Saturday 4 August

Schildau to Lutherstadt Wittenburg

We were away by about ten o’clock after breakfast of cereal, bread and cheese, nutella etc. initially on small roads to Torgau where we rejoined the Elberadweg along paved cycle tracks often on top of dykes. We came across small villages where the original cobbled streets were being repaved, and we had to make our way round road works.

Mick and Liz had driven on to Lutherstadt Wittenburg to find a suitable hotel for us to spend Sunday there. We met up with them at Dommitzsch and had sandwiches by the river. A raft of huge logs sailed down stream and moored at a jetty. We then rode the final leg into Wittenburg along dedicated cycle tracks cutting across country between the river’s meanders.

Mick and Liz had booked us into (I think) the Acron Hotel just behind the railway station, a few minutes walk into the centre of the old city. As I am not sure, I have indicated a campsite on the opposite side of the river that we could have stayed at. As it was, we had two nights in the hotel and were able to do all our washing and enjoyed good breakfasts.

We walked into the centre and found a town festival in progress in the old square with a disco and numerous food stalls. e had a glass of wine and then attended an English language service at the Stadtkirche. We found a pleasant restaurant and enjoyed a good meal accompanied by a bat flying round.

Sunday 5 August

This was a planned rest day. Martin Luther is one of Cedric's heroes and he was keen to spend a day looking round. After a good hotel breakfast we walked into the centre and enjoyed a glass of wine and a berliner boulette in the square, where the food stalls were going strong. We went round the Sclosskirche, the Melanchthon House, and the Town Hall Exhibition. Unfortunately the Luther House was closed but we walked round the outside and photographed the statue of Katherina von Bora.

We enjoyed a meal in the square listening to live music and absorbing the atmosphere.