Day 10: Semlin - Berlin

We made it and it feels so great to have arrived.

A day of huge contrasts started with more quiet roads and villages in the cool of the morning. We eventually turned of the road onto a forest track composed of concrete slabs which had shifted and produced a big thump with every join.

It was only a stretch of 5-6k but we had to ride slowly due to the surface. In the middle it was very dense and, in places, dark. What about these wolves and boar that exist in German forests? What if we have a difficult mechanical? Is there even any signal? We survived unscathed and eventually emerged back onto rural roads.

The villages gradually started to look a bit more affluent approaching Berlin; then we traversed some satellite towns and finally quite an industrial area. At this point we were in fast roads with no adjacent cycle track and for the first time in the whole tour there were a couple of sketchy overtakes.

But sure enough, a cycle track soon appeared and we meandered through outer suburbs and eventually onto a long straight section that would take us for about 20k into the centre of Berlin. Endless intersections were tiring in the afternoon sun but soon enough we were cycling through the shade of Tiergarten…

It feels great to have arrived. A brilliant tour. A deeper insight into day to day Germany. A fascinating variety of accommodation and moments of connection and kindness to remember.

Absolutely staggered by the generally smooth roads, a brilliant cycle track network (though not our initial impression), stunning forest and unspoilt open spaces. It would have been great to have been able to take more time, but it’s a balance with accommodation costs.

Now to enjoy Berlin and the 100 Meilen Run.Read more