April 8th, 2016
I had a lovely afternoon in the Irish Embassy in Berlin chatting and drinking tea with Michael Collins. He is the Irish ambassador in Germany and also there was the deputy Ambassador Denise McQuade. Thank you both very much for a pleasant time!
April 8th, 2016...cont
Today I am having my first rest day in 998 km since I left Widnes (which is near Liverpool in England) This afternoon I am humbled to meet a very important person in Berlin, please tune back later to find out who!
Yesterday when I reached the Berlin city limits I walked the 1,000th kilometre of my world walk. A little later I was met for the last three hours of my 36km day by Benjamin Kniebe my friend and host in Berlin. Benjamin was also a great supporter of my world run and even drove out several hundred km to meet me near Cologne back in July 2014. This time Berlin is also my first major destination and a chance to take stock. Benjamin has also helped with some logistical enquiries and accepted a couple of important packages. Moscow 1,700 km away will more than likely be my next rest stop. Please don't forget to check my website from time to time www.myworldwalk.com
I would like to thank Paul and Marja Neufeglise Meier for sponsoring my second pair of walking shoes when I walked through Nortup a couple of weeks ago!
Total for 34 road days: 1,022 kilometres.
April 7th, 2016
The first two pictures say it all. The location of the West Berlin section of the Berlin walk just outside of Potsdam. Am just about at the 1,000 kilometre mark, so a nice place to celebrate!
April 6th, 2016
6th April's total: 986 kilometres for 33road days. I am having another good day today and expect my 1,000th kilometre of this world walk to be on Thursday just before I arrive in Berlin! At the moment I am two hours away from Potsdam.
Most of my days start off slowly. I usually make many stops for coffee or tea; and talking to people as I warm up to the road ahead. As the day progresses I pick up my pace. This usually means I finish late, often well after 8:30 in the dark. It is not really a problem now that I am walking on the safe bicycle paths in Europe with a pleasing climate, obviously that can't continue but for now I am enjoying it.
I was in Germany last October and on that occasion almost everyone spoke in glowing terms of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Now I am experiencing the opposite, almost everyone I ask let's rip with a mouthful of distaste, to put it mildly towards the Times Magazines 'Person of the Year.' It seems she is loosing out heavily in the popularity stakes over the migrant/refugee crisis. In most peoples eyes, she is to blame.
There were days and especially evenings when I walked through small towns and villages, one after the other, they were almost like ghost towns, it seems in small villages that people just go to bed early, or stay inside and watch television. Most bars are closed. I walked across most of Germany and rarely saw a roadside shop outside of large towns. Though it's my favourite country of the walk, it's still pretty frustrating. Sometimes I almost felt I was walking in a sparsely populated country for I encountered more places that were open in order to find refreshments in the Iranian desert on my world run two years ago! Here, most of my meals were in Turkish Kebab shops, thank God for the immigrants! I was so grateful as so many German establishments were closed.
April 4th 42km were walked and the next day 47. I started that day from a forest just before Fishebeck and finished in another forest, eight kilometres west of Brandenburg, a major city. Most nights I pitch my tent. Previously, I was always a lazy camper, now I have been won over. Pop-up tents have finally won me over! Within about seven (relaxed) minutes after selecting my spot for the night I have my tent pitched, sleeping bag in place on my insulation mat, pillow sorted and other essentials all in place. In addition I have Karma wrapped up for the night with an old tent fly sheet. It is essential I keep her covered, not just to keep her dry, but because she is highly reflective and I don't want to draw unwanted attention to myself.
On the way that morning I stopped in a small town called Wust. I was looking for a restaurant and was directed to a primary school canteen where I was told I could buy my lunch €2:20 for potatoes carrots and meatball. Two lovely ladies served me and I also got the same for a takeaway to eat when I finish! There were about fifty young children milling about with three teachers to supervise them. I was a bit surprised that despite all that we have been reading about the enormous influx of Syrians and others nationalities that all of these children seemed to me to be German born, at least there were no dark skinned children that I noticed. In fact, other than the omnipresent Turkish community, I have seen very few Muslims in my walk across Germany, except for small groups here and there.
So far today (Wednesday) have 37 km under my feet, I will walk for a bit more and that will leave me with less than 40 to Berlin. I met a friendly Korean cyclist called Kim who is on a three month long European cycle. As always a roadside chat ensues when meeting fellow travellers.
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