Cycling Copenhagen to Berlin: Day 5 - Loop ride through the Holsteinische Schweiz

Another beautiful weather day! Couldn't be nicer. We are two nights in this place. It's always nice not to have to pack up our stuff and move on. We will do a loop ride today, short or long, or you don't have to ride at all. Unfortunately, Kathy is sick and will stay in bed today. Fortunate that we are staying in the same place and fortunate that we have a doctor on the trip (Billy) who brought some antibiotics with him.

Dave and I choose to do the short ride (45km) so we can get back and have time to explore the town and perhaps go to the flower show. We pedal through the ever changing landscape of the Young Drift moraines formed during the last ice age. Small woods alternate with hedged, arable fields and many lakes are nestled among the low hills. It is about as hilly as yesterday so I am glad to have the e-bike. It is a beautiful ride! We pass through several towns with neatly kept brick homes with beautiful flower gardens. We stop for coffee in Plön. Linda B shares a huge Danish with me. Yum! Several people are doing the long route and when we reach the town of Malente we don't see anyone else eating lunch so Dave and I have a delicious bowl of fish soup at a restaurant right on the Dieksee in front of us. Our leader Jessica joins us. She is from Basel, Switzerland, a German speaking part of that country. She is friendly and competent and loves working for Experience Plus! This is her first season with the company. Her boyfriend is also leading tours and the two of them will do the Danube tour after ours. She says this is the best job she has ever had. It is 10 km back to the hotel after lunch. We run into Don and Jane and ride back with them.

After a rest, we meet up with Kathy and John and go to the flower show. Kathy is feeling not great but better. The flower show, called 2016 Landes Garten Schau is a big thing. It takes place in a different city each year and runs from May to October. It spreads over a wide area right on the lake. There are many places to eat, playgrounds for children and displays of different kinds of gardens.

We meet for our briefing at 5:30 and walk to dinner together at a castle near the garden show. It is a lovely place and we have a delicious meal. I am enjoying the earlier dinner times! It has been a very nice day. Not only have I biked 45 km but my step counter tells me I have walked 14,000 steps, or 5.5 miles. I am ready for a good sleep.