I made it to the top of Germany, and tomorrow I will take the ferry to Denmark! Wow, almost 1500 miles since I pushed off from Florence.
The last four days riding from Berlin were through a lot of forest and field, as well as some sections through suburban streets and small roads.
I saw quite a few bicycle tourists since the Copenhagen to Berlin route is very popular. I think it’s because it’s through nature for the most part and also pretty flat. It has some long sections of completely separated bicycle roads that make it very calm and easy. Some of the road surfaces are bit sketchy with gravel, sand, dirt and potholes, but I’ve noticed that many people are riding bikes with front suspension and a bit larger tires. And lots of electric bikes.
Until today, I’ve been camping since leaving Berlin, which has been great. The campgrounds in Germany are really well organized, and most have restaurants and bars attached. They have nice facilities, which include very clean bathrooms and showers and dedicated areas to wash your dishes and clothes.
The only issue I have in campgrounds is that you often can have very noisy neighbors. I’ve set up my tent a couple times and then had a noisy group next door. Last night, about eight young people arrived on bikes, which was great to see, but they partied until well past midnight and they were right next to me. The night before it was older people, but no less noisy as they discussed God knows what into the night. It’s made more difficult by the fact that I don’t speak their language to calmly and politely ask them to be quiet! I feel like I am a visitor in their country, and it’s impolite to tell them how to act.
This morning, I got up relatively early and packed up my camp since I knew it was supposed to rain. I got to enjoy a bit of Schadenfreude (in Germany, no less!) watching the noisy young people try to take down their tent in the rain just as I was leaving, all packed up and smug.
The trip between Berlin and Rostock was pretty, but seemed a bit repetitive. There were long stretches through the forest on beautiful paths, but it would’ve been nice to have a bit more variety.
Rostock looked interesting. I wanted to camp there, but there aren’t any campgrounds so I booked a hotel. And it was a rainy and windy day so I felt justified. After checking into my hotel and taking a shower and doing all the other little things I need to do post ride, I went for a walk. Rostock seems like a vibrant, beautifully kept city with lots of bars, restaurants, and shopping.
Tomorrow I will take the two-hour 11:15 AM ferry to Denmark, and continue my trip there. I have probably 3-4 days to ride to Copenhagen and then I’ll spend my remaining days in Copenhagen or nearby until my flight home on July 31.
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