or even a few minutes can make!

Yep, when i got back from my breakfast walk on Sunday it was to be greeted by news of another German strike affecting transport, and quite specifically, my flight home on Monday. This time it was airport security staff whose action was closing the airport on Monday, and things were going so well. I won't bore you with the detail but a few minutes of angst later i had an alternative journey home albeit with a plane change at Paris CdG, arranged and effectibely an extra day in Berlin. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, there was the rest of Sunday first.

My ride on Sunday was to be a steady jobbie, ostensibly to look for Storks, i'd already seen some but i wanted a few pics for my Dad who likes this stuff. Of course 'short ride' ended up over 80km, its easy to get carried away when there are no hills and the riding is so enjoyable, respective drivers, and few of them, well surfaced roads etc,etc. Yep i saw and photographed a few storks as well as other wildlife, a roe buck, fox, various raptors, the sound of woodpeckers and so on, i am a bit jealous of those who get to do this all the time.

I got back to my digs, cooked myself Sonntag soup, packed my case and relaxed with some video therapy.

I started Monday as i'd always intended, train back to Berlin to drop off the bike and then - well i should've been going direct to the airport for my half two flight but instead i headed into Berlin Mitte. I put my case in a locker and started to make use od this 'bonus' time at my disposal. By eight pm i was shopped, walked and mentally worn out. My new flight was quite early, there hadn't seemed much point in paying for a bed for just a couple of hours so i bench surfed in the railway station with a book and the trains for entertainment until midnight when i decided to relocate to the airport - i'd warm up on the train and i'd be free of later transport disruption if it happened. And so i spent four hours dozing in the check in hall of Terminal 1 along with a number od other displaced travellers - it was warm, dry, free of drafts, free toilets and where i needed to be to get home, just not the end of the trip i'd've liked.

So yesterday was a series of queues and waiting, check bag, queue, wait, head to gate, sit on plane, fly, decant, collect bag, wait and repeat. It was a little before five when i completed the cycle in Bristol, two hours more before i turned the key in the lock, home at last, 22 hours late! So that was that, 9 days, 650km cycled, 50km walked, 2 currywurst, 3 aircraft and one golden gurke!

Of course, today i've been a) sleeping, b) doing the laundry and c) well i'be not had energy for much else! I will go for a walk shortly but after the balmy weather in Germany (30c on Saturday afternoon) its back to single figures here in Brizzle.

Oh, i haven't forgotten, i promised you some trip pictures so here are a few tidbits for your enjoyment.

There you go - if you want to know more about any locations/subjects drop me a pm using the link below.

I should get back to some sort of normal by the weekend and my postings here etc should be normalised too - new Gaby chapter on Sunday!

Tschussie,
Madeline Anafrid

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Dead Tree

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