Slowspin; A cycle tour around Europe.
May McEwan.
"In the morning," Iwona suggested, "We can go to the castle being built in the forest? For "castle' I assumed 'big house', but sure enough, deep in the forests of Kashubia, north west Poland, a real castle with turrets and spiral staircases is being built, privately, supposedly for a carpenter from Gdansk. That day is another piece in my jigsaw of memories from a cycle trip through Denmark, Sweden and Eastern Germany to Poland . . . and back.
Poland is not far. You can cycle there in three days if you make the most of Danish ferries. Even without cutting comers the distance isn't daunting if you think of it as lots of short cycle rides one after the other. As a starting point Denmark was excellent. It is a cycle-friendly country. I always felt safe, the countryside is beautiful and there are many picturesque, half-timbered villages.
Accommodation-wise, I tracked down a booklet called Naturlejrpladser I Denmark, which lists farms etc., which welcome walkers and cyclists. Although the text is in Danish, the addresses are clear. It is worth learning to recognise phrases like 'you must telephone in advance'. Naturlejrpladser are a Godsend for little campers who resent being hemmed in by caravans on official sites - and being charged over the odds for the experience.
Sweden is only 20 minutes from Denmark. Indeed, a bridge is being planned to link the two. Another bridge between two of Denmark's islands Fyn and Sjaelland is already under construction. I, however, took the ferry.
Sweden has access and camping rules based on Allemansratten ('every man's right'), a principle, which evolved when few roads existed and opportunities to take short cuts were particularly useful. Allemansratten allows people to enter and stay on private property providing they are a reasonable distance from dwellings and other basic courtesies are observed. So I could have camped anywhere, but preferred to tent near clusters of other campers.
In contrast to Esbjerg, Rostock in E. Germany is horrendous for cyclists. I'm not sure if it is possible to cycle inland from the port; all roads seemed to be for motorised vehicles only. I was given a lift until I was free of the built-up area and then headed north east towards Rugen. The campsites marked on maps are fairly reliable but you can't assume they exist. Conversely, there are many new, private sites (a field with portaloo perhaps) and we&B type places called privatzimmer. Northeast East Germany is quite a tourist comer and has superb white beaches along its Baltic coast. Beaches of firm sand are, I discovered, wonderful for cycling. The stretch I pedalled culminated - to my embarrassment - at the naturist section.
The German/Polish border crossing at Linken, west north west of Szczecin, is marked on my Hildebrand map as being for Bulgarians, Czechs and other East Europeans only, but I WAS welcomed anyway. The Polish part of my trip was spent travelling with a friend from Britain and I was glad I wasn't alone. I found Polish men lecherous - sorry to generalise - and there were endless frustrations in trying to find the accommodation shown in the Rough Guide. Accommodation tends to have closed, moved or become something completely different. Some towns (e.g. Szczecinek) have also renamed all their streets to pre-Communist names which makes finding places even more confusing.
I ferried back to Copenhagen, which is a truly charming city, and then headed south to the islands of Mon, Falster and Lolland. Mon is famous for its towering chalk cliffs backed by extensive beech woods. The best time to visit is in the morning when the early eastern sun dazzles the cliff face. The nearby naturlejrpladser is tranquillity itself. Next stops: Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. Luxembourg was another unexpected little gem. The country is tiny, one third of it is wooded, and the north is exhilarating roller coaster country.
Germany is memorable for her excellent long-distance cycle path network, for example over 80 miles beside the R. Weser south from Hamelin (the Pied Piper place), or those beside the Rhine and Mosel. Kent was looking superb when I came home and I wondered why I ever wanted to leave. But I did, and I do, and no doubt I '11 go again. At least I've realised you don't have to go half way round the world for some fascinating travelling.