Wustrow - Klausdorf: We get caught in the rain more than once - From Bavaria to the Baltic Sea and Back 2011

June 18, 2011

Wustrow - Klausdorf: We get caught in the rain more than once

Today was a 3-D day of water. Our route took us from the bay to the Baltic, back to the bay side, to the Baltic and again to the bay. We not only had water to the west and to the east but torrents of rain also came from above.

It was a long day for our standards, but I noticed I was feeling much fitter than a month ago when we left Munich. This was the day when I said, yes, I want to cycle the complete loop back to Munich. It was also the day when we got our first taste - and not last - of East Germany's notorious roads made of concrete slabs, set at uneven angles and dreadful to ride on.

This is a very difficult surface to ride on, and when a car comes you better got off it altogether.

After leaving our hotel, the bike route took us from the bay to Wustrow's seaside. No one was on the beaches, the air was cool and the sky overcast.

Water and air temperatures are both 16°C or 61°F.

Then we returned to the Bodden and cycled through the salt marshes, a lovely landscape even in the mist and then rain.

Here we are again on the bay side, near Althagen.

The bike paths are well marked through the salt marshes.

A rainy day, but the rain added atmosphere to the landscape.

By the time we got to Prerow and Zingst there were a lot of cyclists out on the bike paths - these are popular ocean resorts and it was a Saturday - but by the time we left the Baltic beaches and returned to the Barther Bodden the crowds were gone.

In the afternoon it cleared up - before it poured again.

We were surprised that there was even a real hill on our route before we reached Klausdorf. Why were we surprised? The name of the town, Hohendorf (literally high village), should have warned us.

We found refuge, but not before getting thoroughly wet.

Since it was a Saturday and we knew accommodations were going to be few and far betwenn in that area, we had already booked a room by telephone in the morning. That was fortunate since we had already ridden close to 80 km and the hotel we had booked wouldn't have had any more free rooms by the time we arrived. Pension Schwalbenhof (58 € including breakfast) was very comfortable and we arrived just in time to have a roof over our heads before the next downpour came.

Today's ride: 79 km (49 miles)
Total: 1,465 km (910 miles)

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