A popular song many years ago, perhaps it needs to be re-titled now ! Today was the start of a short trip plane assisted trip to Berlin, to kick off the cycle touring season.
With the Brompton packed away in it’s own bespoke suitcase and another case with enough clothes to keep me going for weeks, I headed off to Heathrow for the short flight to Berlin. The effort of carrying nearly 45kg of luggage ( or at least watching it being loaded and unloaded into the taxi) left needing a second breakfast. BA lounge to the rescue, I was suitably fortified to make the long walk to the plane.
Realising that my reserves were getting low, I also tucked into a light lunch on the plane. Having done lots of research, I was trusting myself to public transport in Berlin for the transfer from Brandenburg airport to the hotel. The BVG app (Berliner Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft (Berlin Transportation Stock Company), reliably informed me there was full step free access, so off I went. I’d pre purchased a 6 day transport ticket, so no worries on that front. I knew my train left from platform 2 and I knew the train number. Brandenburg airport is fairly new, so it was a breeze finding my way along almost deserted walkways towards the train. I passed the lifts for platform 7,8 and then 5,6 and 3,4. Eventually tucked in the corner was the lift for 1&2. It might be more accurate to say lift shaft, for the lift itself never appeared from the darkness of the shaft. A passenger next to me mumbled something about “Bloody Germans” and walked off. After a while there was nothing to do, but try to use the escalators. I really don’t recommend this with 2 20kg plus bags, both on wheels with a mind of their own, but I survived down to a mezzanine level. Here there were no more lifts functioning or not. Just a flight of three stairs down to the platform. Suddenly paying €60 for a taxi transfer didn’t seem such a bad deal after all.
After much huffing and puffing I made it to the train, which ran late and was packed to the gunnels. It also didn’t show as stopping at my stop, but fortunately it did. Berlin is truly bust !
When your hotel says it is within a stones throw of the station, you normally take it with a pinch of salt in this case, it was ! I have memories of walking through this station in 1989 with $10,000 stuffed down my trousers, but that’s a story for another day !
Once unpacked, I ventured out for a quick ride to get the mandatory Berlin shots for the archives.
Then it was on to dinner, I’d hoped for a traditional German pub near the hotel, but they had no tables, so I settled on a nearby Italian.
German beer and the biggest pizza I have ever eaten (yes I did finish it). Now to plan for tomorrow.
Steady Pedals 
have fun and stay safe.