I slept really well and was woken by an announcement in Dutch over the ships loud speakers… luckily the message was repeated in English and it turns out I have a little over an hour before we docked in Holland. My cabin was right a the front of the ship facing forward so when I opened the blinds I could see the dutch coast on the horizon.
After possibly the biggest breakfast in the history of breakfasts I returned to my cabin to pack my gear. When I’m travelling through unfamiliar territory I always make the most of breakfast, I guess subconsciously I’m insuring against not finding time or a place for food later in the day… it would make a lot of sense if I were travelling deep in the African bush but across Northern Europe I’m pretty sure I’m be passing eateries every few miles but that didn’t stop me!
Arriving in Holland was so exciting. Deckhands helped my unlash my motorcycle from the deck and I snaked to the opposite end of the ship to where the crew were getting ready to open the door. One of the many bonuses of riding a motorcycle is that you generally get to the front of queues and easily navigate around obstacles that would bring other traffic to a standstill. First off I made straight for the exit and passport control. It was early morning and the official I handed my passport to was not in his happy place, I suspect he wanted to be tucked up in bed or out on the town but his security cabin was not doing it for him this fine morning. I’ve never been asked to remove my motorcycle helmet at a border crossing, I guess the eyes are enough for the passport guards to make the connection between my passport and me.
And so began my European adventure. I had to frequently remind myself that I was riding on the other side of the road. There were very few cars on the road at that time of the morning and I was riding along rural roads with few reminders of which side I should be on. But after a 10 or so Kilometers I reckon I had reprogrammed my brain and settled into the ride to Berlin.
My first stop was Arnhem, the scene of a famous Second World War military engagement where allied forces (British and Polish airborne troops) tried unscessfully to capture the bridge that spans the Lower Rhine as part of Operation Market Garden between the 17th and 26th of September 1944. The allies faced superior forces and had no knowledge of the presence of two SS Panzer divisions, they were overwhelmed and captured after 10 days of fighting. The battle is the subject of the movie “A Bridge Too Far” which was one of my favourites as a kid, it was quite an experience to see the bridge and it’s surroundings for real.
Leaving Arnhem I headed east towards the German border. Crossing the border was uneventful but once I entered Germany the speed limit signs disappeared and it was down to the individual to decide how fast they drive… this would never work in Ireland!! The Germans follow rules and occasionally when a speed limit was imposed everyone slowed to obey the law and took off again when the limit was removed. Consequently I didn’t see a single police car until I entered Berlin, there didn’t seem to be any point in wasting time checking speed when everyone follows the rules!
I approached Berlin from the South West but didn’t actually enter the city. My hotel was beside the Berlin Schönefeld Airport and as I drew closer I seemed to be driving on increasingly rural roads, it was one of those moments when you start to doubt your GPS but after several miles of tree lines, tractor crossing, cow pooed, winding country roads the sight of a low flying jet with its landing gear down was a welcome sight.
I loved everything so far about Germany. It was getting late by the time I checked in and once unpacked and the bike was secured for the night I showered and headed to the bar for dinner and some genuine German Weissbier. Tomorrow I’ll take a train to the center of Berlin. I had plans to visit Berlin early  in 1990 but shelved them for a reason long forgotten, it turned out that the Berlin wall came down the very weekend I had planned on visiting… timing eh? I wonder if any of it is still standing.