Sunday August 11. From Boek Beside the Lake, to Großmenow Beside Bodie.

August 11, 2019

August 11 Sunday 75Kms

From Boek Beside the Lake, to Großmenow Beside Bodie.

Our day starts without our usual muesli, yoghurt and coffee taste explosion because we are out of supplies. There is a strong wind from the “see”, and the wind surfers are getting ready. After a brief chat with our windsurfer neighbour from Potsdam, we head south towards Mirow. Before we have pedalled a couple of kilometres we spy a van selling fish sandwiches- fischbroten. We try the smoked trout and bun, with lettuce, onion and mayo, sit and eat at a table under pear tree, and that’s breakfast taken care of. Delicious.

A little further on is the ‘Tante Ju’ cafe. Tante Ju being the affectionate name for the Junkers 52 transport aircraft, distinguished by its corregated iron body and its 3 engines. It was the German version of the DC3. Anyway, there is a museum here and a cafe which provides us with excellent coffee and a view of the lake and the little boat houses that fringe the calmer inlets.

On to Larz and a beautiful half- timbered church with a wooden tower and a cockerel on the spire. Lunch comes care of a prolonged queue wait at Mirow Netto, but we have the makings of several banana sandwiches. The heavy, dark brot, sliced thinly is wunder food and I’ve become addicted.

Mirow on the Mirower See has a tree lined street and there are many family groups out walking and cycling. There is also lots going on out on the water and leisure craft abound. From Mirow to Wessenberg we travel on a small road with no cycle path, but it’s quick, despite being a little busy. German drivers will not pass you until the way is clear, and small roads have no middle line.

We lunch in the shade near a schloss- there’s an ad for a Sound of Music performance on the Rathaus wall- this isn’t the Tyrol but it’s still a favourite. From Wessenberg, it’s 6kms to the small hamlet of Wustrow where we indulge in ice creams and chat to a chap with a bright yellow recumbent. It looks quite comfortable, though the operating position seems a little weird. We are back on the Berlin-Kopenhagen trail again after yesterday’s diversion to camp at Boek.

On to Strassen, then down a pretty trail among green trees which brings us to Großmenow Naturpark. This is a beautiful campground on a junction of Elbogensee and Ziernsee, near the Mecklenburg / Brandenburg border. The sloping green has plenty of space for tents. Caravans are over the road. Young families, a large kayaking group and cyclists make up the numbers.

The tent up, we buy provisions from the shop and then head for the water. The water is refreshing and about as clear as Pt Chevalier on a good day. We head out towards the middle of the lake. The only issue with lakes is, as Ann says, you’re never quite sure what’s down there.

Back at our tent we meet our neighbour Bodie. He’s a guy about my age with a shock of whiteish hair and a small clipped moustache, who’s just cycled in, but has no food. So since the shop’s shut we offer him some of our rice ( care of Uncle Ben) and salad. He tells us he’s a musician who grew up in the East and began playing keyboard in a band in the 60s. In recent years he has played with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels on their annual German tours. He says his nickname as a child was ‘Washing’ since at school he was an authority on George Washington but this didn’t go down well in the army, so Bodie he became. We spend a pleasant evening talking about music and politics - he has great anecdotes about Dylan and Van Morrison, but his knowledge of local history and cycling is wonderful too. He has been cycling up in Denmark and is on his way back to Berlin.

It’s a warm evening but there’s a hint of imminent precipitation in the air and sure enough, I wake later to the sound of drops which gradually increase in intensity. It will be clear by morning though, I’m sure.

Today's ride: 75 km (47 miles)
Total: 625 km (388 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	3
Comment on this entry	Comment	0