, to help with the translations. Through the miles I’ve been lucky to find good people wanting to help make my journey that little bit easier. These guys were determined to secure me accommodation & they did. They will be reading this so should know it was a perfect choice – thank you!!

It was 19:30 by the time I reached Hutton Camp & host, Andrea, was waiting ready to settle me in. Before leaving, she introduced me to motorcyclist Paul, on a pilgrimage to an old friend’s grave in East Poland. With longstanding health issues, this journey will allow him to pay his respects to a longstanding friend & hopefully open the next chapter & new life following his need to retire. I wish him the very best!!

Now just over half way through my journey & feel good. It started off as a post operation boot camp, but I’m riding better every day, which is a good thing since the challenges are ever present!

Since yesterday morning the trails had been a little testing. – by the end of the ride I’d found sand everywhere & my bike was making some unhealthy noises. So before setting off, I spent a chunk of time cleaning the drive & breaks. Today, within 30 mins the trails became worse than ever. I spent 4 hrs biking about 10 miles out of the 50 scheduled.

By Kropstradt, I’d decided to abandon the forest trails & it was here Kevin & Ruediger came to advise the best route. Within minutes I was chilling with them & for the next hour they supplied me with coffee, water, fruit & a chance to chat. Ruediger had been a truck driver to Shrewsbury – small world!!

Before leaving, Kevin charge his compressor & for the 2nd time today, my bike was de-sanded, oiled & road ready.

Last night I treated myself. The Motel One hotel was a luxurious place – nice lounges to chill in & staff that couldn’t do enough for you.

Today, I was back, ready to ride, nicely rested, 2 good breakfasts & a nice northwesterly to help me along. The weather forecast was 18C & some rain in the afternoon. All good!

The east side of the Elbe River was far more pleasant but quickly reverted to farms, forests, wind farms & occasionally, small pleasant villages. Also, today’s ride was 80% off road trails & no canals!

My host, Marian, was lovely. She served a delightful breakfast, beautifully laid out, but unfortunately that was it! I needed to get my second breakfast elsewhere.

Today’s ride was gentle. I only planned to do 25 mls aiming to rest & explore Magdeburg City.

What a disappointment! My approach to the city took me past tired buildings, poor roads, weedy tram lines & ugly skylines. Most everywhere was very unkept – unrecognisable from the internet info. There were a few pleasant places, eg the cathedral square & a 0.25ml stretch of park along the Elbe River, but that’s pretty much it. I’m told people do come here for its history. Otto the Great’s relics are in the cathedral, buried 1000 yrs ago, plus lots of other stuff. The cathedral itself is pleasant enough & I sat for an hour listening to an organ recital.

The contrast between yesterday & today is stark indeed. From modernity to tired/retro. Sometimes for the better, mostly not.

Germany has many wind turbines but here, in the east, they seem to be everywhere.

Another observation – people ride bikes here out of need not lifestyle choice. Also, cyclists are slightly less catered for.