A Determined Finish (Friday)

Distance: 112.3 km
Time on the road: 6.5 hrs
Time total: 8.5 hrs
Calories: 3200



As the battery of my iPhone died the night before I decided to stick to my printed maps as long as possible and fall back to the track loaded onto my GPS device. Possible places for breaks were at Trebbin, Beelitz and Potsdam with possible drop-out points at Potsdam and Berlin Wannsee both having train connections to the city.
Had some peppers and eggs for breakfast and left the campsite as early as 8am aiming to be back home around 4/5pm. Though there was no rain during the night my tent was wet and I just didn't want to wait for it to dry in the sun and stuffed it into my backpack anyway.

I love being outside early in the morning seeing the world wake up. With the moisture still in the fields, waterdrops sliding down the plant's leafs and stems, the not yet warm rays of the sun occasionally breaking through the trees' lofty crowns as it rises higher and higher. It's a feeling of peaceful happiness taking in the rich scent of grass, trees and water with every deep breath. With a smile on your lips and tears welling in your eyes you not only feel embraced by mother nature, as your body dissolves and your mind stretches out you become part of it, feeling so tiny as your are just one of a myriad beings, each of equal importance from the mighty tree to the small ant - including you.

I was pulled back into my body quite roughly as my knees and my left Achilles tendon complained straight away the second I set sail, disrupting my peace with their loud voices. But I payed no heed to them and kept on going. We had a long way home ahead of us so they better shut up, haha.

Brandenburg in the morning

The plan to stick to the track Google maps had suggested failed straight away as I found myself 10 minutes later at a wooden path leading through a former millitary area that was now a nature reserve. "Enter at own risk" the sign said due to some munition and chemicals left in there. Errrrr... no.
The same track was loaded onto my GPS device but I used it instead to look for a way around the path and easily found one.
After feeling a bit stiff at first I was surprised how easy I was going again. Almost like yesterday didn't happen. But I was convinced that I would tire sooner so I wanted to reach Beelitz as soon as possible.

Around 10am I reached Trebbin and had a first short break eating the other half of my chicken and some more peppers sitting on a bench under a tree. I already felt that kind of flow you get into when you're hiking for several days were you just keep on going and going and going.

I followed the signs pointing me to Beelitz and turned off the GPS. This way it was far easier. Passed through a small village every now and then and was lucky for the fairly new cycle path next to the road.

Arrived in Beelitz - which is very famous for its aspargus - shortly before 12 and walked around for a bit before I settled into a small café and had a cappucino and a piece of very delicious swedish apple cake. With Beelitz being very close to one of the main roads - the B2 - leading in and out of Berlin traffic had increased severely all of a sudden. Gone was the solitude of quiet country roads.
Followed the B2 for a bit on another cycle path next to it before I veered east to Caputh which sits right at the lakes Schwielowsee and Templiner See. Followed the shoreline and entered Postdam with the sun now blazing relentlessly from the sky.
The city has been one big building site for decades with old 18th century architecture sticking out of it. It was no different today and with all the buzz and fuzz going on I just passed through as quickly as possible heading towards Berlin Wannsee. I was still unsure if I wanted to drop out and take the train there and wanted to decide just when I reached the station.
With a huge beer garden right next to it I spent my money for a large alcohol-free wheat beer instead and decided to cycle the remaining 20km. I just like to see things through. Followed the signs of the cycle route to the city centre leading me through parts of my hometown I've never seen before.
After another short break for a bowl of ice cream in Kreuzberg I finally arrived back home at 4:30pm.

Wow. What a fun tour that was! 230km and 6700 calories in two days! The weather was absolutely perfect and I felt satisfied knowing that I can do such a tour and even go a few days longer. My posterior hurt some and my knees but cycling to work the next day was very much okay. Only my Achilles tendon still hurts a lot when I cycle.
So I'll buy some more bags to get rid of my backpack and maybe I'll do some more cycling in the future.