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.