Chapter 1: Braunschweig - Usedom

Planning

This time the intention for the next bike tour was made by the forefinger wandering on the map along the coast of the Baltic Sea. While my collegue Rainer B. was watching the finger as it hits the places Darß, Zingst, Hiddensee, Rügen, Usedom, and Wollin we argued about this and some weeks later we have a target date: the days before and after the Ascension Day. This special day is reserved for crazy male activities (in Germany) for it is named Father's Day as well. Because the direction of the tour will go east so we can hope for a fine tailwind.

Start at the front door

Saturday 23.5. Braunschweig - Bleckede 150 km

We want to start at 8 am at the front door so because Rainer's home is 10 km nearer to the Baltic Sea I have to start 30 minutes earlier. Soon we cycle with bright sunshine up to the Mittellandkanal. As we once pass a road leading straight to the east we recognize a strong eastern headwind. "We should better go to Holland" I say but we struggle on. We use the side path of the channel and then reach the junction to the Elbe-Seiten-Kanal where you can go north 80 km on a gravel path straight ahead.

Rainer is in a high mood and hammers along. But the sun is burning, there is no shadow and at the Tankumsee (30 km) I nearly fall just off the bike. To check the wind there is the method to throw some grass in the air and watch it blowing away. We find out that it is blowing into our faces if we throw it into the direction we want to go on. And I must say this path is boring, not much to be seen as meadows and meadows, so you count the distant bridges that come along.

At noon we leave the channel path to buy something drinkable at the village Bodenteich. Therefore we use normal roads and find out that this is much more interesting than this stupid channel path. But it is the best way to get north so from Wieren where some narrow mountains interrupt the flat around, we join the channel again. As I am very thursty I appreciate to find one of the bottles of limonade has poured its content into the baggage. We reach a big sluise to compensate a height difference of about 20-30 m. The slopes aside are covered by yellow bloom flowers (Ginster) but moreover are a shelter from the steady headwind.

Near Bad Bevensen we finally quit the channel and look for a cafe. I am some tired again but Rainer is in a good shape which is to be seen by his consume of cake. Our faces are covered by salt from the sweat, so we wash and refill our bottles.

Ferry boat at the Elbe

The last stage for today leads through some villages, and as we try a short cut we find us pushing the bikes on a steep track over deep sand. So we sweat again as we reach Bleckede where we inspect the ferry boat for tomorrow and find an accomodation at the Landhaus an der Elbe. There is a nice garden to sit, eat and drink beer.

The walk around offers the castle with an open-air festival, a boy chorus just presents the contribution to the Spring Music Days. But we are stopped at the cabin for fee. So you can admire the old ware- and store-brickhouses, some of them with a crane up above at the pediment. But the air seems to be extremely dry today so we soon are back in the garden to have some more beers. At the side table there are some bikers who have come from Lüneburg and want to go to Schwerin tomorrow. The waitress tells that there was a cyclist who made 220 km at one day. At the later sections of our tour we argue, that this would be no problem if the winds would decide to blow from the other direction...

For the end of this evening we watch the bright lighted hotel ship on the Elbe which ships over 3 days from Hamburg to Dresden. This is a romantic view and supports our urge to tour far away.

Sunday 24.5. Bleckede - Wismar - Kirchdorf on Poel 125 km

Having a good night and breakfast we start at 8.30 am. The ferry-boat is just waiting and the pretty ferry-lady declares us to pay the adult fee because we seem to be older than 13 years. May be she is right. Another car comes up and then the boat gets off. The lady from the car tells that she enjoys to have a ride at Mecklenburg today. Until now we have a wonderful day nearly without wind. Ten minutes later we hit the opposite shore and now we are at Mecklenburg.

A stork (hard to be seen)

Flowers in the ditches

Turning inside out...

We reach Boitzenburg and now head towards Zarrentin. At one place we watch a house that looks as if an explosion has occurred. At Zarrenthien we reach the southern part of the Schaalsee and we have a nice rest near some ladys who have a sun bath at the bridge. The water is covered by a yellow mass but this seems to be from pollen. We have a view over the shining water surface, a gulp from the bottle, a mouthful and a glucose and then we go on. The ladys wish a farewell and we think about if we better have stayed longer...

Schaalsee at Zarrenthin

Church in Lassahn

But the road at its main parts is a nice alley and there are wide yellow fields of rape-seed aside.We ride with the necks bent down and in turn break the wind. This takes nearly two hours until we recognize the outline of Wismar left ahead. We see coffee and cake like a fata morgana at the horizon.

Market place in Wismar

At the market place surrounded by ancient buildings we enter one of three open-air cafes (Reuterstuben), sit in the sunshine and regenerate from the rush. Thereafter we look at the church and the harbour. Some sailers just fix their boat and Rainer is very critical about this activity for he is sailer himself. And there is a brand new liner ship which was built for the Russians but now cannot be paid - as the sailers tell to us.

Wismar

As we pass the dam leading to the island Poel we have a tailwind for some minutes. To the left and the right there are areas to commute from sea to land and they are called salt-meadows with a peculiar plant life. At a bridge some kids have a swim and we watch the far outline of Wismar. Meanwhile Rainer's bike crashes down on the road and we are happy that there was no car passing by just at this moment. Then we reach the main village Kirchdorf of the island.

This is a nice place and at first we look at the harbour. Here we see fisher boats and private motor-boats. We  turn to the village for an accomodation. At a restaurant the waiter tells us a house nearby, there should  live his aunt as he says. But there is no aunt, it's Mrs. Nelli Makel today but anyway we get our room for the night and are happy.

Harbour of

Kirchdorf at Poel

Montag, 25.5. Kirchdorf - Zingst 140 km

We have some headache this morning and after the breakfast of Mrs. Makel we start to cross the dam and then head to the north. At the left you see the deep blue bay named Salzhaff. Near Rerik we find a short-cut via Blengow which is shorter but unpaved and strenuous for 2 km. We then reach the main road to Kühlungsborn which leads up to hills of 70 m height. At Bastorf you find the highest lighthouse of the coast.

Every tourist guide about the coast of the Baltic Sea will report that it's time to change the vehicle for transportation now. From Kühlungsborn to Bad Doberan there runs an ancient steam train named "Molli". We can hear that Molli much earlier by her resolute whistle sounds and can guess for two facts: Molli will just arrive - or Molli just has gone. So you guess what was true...

Rainer says: "We will catch her" but this is impossible for Molli has gone 10 minutes before. The train trip would have lasted about 1 hour and then you have to go back to the coast. So we spare time and reach Heiligendamm at the direct way. Heiligendamm was the first seaside resort at the Baltic Sea and there are white buildings of classicism style.

Heiligendamm

Rest

We then pass Börgerende-Rethwisch with some reed-roof houses and the way furtheron to Warnemünde is somewhat boring. But you can turn to the left and reach the beach. There are the sun-burned bathers without suits. But we stand there sweating, hungry and thirsty. May be we do something wrong with our vacation?

At Warnemünde we enter a restaurant at the "Alter Strom", this is a part of the mouth of the river Warnow. A big drink (zisch) and a fishsoup, very delicious. Another big drink (zisch) and the sight of the promenade and the quay with picturesque ships and boats let us feel well again.

	Warnemünde

We then pass the famous shipyard Warnow-Werft and use the ferry boat to the opposite shore of the Warnow. Thereafter we soon reach the wide pine woods of the Rostocker Heide. The chain of my bike squeaks since some time but I feel growing strength with my legs now at the third day of biking. The section to Graal-Müritz we cycle against the wind in turn so the second one can do easier work.

I then ask two women for a fuel station and they look somewhat curious at me and my bike. "I need some oil for my chain" I declare and so they explain a complicated way to the next fuel station. But as if fallen from heaven around the next corner there is a brand new bike shop. So I get my grease and the chain can whir around again.

Tools for forest fires

At the "Große Moor" walking in the Sand

We now arrive at a curious short-cut across the "Großes Moor". There is an unpaved road on sand and as long we are in the wood the ground is firm. But then we have to push the bikes on deep sand for less than 1 km. But we see a landscape far from any civilization.

Wustrow

Now we are at the peninsula named Darß and Fischland and there is a nice view over the bay named Bodden here about. The tower of the church at Wustrow greets from the horizon. We overtake a group of bikers who struggle against the wind as we do. So we have a rest at Wustrow and go (where?): to the harbour. They have a special type of vessels here named "Zeesenboote". Out at the sea just one of those boats manoeuvres around.

The next village will be Ahrenshoop famous of its artists but this time we pass the village without a glance somehow. We find ourself at a dead ahead road to Born and we don't want to go back. We seem to be crazy now for the next 7 km we make a speed between 25 and 30 km/h. At Born I nearly fall off my bike and Rainer says: "That was a funny thing".

Now we are thirsty for a coffee. We find a small path between private properties to the terrasse of a garden cafe. The host says: "Who finds the way here will find it for ever". A nice slogan for his cafe and we get a splendid cake and coffee. At the side table a couple talks of San Fanzisko and Akapulko.

The last section for today leads to Zingst. The harbour is under construction and the ship to Hiddensee will go two days later, so we cannot use it. We find Hotel Störtebecker which is an old apartment block from DDR-times as it was a rescue home. I can have a phonecall to my family at home and the lady whistles: "This is Hotel Störtebecker at Zingst and I have a call for you". For dinner we meet at the "Fischerklause" and have two delicious fish meals. For the final beer we look at the "Storchennest" but this restaurant looks not so comfortable. So we find the "Anker", drink our beer and pay but then must change our minds and order a last extraordinary beer.

Tuesday, 26.5. Zingst - Stralsund - Hiddensee 50 km

The breakfast buffet is conquered by a bus group from Swabia and some of them pack some foods into the napkins as lunch for the day. I have 4 glasses of orange juice and two pots of tea. Today we have not to bike too much, we will go to Stralsund and then by ship to the island Hiddensee.

From Zingst to the mainland there leads a turnable bridge, we pass the village Barth and then have to climb up a hill of 34 m. This is not high, I know, but you have a nice view from there to the northern peninsula of Zingst. The roads are alleys and you have the shadows of the trees but not from the wind. We trust to the rush in our ears, if it calms down may be we are on the wrong way. Rainer has a compass in his pocket but we will never use it.

As we reach Stralsund at first we see the outline of towers but must pass a big garbage dump first. Only the sea gulls like this place. But the road is covered by pieces of broken glass and you must take care not to get a puncture.

Stralsund

At Stralsund we find the market place with its famous city hall of brickstone. At the Ossenreyer Straße is a week market and we ask someone for the quay to Hiddensee. The ship will go at 12 o' clock so we can buy the tickets and have a sausage at the snack bar. The wind is strong today and we take on warmer clothes. As we leave off the skipper has serious problems to turn the ship against the wind. He must try it a second time and hereby crashes against the quay.

Stralsund from the sea

Rainer is interested in the sailing collegues at the sea. He shows a great disapproval if a vessel hangs too crookedly as this is not the optimal kind of sailing as he declares. Moreover he knows the complicated conditions of the offshore waters around here for the sea is very flat and the fairway is formed like the swallows tail. You can see the flat areas where the colour of the water becomes yellow.

At the geographic literature you can read that the areas Fischland, Darß, Zingst and finally Hiddensee would combine to one large peninsula if the excavators would not do their work. The sea does its work and carrys land from one place to the other.

Now Hiddensee is in front and you can see the villages (there are three). At the north of the island there are the hills Swantberg, 65 m, and Bakenberg with the lighthouse, 72 m. Everyone who has visited Hiddensee is enthiusiastic about the beauty of this island and now we will find out why this is so. The inhabitants call their island "seutes Länneken" which means "sweet little land". The most famous person who lived here was the poet Gerhart Hauptmann and from Thomas Mann to Albert Einstein they all have admired the landscape. The poet G.H. is buried here and today they prize his glory though at those days Hauptmann was somewhat arrogant to the islanders. But today the tourism is the main business - as to be read from the information paper.

A nice house for an accomodation

So as we enter the land we are rather critical at first. We look at the "Hotel am Meer" in Neuendorf  but they are booked up. So we try at the next house but only find a woman who is not responsible. The host is absent so we must go to another house. And there is Mrs. Mittelbach, we can have a room but shall not use too much water because otherwise the tank for the waste water will be full too soon. We promise to do our best and now can start for an inspection of the island.

There are no automobiles here except a fire guard, the doctor's car or the providing vans. So they need no garage, no drive ramps, no paved roads, no fences. The houses stand around like on a meadow and everyone can walk everywhere. We award the first plus bonus.

Broom and heather

On the bikes without the panniers we cycle north (headwind) towards the next village Vitte and pass the nature reserve Dünenheide. Now the yellow bloom flowers are in full height but if you come in the late summer you will find the red flowers of the heather plants. At a meadow we find a peculiar type of cattle and call it "Hiddenseecattle" though it may stem from Scotland and is the "Highlandcattle" or "Galloway" actually.

Vitte is a village along the street, there is a small harbour, an eel smokery, a windmill. We go on to the north to the third village Kloster. This is really hilly and we climb up for a while out of the village and guess where we end: at the garbage dump. So we use a small track and push the bikes. Soon we reach the top and stop at a fence. Wow - there is a view to Ruegen from Kap Arkona to the castle of Granitz. The colors blue, green, yellow, like painted in water colors. Behind the fence there is the abyss of the cliff line. Now you can lie down on the grass and be sure to be at one of the nicest places of Germany. 70 m below the dark blue sea twinkles in the sun. The steep shore of clay and sand is grown by the sallow thorn (Sanddorn). There is nothing more to be said and even the photographs cannot catch the atmosphere.

Cliffs

View to the east

The IslandView

We walk to the lighthouse and from the sallow thorn we hear a nightingale - it fluently gets kitschy (later they inform us that this was a sprosser and no nightingale). But the lighthouse is of ugly grey (they have restored it meanwhile). At the end of a group of pines we reach the "IslandView" up above of Kloster. Hiddensee is spread out to the south and if you don't find a place on a bench lie into the grass again. And have much time for it.

We are quite dazed as we start to return. For the way back we choose the promenade at the beach and have a proper tailwind now so we argue how pleasant the world could be...

At Neuendorf we have a look to the harbour and there are two private vessels at the pier. It is early in the afternoon, time enough to inspect the beach at the westside to the south until the lighthouse at that side. As we are hungry we stroll to the Hotel am Meer and Rainer looks for a telephone box. So it's up to me to look for the right place for there is no free table. So I join to a sun tanned couple somewhat older than we. At the first beer we start a conversation and at first I ask if they are the owner of one of those private vessels. This is true and so I am proud to have choosen the suited sailer people to Rainer. For the rest of the evening I cannot share much of the conversation however (as hunters, campers, anglers they have their own themes and language).

But one story must be told: our sailer friend is somewhat disabled at his left side. So he is forced to return to his ship before darkness because he must crawl on four legs over a row of supporting masts to get on board. As we imagine this situation the next morning we must pay respect for this.

Wednesday, 27.5. Hiddensee - Rügen - Kölpinsee at Usedom 160 km

Schaprode

The ship to Schaprode at Rügen leaves at 8 am. Without breakfast but sleepy we sit in the ship's restaurant which is closed yet so we cannot get a coffee. Half an hour later we arrive and rush to a snack bar for coffee and cake. Wonderful! We will have a shorter or longer stage today, it all depends if we find a ship for a short cut from Glewitzer Ort/Ruegen to Stahlbrode at the main land. No one can tell us something about this matter.

We cycle from Schaprode to Garz via Trent, Gingst and Samtens. This part of the island is less impressive than the eastern part with the big steep cliffs of chalk. Going south we have sidewind for a while. At Garz we ask some people for the ferry boat again and one of the answers is: "We cannot tell you what's running there, it's too far away". Another states: "The fishermen are without employment but a ferry boat is running". OK, this is what we want to hear.

So we head for Maltzien and Losentitz at the far south end of the island. The area is very lonesome here. At the last village we read at one house "FPG" and that means Fisher's Production Co-operative. Then after a long alley we end at the water, some 100 m ahead see the shore of the mainland only a stone's throw from here. One single boat lies at the pier but no ferry and no human beeing far and wide.

At the last house of the road there sits a family having coffee in their garden, the man wears a fisher's cap. Before we can ask them another couple arrives and insists in asking for an old aunt who once had lived here. We have to wait for a while until we can ask for a boat. Well, the fishermen usually arrive at noon, better to ask themselves, they are to be found at the house with the LPG-sign. We have to go back 4 km.

The "unemployed" fishermen

The "unemployed" fishermen stick in the fish up to their elbows. We ask for the chief and tell our story. "Well, so sorry, we are at work for the next two hours and then there is another date. At at another time perhaps?" "But I may take a photo" I answer and then we resign, so we have to go back and have a detour of 40 km crossing the dam to Stralsund. But we have tailwind and the road via Poseritz and Gustow is nice. We once buy a fried chicken from a rolling store and consume it near a waste container to dispose the bones properly.

The crossing of the Rügendamm is a highlight however though dangerous situations occur by the flying hooks of the numerous anglers. We enjoy the skyline of stralsund once more but then are swallowed by the dense traffic. But we can roll up a endless traffic jam until we reach the outline of the town. We are on the main road E251 with heavy traffic but some time later can evade to a side road, this is the former track of the road passing all the villages. But there is an awful rough pavement while the new road with its plane asphalt in wide curves winds along.

We decide to use the main road for the next 30 km up to Greifswald. So we roll monotonously - with a strong headwind of course. Some racing car-drivers honk at us and we wish them to share with us. As the necks are quite stiff at once we see the cathedral of Greifswald straight ahead as been built on the road. It's an optical effect for there are 5 km yet to this place. We finally end this most unpleasant part of our total tour. At the marketplace of Greifswald the weekly market takes place and around the next corner we enter a cafe to order two Spezi (mixture of Coke and limonade). We get two small glasses of 0.3 l and can only cry "Just another one" and our strength recovers.

Eldena

Now we slowly go on towards Wolgast, the entrance to the island Usedom. At the left side from time to time we have a view to the Greifswalder Bodden. But be alert, there will come a surprise yet. And there it is, the ruin of an old monastery named Eldena. This was a favourite motif for the famous artist painter Caspar David Friedrich. He draw this ruin here or surrounded by mountains anywhere else. So we take a photo.

I go on while Rainer is busy to pack his camera thoroughly. I have time to cycle at a low speed as a mountainbiker in a racer's outfit speeds along. Rainer is just behind and has offered a race to him.

The road we are cycling along leads to the disputed nuclear power plant Lubmin which is an inheritance from the DDR-affair. Now this was closed some time ago caused by the lack of security conditions but we imagine to pass the evacuate area in the case of a catastrophe. And the countryside is nice here around in spite of all those high voltage pylons. We enter a side road across the Ziesebruch and the villages seem to be sleepy though we once see a sign of a video cinema. Sometimes we have to push the bikes on sandy tracks.

Ziesebruch

Ziesebruch

Finally we reach the road to Wolgast and have to enter a cafe again. Another cyclist appears and according to his kind of walking we suppose that he has difficulties with his backside. We have 20 km more to go to reach our destination. Now I have to come out with the surprise we are going for. We want to visit our friends Anke and Achim at Kölpinsee but are not announced. You can imagine that we hammer along the main road of Usedom impatiently. More and more we reach known areas. We finally arrive at the Teufelsberg where our friends live, and there is a great Hello as they discover our appearance from out the balcony.

We find ourselves at the sitting room and talk about our tour. There are no tourist guests now so we can use the appartement. Anke gets our sweat clothes for the laundry and we have a shower bath. So we enjoy to be at home inbetween. After some more chats we go for the Hotel Ostsee to have our lunch for not to bother our hosts too much, for Anke has to support her husband and three sons.

Back home we have some cognacs together but soon fall off the chairs - tired.