Steady Pedals

I’ve enjoyed Berlin. The city is a fascinating mix of old and new, smart in places but also with a certain roughness around the edges. It’s also surprisingly green, with lakes and forest close by. All enthusiastically used by the nature loving population, although perhaps sitting butt naked in the park as one gentleman was, is a little too much for a Spring morning.

Also how can you not like a city where you get proper cold milk with your fresh leaf tea, crispy bacon at breakfast and a good supply of pastries at hand all day long. Not to mention, decent beer and tasty meat ( more veg and salads needed ! ) This morning though the hotel had gone the extra mile !

On closer inspection they were inviting you to have a 0% gin cocktail, but it’s the thought that counts.

I opted for an Uber to the airport, as there was an issue with the S Bahn which meant a rail replacement bus journey or I could take the train, but there was only 1 direct train per hr. German railways has long since lost it’s reputation for reliability and punctuality and is now probably one of the poorer rail companies in Europe, so decided Uber was the stress free option.

Fortunately the airport check in experience was very smooth, but it was an awful long way to the BA lounge down a long set of gates, away from the gate I needed.

I think the Germans built the airport with exercise in mind as to get to the gate I required going back to all the way to the middle of the terminal and then out again. I was reckoning on allowing sn extra 10-15 mins to get to the gate.

But I forgive the planners, as the lounge has special access direct to passport control and the gates I needed, it was literally less than 3 minutes from leaving lounge, clearing passport control and getting to gate !

Not quite on a par with the “million pound” doors that take you direct from security in LHR T5 into the “Concorde Lounge” ( only for those travelling first class) but I’ll settle for it.

So back to London it is, leaving behind a very sunny Berlin. Expecting grey skies on my return !