Peta and Ian's European Photo album
Assorted photos from Europe (well, mostly Berlin, okay)
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| Uplifting socialist fountains in old East Germany | Lakes near Berlin (ScharmÜtzelsee) |
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| A Swan on Scharmützelsee (near Füstenwalde and the Spree) | Central Massif, France (no bikes this time) |
Germany is heaven for bike riders, with good bicycle paths and a train sysytem that understands bikes. The countryside around Berlin had a large network of trains. After the fall of the Wall, it was relatively cheap and relatively easy to get deep into the countryside. It was also fairly unspoiled by German standards, and the roads discouraged lunatic drivers. Although beautiful. there wasn't much vareity in the countryside. You could choose from forests and lakes, forests and lakes or forests and rivers (with added lakes). It is also flat, flat, flat. (Ideal cycling really). These days, with the Berlin government trying to save money, rail fares have risen and services have been cut, so we are not sure what the touring situation is like now.
Cycling in France, now that's not as much fun, especilally with the Mistral blowing, and French trains are bicyle unfriendly. Also France has hills (well, so does Germany, but not around Berlin)
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