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Diary: Mecklenburg Lake Distric, Germany Where? Well, look north of Berlin and you'll see the map of the old East Germany (or, as the locals call it more properly, the New German Federal State) is spattered with billions of lakes - well, a thousand, anyway. Yet the surrounding countryside is almost flat, making it ideal for cycling holidays, and the lakes are almost all connected by little channels and canals, making it possible to canoe huge trips without ever getting your feet dry. So we spent a week or so trundling round on our bikes and hiring a K2 canoe, and had a lovely few days spotting wildlife you don't get in England - storks, eagles, mosquitoes. Sheer bliss, wandering round this beautiful, tranquil, natural part of the world.
The highlight of our time here was definitely the Kompost Kloo - 'Compost Loo'. It's a wooden hut out in the middle of nowhere by a lake (which could describe pretty much anywhere in Mecklenburg). Instead of water, the toilet runs on wood shavings. After your contribution, you sprinkle them on top using the dustpan provided. The result is used as fertiliser. The local tomatoes taste wonderful by the way. |
This is all miles out of our way, but well worth it. This part of the country is quite unspoilt, despite the efforts of Russian soldiers stationed here in the old days to turn the lakes into oil dumping grounds. It's got new roads, though quite a few are still the old cobbled lanes which loosen all the nuts on your bike. Restaurants and bars are pretty cheap - 5DM for a pint of Pils, ten for a good main course.