Gaby Book 28  Balancing Trick by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2023 Madeline Bell

 
"We should go for a ride,” Tali suggested.

With more bodies, bags and bikes were soon in their allocated places.

"Some of us need to put them together,” I pointed out.
"Sometimes Bond,” she sighed, "Josh and Darren will do that, won’t you liebchen?”
"Eh?” Josh queried as he slid the second bike box over the threshold.
"Coffee?”
"Sure,” the big Toon agreed.
"Okay, you build the bikes and we’ll go fetch coffee.”
"Mines a latte,” Daz requested.
"Had again,” Josh sighed, "Make mine a mocha hen.”

"See, its simple when you know how,” Tali told us as the three of us descended to the street in search of a supply of caffeine.
"Its a bit sexist Tal,” de Vreen opined.
"Not a bit, its allocation of resources, they like doing mechanical stuff, we’re better at provisions.”
"She has a point,” I allowed.

There was a coffee shop a few doors down, they had a decent enough machine so we took a chance adding slices of custard tart to our order.

"How was the flight?”
"Okay, what about your train?”
"Train’s, the one into Hamburg was running late so we ended up not getting any food for the trip over. You get fed on the plane?”
"Nah,” Mand supplied, paid an arm and leg in the airport.”
"Best take the lads something when we go back,” I proposed.
"I guess,” Tali aceded.
"If we’re going for a ride maybe we can get dinner at the same time?” Mand mused.
"Works for me, looks like there’s plenty of places round here as a fall back,” I noted.
 

We were probably about half an hour before we returned to the City Pension bearing gifts of coffee and pastry. I know it would’ve taken me at least an hour to rebuild my bike but the guys had gotten three done in half that time, Daz was just topping up the tyres.

"I’m impressed.”
"Its not that difficult, wheels, pedals, bars, saddle,” Daz stated.
"Easier if you have a stand like,” Josh added.
"We got you buns,” Mand told them.
"Ah could eat a scabby horse,” the man from the Tyne suggested – such an eloquent turn of phrase.
"Mand suggested we get some food while we’re out,” I told our mechanics.
"Anywhere in mind for this ride?” Daz enquired, "I don’t really fancy riding round the city.”
"Me either, the chap on reception reckons its only about five or six K to Spandau, there’s some sort of bike track around the lake.”
"We don’t want to get lost Bond,” Josh cautioned.
"Can’t be that difficult to follow,” I blustered.
"We’d best crack on then,” Daz suggested, "Fifteen minutes?”
 

I know its rare but it was the lads who were last to arrive on the street.

"So which way?” Daz asked.
"Round the other side of the block, left at the top then we just go straight, he says there’s a bike path pretty much all the way.”
"We’ll take your word, Bond,” Tal stated.

And so we set off into the surprisingly light Berlin traffic.
 

The road was quite wide, the bike path a shared footpath space so we stayed on the main carriageway until we reached the ZOB / Messe junction where a proper segregated lane climbed the bit of hill towards the Olympiastadion. It wasn’t exactly a mountain and despite the slightly corrugated concrete, we made easy progress, the lads leading our little peloton away from the city. Things got a bit messy at the complicated junction at the top but once across the first bit it wasn’t too bad.

Reichstraße was actually quite pleasant, an almost straight, tree lined boulevard for around a kilometre with a little kick before it met another wide street, Spandau being signed to the left. Charlottenburger Chaussee was almost flat, almost rural and the bike path reverted to a narrow, uneven strip next to the footpath, with little traffic to worry about we rejoined the few vehicles on the actual road.

"How far along here?” Josh called back, the lads still riding point.
"Into Spandau, apparently its signed for Potsdam, the bike path goes off from that.”

Josh waved in acknowledgement as we started a slight drop into a more urban landscape of modernish apartment blocks and industrial parks. It wasn’t long before we hit the traffic of Spandau, we got split up at the Potsdam turn, the lads made the lights, Tal hesitated so we didn’t. The lights ran their sequence and after a short bit of traffic dodging we were out into countryside.

There seemed to be more traffic on this road but maybe that was due to the narrower road or perhaps the Friday afternoon effect.

"Thought this went around a lake,” Tal mentioned.
"That’s what he said,” I agreed.
"Left!” Daz called.

I can’t say I was sorry to leave the main road, the lane we turned onto, the signed bike route, was a typical country lane which dropped quite steeply for a bit before water appeared to our left and things levelled off.

"This is more like it,” Mand opined.
"Aye, almost buccolic like,” Josh agreed.
"Now we just need to find some food,” Tal added.
"I’m sure there’ll be somewhere.”
"Alright for you Bond, me an’ Josh haven’t eaten since frűhstűck.”
"I’ve got a bar,” I offered.
"I’ll last a bit further.”

It really was quite pleasant, the sun was playing on the water, the track winding between the waterfront and a string of bungalows and villas. Well for a couple of K, then, as the houses ended we passed some sort of boat club where we were directed onto a cinder path and into a thin woodland. It wasn’t great on road bikes, it was a bit dodgy where it was loose on a couple of turns but we soon emerged onto what was effectively a leisure based waterfont.

After only seeing the odd dog walker along the path, this was like arriving in a small holiday resort, gardens, boat trips, even crazy golf. I nearly ran into Josh when he suddenly anchored up.

"Hey!”
"Soz.”
"Food!” Tal exclaimed.
"That’s why ah stopped,” Josh stated as Daz, who had kept on, circled back to join us.

There were in fact two potential eateries, the quite posh looking Biergarten Kladow and across a side road, the less imposing Maisel’s Biergarten.

"Which one?” Mand asked.
"We can keep a better eye on the bikes over there,” I suggested, nodding towards Maisel’s.
"As long as they have food, I don’t care,” Tal stated.

We variously scooted / rode the few metres to our chosen eatery, which, as the name implied, was essentially a larger version of the Kabin’s seating area surrounded by a hedge. The bikes were soon parked and a bit of seat shuffling gave us a table for five close by our steeds.

"Looks like self service,” I suggested.

Of course, in Germany that’s doesn’t necessarily mean more than it not being table service.

"Proper meal now or snack and something back near the hotel?”
"Well I’m starved like,” Josh announced.
"I don’t really want to go out again when we get back,” Mand added.
"Fine, dinner it is, I’m paying, well Dad gave me money.”

The menu was quite traditional German, the usual fried and grilled stuff along with various soups and stuff like baked taters. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling super hungry so rather than the plates of carbs the others ordered, I went for bean salad and gulaschsuppe. Its not like I haven’t eaten today is it and I’ve not exactly burnt a load of calories so something lighter just appealed.

"Ah could get used to this like,” Josh espoused leaning back in his chair, glass of radler in hand.
"Comes with a price,” Mand noted.
"Aye, guess so.”
"Oo, Gab, you’ll have to tell them about Tuesday.”
"Tuesday?” Tal posed.
"Yeah,” Mand blundered on, "BlauHase have got a recording contract.”

At least she hadn’t mentioned the money.

"Might have,” I corrected.
"So that mean you’re giving up racing,” Daz asked.
"Be daft man, Bond was born on a bike,” Josh told him.
"Not quite,” that’d be just wrong, right?
"Ya know what I mean hen, take a slice through hur and it’ll say Campagnolo like a stick of rock.”
"Stick of rock?” Tal queried.
"Its like a boiled sweet you get at the seaside, usually has writing inside,” I girlsplained.
"You’ve not missed much,” Mand suggested.

"So when’s your dad back?” Tali asked as we tucked into our food.
"Well they’re back after the weekend but George is still out of action.”
"Where’s that leave us?” Daz asked with some concern in his voice.

I can understand that, he’s only just joined the squad so if things go bosoms up, any disruption will be quite a setback.

"I dunno, I’m sure they’ll sort something.”
"Aye, they won’t leave us in the lurch Darren man,” Josh stated.
 

The food wasn’t bad, nice healthy, as in big portions including my soup which arrived in a veritable tureen along with a brötchen. Maybe I didn’t need the salad too. There was a small but steady flow of customers, snippets of conversation suggested the area is popular for weekenders, no doubt coming out from Berlin to muck about on the water and so on. I could see the attraction and much like Josh, I could get used to just kicking back somewhere like this.

"We should probably make a move,” Tali proposed as we finished a caffeine infusion.
"What time is it?” Mand asked.
"Er, nearly seven,” Daz supplied.
"Shitza, it’ll be dark at eight!” I stated in mild panic, where did the time go.
"We’ll be fine,” Josh suggested, "And it won’t be proper dark till nearly nine anyhow.”
"Even so...”

The guy in reception said that you can ride all the way around the lake, down to Potsdam and back but given the time and a desire not to get lost on unfamiliar roads, we set off to retrace our outbound route. Simple yeah? The bit along the water back towards Spandau was okay, even the more main road wasn’t too bad, where it went wrong was in the town.

In a bid at a short cut, we followed a bike route sign for Berlin Mitte which went off before the town centre. It was a bit of a switchback through suburban streets but somewhere we must’ve missed a sign and after crossing the Havel, lost we were. There was an elderly woman walking an equally elderly Dachsund so I pulled up for directions.

"Abend, can you tell us the way to Charlottenburg please.”
"On your bicycles?”
"Er yeah,” I agreed, I mean duh, five of us on bikes.
She thought for a moment, "Go right here, then left onto Schwarzer Weg, all the way to the end…..”

It sounded a bit convoluted and to be honest I kind of tuned out after the third turn but it would get us closer, I’m sure.

"Okay, seems quite straightforward, we go right here.”
"Lead on,” Mand waved.

I’m sure the woman either missed a turn or I misheard as we found ourselves on a road that seemed to be going altogether the wrong direction. No doubt I compounded matters by taking us right when it looked like the road was going uphill into a housing estate.

"You sure this is the way Gabs?” Manda asked as we passed under a huge viaduct carrying a road over the turgid waters we were now following.
"Think so, might be worth asking if we see anyone.”
"We’re lost,” Tal stated.
"Not so much lost as alternatively positioned,” I proposed.
"Lost,” Daz confirmed.
"Maybe not,” Josh advised pointing at a sign for an upcoming junction.

‘Westend, Berlin’ was signed to the left while straight on headed for ‘Wannsee’. It was a no brainer, in another fifty metres we swung a left and leaving the lakeside road started a draggy climb through what seemed to be an extensive forest. Out from the tree cover a bit it wasn’t so dark and even if we bumped over a seam in the underlying concrete, the road was quite nice to ride on and plenty wide enough to ride two abreast.

A steeper ramp took us up to some housing and in a matter of metres we were riding alongside a fairly busy dual carriageway, the bike lane sharing the service road for the properties lining the road. Of course, the light really was fading now, by mutual consent the speed went up to nearly frantic. The road dipped towards what looked like a veritable wall of tarmac but it turned out to be just a long drag.

Over the crown, the twinkling lights of the TV mast some kilometres across the city confirmed we were headed in the right direction. On a hunch we followed a sign for the Funkturm which took us on a sweeping drop past the Messe and I recognised the next junction as the one for the ZOB.

"Looks like we’ll make it,” Mand panted as we rode the slalom of parked and queued cars into Charlottenburg.
"We should get our tickets for tomorrow,” Tali proposed as we slowed for some traffic lights.
"And check the times,” Daz put in.
"Right here then,” I suggested having spotted a sign for Charlottenburg Bahnhof.

Maybe we should’ve done the long way, the side streets were ‘surfaced’ with huge setts which were less than comfortable to ride over but at least it was only a couple of hundred metres to the station entrance and the ticket office which was, luckily, still open. We all clattered inside and I handed my bike off to Daz as we approached the window.

"Anyone remember the train time?” I asked, well I didn’t bring Dieter’s itinary out with me.
"I think it gets us there about eight?” Tali suggested.
I turned to the cashier, "We need five returns to Lűbben with bikes please.”
"For tonight?”
"Er no, tomorrow we need to get there about eight?”

She tapped away on the computer for what seemed like forever before her printer burst into life and proceeded to print a couple of A4 sheets.

"Okay, you need the LänderKarte Brandenburg, you can travel all over the state all day plus the cycle ticket.”

She handed me the top printout and I looked at the details, day ticket and bike thirty four euros.

"That each?”
"No,” she smiled, "That is for you all including the fahrrad.”
Well that’s a relief, "We can’t use our student cards can we?”
"Not for this sorry.”
"Okay, do we need to book the train?”
"Just turn up, the tickets are good until three on Sunday morning.”
"No rush to get back then,” Josh opined from behind me.
"So to get to Lűbben you need the RE7 on platform four, the six fifty four gets there at eight ten.”
"That’s what Dieter put on his sheet,” Tali chimed in.
"Twirly,” Mand groaned.
"Can I pay by card?”
"Sure, moment bitte.”
 
A couple of minutes later we were done, at least we wouldn’t have to muck about in the morning.

"We’d best get stuff for breakfast,” Josh proposed, "They don’t start until seven at the hotel.”
"You’re worse than Bond,” Mand told him.
"Well if you don’t want any…”
"Never said that,” she backtracked.
"There’s some sort of market over on the corner,” Daz noted.

Of course, it made no sense everyone getting their own so Tali and Mand were put in charge of supplies while the rest of us corralled the bikes back to and inside our accommodation. Easier said than done, we’d barely got them stowed and locked in the store room before the girls arrived brandishing bags of comestibles.

"That all for tomorrow?” I asked.
"Thought we’d double up in case we miss Sundays,” Tali stated.
Josh pulled her into a hug, ”great thinking hen.”
"Geroff you great lummox.”
"Aye, but you love me really.”
"Get a room,” Daz requested.
"We got some dessert for tonight too,” Manda interrupted.
"Shower and change first,” Tali ordered.
"Mu-um!” I mock complained.
 

And so we ended the day gathered in the patrons ‘lounge’, a wide bit of corridor with a couple of sofas, drinking bad coffee and demolishing several packets of cheapo bar cakes – happy days.

"Apart from getting lost,” Mand started as we were laid in our beds, outside Berlin seemed remarkably quiet.
"Not lost, alternatively directioned.”
"Whatever, apart from that it was a good ride tonight.”
"Yeah, not bad.”
"Hope tomorrow stays dry.”
"A hundred and fifty K in the wet wouldn’t be fun, at least its flat, we probably did more climbing tonight.”
"Hmm.”

And with that de Vreen was gone and I wasn’t long behind.

Maddy Bell © 15.06.2023