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Reduced almost to rubble by Allied bombs in 1945,  the Frauenkirche was recently restored and opened its doors to the public in 2005... It now dominates the skyline. Lest we forget: the venerable Trabant,  still to be seen, occasionally, rattling along the streets, just as roadworthy as ever. About 50 (of the 23000) Meissen tiles that make up this wall. A traditional mural from the Soviet era. Preserved on the old Stasi building where Vladimir Putin once plied his trade. The Elbe is low, after a summer with little rain. A liquid, early lunch.   Two wheels (or feet) rule.   

The days are all starting to blur together. So, here are general impressions only. Mercifully, no painstaking day by day detail for you to struggle through. Out of Hamburg, and far from the Elbe for much of the day. The river route is rarely along the river. More usually, the route is atop the dyke that provides flood protection one or two hundred metres from the river banks. Atop the dyke means exposed to the wind, which has been blowing, and mainly from the east. And we ride eastward so, yes, a headwind. Slowing us down but not otherwise interfering with our enjoyment. Sometimes we ride along the base of the dyke, offering a little protection from the wind. Offering protection also from much in the way of views. We very occasionally meet a farm vehicle on these lower roads but there is virtually no other traffic. More cycles than internal combustion engines.   Generally, the riding surface is excellent. Billiard table smooth asphalt, or concrete double track: two 30 cm wide ...

26th August, 2022. Bad Nieuweschans - Westerstede.  64.5 km Back on the road. I'd been to the coop for some cash from the ATM and retrieved the bikes from unlit storage, by feel, by ten o'clock: something of a record for me. We did have to knock on the restaurant door to return the key (it didn't fit through the letter box), rousing the landlord who bid us farewell in his dressing gown.  It was an overcast, warm, muggy day with gloomy light. The border crossing into Germany was unremarkable. In fact, we had no idea where the border was but assumed that, after a few kilometres, we were now in Germany. And, even in Germany, there were windmills. The countryside was not very exciting although better light might have improved it; flat, green fields with a few dairy cattle. After a couple of hours, we stopped for some lunch in Leer. Munching bread and cheese, overlooking the Ems (?) river, we felt pretty content.  We were following a route directly to Hamburg and didn't expe...