Old East Germany (GDR) and now

So what's this venture all about? Well to be honest a good part of it is obviously self-indulgence of scenery, food, culture and just the sheer enjoyment of being out amongst nature and the unexpected meetings with all types of people. I've enjoyed conversations with town citizens, mill owners and meals with fellow cyclists from Germany, France, Switzerland, Chile, Argentina and even Australia. I hope it inspires others to try this mode of exploration or at least consider it.

So many places to rest

At the end a typical 60km day I'll quickly setup camp and reflect with a cuppa on the day's experience. Maybe a flat tyre, a chance encounter with locals who have kindly invited me as a guest for the night, an amazing meal or incredible stillness while viewing a distant dark storm. And don't let anyone tell you that's it's all too hard 😌 or “I used to ride when I was younger” - only one life you know and age is just a number anyway so don't just sit on your as...'couch' 'waiting for goddo!'👣😒 You could even consider an E-bike if raw human pedal power does not appeal.

 Time for a ferry crossing

Wind and wheat power

The journey continues with 250km behind me and over 500km ahead as my compass heads NNW for Kiel on the north German coast. The occasional small town ferry provides many opportunities to alternate my place on either side of the Elbe River. These old east German states carry a lot of history with a strong Russian influence at least with language as it was compulsory to learn Russian in school during those years between 1949 and 1990. I've had to really dig deep in my abilities to communicate at basic levels while interacting with senior and even young folk who have no English skills whatsoever. Thank goodness for finger pointing, nodding and digit responses as it's worked well before I've considered diving for the Google Translate App. At the supermarket I simply hold out my open palm with Euros and they always take what they need.

Incredible storm approaching from the south and beautiful magenta sunset

I could be forgiven for thinking I was riding along rivers meandering through Summer wheat fields in country Victoria-Australia despite right-side commuting with long hot 35C plus days. Like Australia the wheat industry is quite prevalent but here there are also many many fields of Corn (Germans refer to it as Maize) used for stock feed, starch and apparently as a source of bio-fuel or ethanol for cars. We apparently use sugar cane in Australia. Unfortunately as corn starts to compete with wheat for the same space wheat costs invariably go up as market forces affect the price of that wonderful German bread I buy on my stops along the way. I don’t mind paying higher prices for bread if it means that less carbon-monoxide from conventional fuel is released into our precious atmosphere.

 

Fields and fields of corn

 

Sunday rituals long past - last known circa 1554

 

In the upper loft bell tower

A quick history lesson here for some context - Before and after the two world wars Germany, Russia, Austria, Hungary and Poland were moving around their territorial borders like pieces on a chess board. Each change dictated by winning or losing the war. At one point the whole Germany empire included what is now Poland. The one major outcome of the first world war saw the end of four existing empires - German, Russian, Ottoman (now Turkey) and the Austro-Hungarian. When Germany lost the first world war Poland reoccupied three of the German Empire's eastern states. Then Germany now known as the Weimar Republic decides after 20 years of living with the economic and political constraints of the Treaty of Versailles that it's time for another try. And we're here again this time the Allies decide on the formation of four distinct German zones with one called East Germany itself having five distinct states and the three remaining west German zones known as the Federal Republic. In area it was half the size of West Germany and somehow West Berlin existed in a sea of East German (GDR) states. The impact on the whole of Germany was the elimination of war-related industries and the establishment of new industries and large agricultural zones including the GDR which essentially was a satellite state of the USSR.

 

My room view

 

My evening meal - delicious baked Scholle from the Elbe River

So my several hundred km ride up the Elbe from Dresden to Kiel takes me mostly through these old GDR states. Speaking in basic German to these people I learned that many do enjoy more personal freedom but education was better before the fall of the Iron Curtain. The economies of these five eastern states still trails the rest of Germany by a 1/3rd as you would expect it takes time but many young people choose to live snd work in the bigger more prosperous cities leaving many smaller towns and villages populated by older citizens.

The morning bells toll in Torgau

German soldiers who died defending last rail bridge before Russian troops arrived