Dessau to Bernburg: From one youth hostel to another
Yeah, we woke up and it isn't raining and no thunderstorms are predicted!! That makes it easier to head out and make our way to Bernburg today. Staying here in Dessau for the second time has been really enjoyable. It is an unusual thing for us to retrace our steps on a trip and reconnect with a place and people - usually we are continuing forward in new directions. Nonetheless, our plan to head to the Saale River and utlimately Halle, will position us well for our return to Frankfurt by train. The train hub in Halle is ideal for long distance connections. The route to Aken followed the Elbe River route and then we headed west on the R2. We were able to make good time, until we encountered construction and the city of Kothen. We have been having trouble with our smartphone as the German provider for the sim card has been sending messages that we can't read. As a result, the 3G service has been stopped. We spent some time visiting phone shops, but no one was very helpful, until we found Leonard who went out of his way to be helpful. Part of the problem was a language barrier. It turns out that we have 6 euros of time left on our SIM card, and for some reason the provider has cut us off. They want us to load more money, but instead we will choose the more expensive option of 99cents per day until the card runs out. Riding in to Bernburg was along a heavily industrialized area with a chemical plant and housing for the employees. After riding in rural countryside, the jolt of urban decay was a surprise. We found the youth hostel on the other side of the Saale River and were able to get one of the last double rooms available. The youth hostel has had extensive remodelling due to flooding last year. This is surprising as the river is over 400 metres away. The hostel is very clean, but the room is the smallest we have ever seen and at 50 euros we think that it is not the best value - bathroom down the hall. Nonetheless, we are glad to be here and we have met some interesting cyclists.
Since being in Berlin, we frequently see the Trabi car in photos and on the road (still running!!). This picture was in our room at the Youth Hostel.
In the middle of nowhere, we saw the road construcdtion and barricades and thought we would have to find a new route as cars were not allowed through. The crew were great and said that they would help us cross.
We waited about half an hour for a train that was coming and then they let us through. Some of the crew helped us lift our bike and trailer over the tracks as it was impassable.
There has been a lot of heavy rain recently. We are glad that the route so far is on roads as we can usually find a way around the water. We will see what it is like along the Saale River tomorrow.
Entering the town of Reppichau - this town has created a special place with an art project that has historical figures erected throughout the town - charming.
Grrrr...a ridiculous barricade for the train tracks - especially, since one can simply take the road, which we did. Why go to the trouble and expense of creating this gate when the road is beside the trail?
A warning sign for a sharp turn in to a tunnel. It makes complete sense but it somehow amused us. At this point, the bike trail ends and we think that a bike should be part of this image.
One of the challenges of travelling with a smartphone. The last few days, we have been getting messages in German and don't understand why the phone won't work. We visited several stores in Kothen and this young man was the first person to take the time to help us.
