Leaving Germany

Location: Nova Bystrice
Km on the clock: 998

The day started with a little disappointment. I just entered the small town Nauen and stopped at a supermarket to stock up for the day. I took off the handlebar bag and the little bicycle computer before I entered the store - as I always do. Apparently I pressed one computer button  for too long and accidentally reseted it. Shit! I'm such an idiot. I must have had already 625 kilometers on the clock by then - probably even a little bit more. While I was picnicking outside the store I thought: Does that mean I've to start over now? It still counts right? Oh well, seems like from now on I'll have to add those kilometers. :D

I arrived Berlin in the evening the same day. I bought a bottle of wine as a gift for my friend and former roommate Vivian who hosted me the next two nights. During dinner and wine we caught up about what happened in our lives over the past few years.

I spent the next day with some sightseeing. I felt good to be in the capital again since it has been a while that I've been here. There's just so much history around here so that you could stay here basically forever to explore it all. However, two days later I left Berlin and was excited to head in direction Czech Republic now and to see its capital Prague soon.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Jul 25, 2019 um 8:22 PDT

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I pedaled for three days through the southern part of Brandenburg and Saxony. One night I pitched my tent at the Inline-Skate-Bahn in Brandenburg. It provides broad cycling lanes and the tarmac of most parts is like new or is about to get renewed. It was great fun to ride around there. While I set up my tent I heard some noise in the bushes nearby - maybe 15 meters away from me. I walked towards it to take a closer look and discovered a big fat wild hog. It ran immediately away when it scented me. I thought: Oh great...at least this time I know what kind of animals are around me at nights and as long it won't try to get into my tent at night then everything is cool!

The two days in Dresden went by really quick. I stayed at a hostel in the Neustadt. Lots of other travelers from all over the world stood there as well. In the eventings we hung out together, chatted and a had a drink, whereas I used the days to explore the city. I visited all the places that I missed last year when I came here with a friend for a weekend trip.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Jul 25, 2019 um 8:42 PDT

I was excited but also nervous when I left Dresden. Today would be the day that I'd leave Germany and enter Czech Republic. I was excited about all the adventures that would lay ahead of me outside of my home country and nervous how I'd get along in a country where people don't speak my language and maybe not even English.

I pedaled alongside the river Elbe and could already see Czech Republic on the other side of it. I wondered if I was also already in Czech and if I simply missed the border signs. I stopped to ask two ladies biking the other direction - one in her twenties, one in her fifties - if this was already Czech Republic and if there would be some sort of sign at the border. The younger one answered with an American accent: "No, this is still Germany but Czech will come very soon. However, there's no sign which says that you're entering the country." I was a bit disappointed that there wouldn't be a sign to take a picture as proof that I made it accross Germany and that I'd enter the next country any moment. I kept cycling for a few more minutes until I reached the border. The  big stony sign stated Czech Republic. How can someone miss that? :D

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Jul 14, 2019 um 9:53 PDT

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