Day 15 of the Elbe Cycle Route

Some days we’re all about living in the moment, and some days we just want to get past the moment. Today was definitely the latter.

Wittenberge to Hitzacker, 50 miles

We woke up to pouring rain. We had our rain gear ready, but since the forecast promised clearing skies by noon, we decided on a late start. Our kind host let us linger in the café while we waited out the worst of it.

When we went to retrieve our bikes from the storage garage, Bob discovered a flat tire. Normally not a big deal, but his spare tube refused to hold air.

Luckily, a bike shop down the street came to the rescue, and before long we were back in business.

Wittenberge has a lot of blocky boring buildings, but they’ve livened them up with colorful artwork.

As promised, the skies cleared and we set off. The trail followed the old East/West German border for several miles, and we passed a couple of old lookout towers along the way.

The real challenge today was the punishing headwind. It made for a long, grinding ride, and we didn’t stop often for photos. Still, the scenery was beautiful—rolling farmland, tiny villages, and plenty of livestock grazing along the way.

We did make a couple of stops along the way to get out of the wind and grab sodas. This floating cafe was a fun place for a break.

We finally rolled into the storybook town of Hitzacker, where the red brick and timber-framed homes and barns looked straight out of a postcard. No photos tonight (we just weren’t in the mood), but I’ll try to capture a few in the morning.

Dinner was Greek—Bob had a fresh Greek salad and I went for a Bifteki, a spiced meat patty stuffed with feta. After a tough day on the trail, it was exactly what we needed.

Unfortunately, the forecast for our last few days looks like more of the same—wind, and probably rain to go with it.

Good night!