The ride out of Wittenberg was a bit of a surprise as we found ourselves riding through an industrial area with many abandoned buildings. The route wound its way in strange and circuitous ways - no point in following the Garmin or the maps. We simply followed the signs and found our way. To avoid wet unpaved paths, we stuck to the road for a while and made some time. The ferry crossing at Coswig was memorable for its historic value and also because it signified the beginning of our ride through the beautiful Unesco designated park area. The Coswig ferry, known as a reaction ferry went into service in 1864 and replaced the barge that used to make the crossing. The current here is very strong and the time to cross was reduced from 40 to 5 minutes. This ferry is still in use today. We stopped by the river for a picnic lunch and had to quickly escape to the safety of a tree to wait out a storm. A kayaker and some boats passed by and we marvelled at the speed they could attain paddling with the current. The ride continued atop the dike, a narrow path with steep sides. We only met a few riders and really enjoyed what we saw. In the middle of nowhere, we saw an ornate white building almost touching the trail. We later discovered that this was the Dianentempel - a dike maintenance building. This type of structure is a taste of what is to come. Later today, we will ride through castle gates, past statues and other ornate buidings. Finding such exotic touches in the midst of such magnificent nature gave us a special day. Since it is Saturday, and everything is closed tomorrow - we reluctantly went to a Kaufland's for some supplies. We just can't find any affection for this store as it is so big and not very friendly. We like the smaller Aldi, Penny, Lidl, etc. But we chose what was closest. A good ending to our day was finding the Kanu Club just north of Dessau. We were welcomed in by members, Lars and Tina, who showed us the amenities available to us and made us feel very welcome. We will be camping here and have full use of the historic clubhouse - and best of all, we have been invited to join them tonight to watch the semi-final Dutch/Brazil world cup game.
A goat house by the trail. We loved the double take look he gave us.
Jacqueline and Cyriel riding the Koga Miyata Twin Traveller from Holland - we love this sticker with their names and flag. Hmmmm....a Christmas gift for Barry?
Cyriel and Jacqueline are riding the R1 route from Berlin to Arnhem in Holland. Cyriel and Mary Ellen exchanged stories about the frequent jokes thrown their way as stokers...he/she's not pedalling!!
The statues flanking the trail made us feel like we are in a special place. Note the white building in the distance: it is the dyke maintenance building.
As we left Wittenberg, this couple rushed over to chat. They also ride a tandem and were interested in our bike and travels. We had a great chat with them.
The Coswig ferry - a nice crossing for us on this historic ferry with easy access points. We saw a picture from 1900 that looks identical to this scene. The same hotel, the same ferry - the only difference was the horse and carriage that was on the ferry at that time.
