The Land of a Thousand Lakes or at least Two Hundred.

MICHLOW.

Made very welcome at the parkrun, I'm not sure they get many foreign visitors. Join in with tge warm-up, it's professionally led. Unfortunately, I'm exhausted beforevtge eace has even started. A number of landmark runs are applauded and then the crowd bursts into song. I've no idea what that is about. A two lap course through the woods mainly flat with some sandy parts. I begin to struggle on the second so latch on to a couple who drag me along. It transpires that the guy behind is doing the same and tells me so at the end.

Leave Poland almost immediately we leave the town. The German countryside is similar but the towns look better maintained. Stumble across a Lidl just before we join the motorway for the rest of the journey. There is also a roadside ATM which enables us to withdraw some euro.

Halfway through the journey we hit a long delay. Traffic is diverted off the motorway and through villages with 30 kph limits. One such has traffic policemen on guard to ensure no speeding.

Our destination is Petersdorf in the Mecklenburg Lake Plains. The guide book notes that the locals call this the land of a thousand lakes. A slight exaggeration but there are almost 200 in the Muritz National Park. Unfortunately, the hotel in Petersdorf has stopped taking in motorhomes. As we pull off, another motorhome arrives. Perhaps the hotel should reconsider?

The slip road to the motorway is closed so we follow the road and find a campersite by a lakeside harbour. Bizarrely, we can park next to the lake for 22 euro or just behind the boathouse for 12. We settle for the latter, we get all the same facilities. Walk around the lake into the town of Michlow, a pretty, thriving place basking in the late sunshine. We are still in the former East Germany, as the presence of a DDR museum testifies.

We return to the harbour to find the gate closed. Fortunately, a side gate is available. The clients on this site seem to be heavy smokers and drinkers. There are crates of beer beside each van. A number congregate by the boat house and barbeque meat, drinking until after 10 pm.