2018 Tour to Rügen via Berlin and Hannover

I start my trip in Hook of Holland after catching the ferry from Harwich. My first stop is Woerden just outside Utrecht. It is where I sort out my trailer and gear I’ve brought with me. I use a Reynolds steel hand built frame bike towing a Y Frame trailer carrying all my gear, I don’t use panniers at all. I tend to buy food everyday for evening meal but carry breakfast and coffee. From Woerden after a few days I made my way towards Hanover, then go north east to Schwerin. The route crosses the former GDR border which I find really interesting, as the area was left for so many years, has grown into a natural wildlife sanctuary. As you get to Schwerin you are in the lake district. On FaceBook I was getting fed up taking images of rivers and lakes I was camping next to. It is so lovely to wake up and open the tent onto a lake, the smell, sound and animals around in early morning when they consider it’s their time and not people.Then I finally get to Rügen which is an island in the Baltic sea or Ostsee. I went there as I wanted to see the holiday complex Hitler built for his gentry and officials which is built in the east coast of Prora. It was based on Butlins. It was left until recently as the walls were so thick and made of concrete it would cost too much and nearly impossible to bring it down. So someone took the initiative to convert the building to luxury flats and hotels. The site is enormous covering 5km while being 5 story high, over seeing the sea. I had the opportunity to have a look in side a flat being built. It had a sunken bath with gold taps and over the top fittings. With the number of flats and hotels I cant even imagine how much money it is going to create, and not know who it’s going to.
Going south you pass through the lake district, on the way is Waren with an amazing Muritzsee covering a vast area. Cycling along the lake just makes you feel good with the smells and views.From here I went south to go and see Berlin once again, I’ve been there so often and it’s one of my favourite cities. It’s still very hippie and cool, with lovely people. There is a campsite on the outskirts near Tegal airport, just by a river and low flying airplanes landing. It’s not that bad there doesn’t seem to be any late night or early morning flights. From here it’s only a short ride to the centre and there is a bus stop at the top of the road which takes you into the centre as well. In Berlin there are certain things that only happen here, for example a gay area part of the Tiergarten, so funny, another cool place is the Hüttenpalast (huettenpalast.de). It is an indoor campsite with caravans having their own space for hire, vegan restaurant. Makes you smile just knowing it exists.Berlin takes you towards Potsdam and Wannsee, here you start to see another unusual view. Caravans on pontoons floating and anchored, why buy a boat when you have a caravan, float it and live in it, with a small outboard motor.Now you can pick up the R1 route and head for the Harz Mountains. Hilly but ok, some are steeper than others but what you up goes down eventually. Wonderful views but last time I was there campsites had closed and one was being built. The hotels aren’t too expensive but on the outskirts of Goslar there are Bett and Bike places which are really cheap and brilliant (bettundbike.de)The R1 final takes you to Den Haag and then Hook of Holland.