Thursday 19th August 2004 Lindow to Altruppin.

15.4° C Sunny spells, lots of dark clouds. A strong southwest wind picked up mid-morning.

Black kite - Wikimedia photo by BbIX MbIXMAHH

We left at 7.10 a.m. hovering in the basin while Bill got Rosy untied as he was going first and picking the evening’s mooring place. Back through the lake to Lindow, under the brick arched railway bridge and out into the Gudelacksee. Rosy was circling the bay in front of Lindow checking out the mooring possibilities. A black kite went past, gliding across the lake on outstretched wings following the breeze. We ran back across the lake taking the northern route and entered the river Rhin, (pronounced rin to rhyme with tin), and crossed the northern end of the Mollense

THIS is a horsefly (cleg) - Wikimedia photo by Jim Conrad

again. There were lots of little boats still tucked into the gaps in the reeds all along the edges of the lakes. Back into the Rhin again. A lady from a riverside caravan took a flash ‘photo and very bashfully said hello as we went past. The woods here have a distinctive smell, like old damp leather. Turned into the Zermüttzelsee heading south. At 10 a.m. I made some tea and while I was making it I put some part baked bread buns (schrippen) in the oven to cook for Mike’s lunch. Heading south on the Tetzensee the wind picked up. There were lots of people sitting out at the holiday chalets, sheltered under the

Altruppin lock - my photo from 2013

trees, all along the lake at Molchow. We met our first boat of the day as a cruiser came upriver at the bridge at Molchow. Several cruisers came up the lock at Altruppin and then we went down with a tiny cruiser called Starfly. Chatted to the lady keeper. She asked where we were going and I told her we were off to Fehrbellin next. She said there were lots of biting insects there, “Bremsen?” (horseflies or cleggs) I asked and she said yes. Her little schnauzer dog was making friends with the people on the cruiser, but when she came over to visit Bill Fanny went wild, she wanted to jump off and beat her up! A cruiser was waiting below to go

Old bridge nr Lindow - my photo from 2013

up the lock. The cruiser we’d locked with overtook us - the lady of the boat filming our funny boats as they went past. Past the backs of the old houses in Altruppin, lots of them with really splendid gardens. The Springer narrowboat, which was for sale, was called Belinda from Bad Essen. Under the road bridge, following Rosy. A trip boat went past coming from the lake, it was heading for the lock. We all watched to see if the steerer had to duck to get under the road bridge (he didn’t!). Beyond the road bridge on the right hand side there was a nice grassy bank with tree-stump piled bank edging. It looked like it had been much used by canoeists, so we winded and tied up. It was only 11.30 a.m. but it looked a much better mooring than the quay wall by the building site

A typical German getrankemarkt - Wikimedia photo

in Neuruppin, besides the wind had picked up and the mooring in Neuruppin would have been a bit sploshy. A second big trip boat went past, followed by another cruiser and then a large cruiser converted into a trip boat (its steerer even had the uniform - white shirt with epaulettes) with several old dears sitting out on the large stern deck. The latter must have winded below the lock, because it came past again very shortly afterwards with a cameraman on the stern deck - filming those peculiar boats again! I’d spotted a large black and yellow spider by our stern, a female Argiope, quite common but still spectacular to look at, its web was in the low vegetation along the lake edge.

AND THIS is the other type of horsefly that plagues canals
in Europe (& UK at times) - Wikimedia photo by BJ Schoenmaker

Whilst mooring, Bill had managed to put his foot down a hole in the bank that the thick grass had been disguising - he got his jeans wet and muddy as far as his knee! Made lunch. Mike looked through our old log to see where we went in ‘99, then at 1.30 p.m. he went for a nap. I also had a sprawl out on the side bed as it was hot and sticky again and dozed off too in the heat. At 2.30 p.m. Mike went for a walk into Altruppin looking for an Internet café. He should be so lucky! He found two physios, a large drinks emporium (like wine warehouses in GB, but here in Germany they sell all sorts of beer and soft drinks) a bakery and an Aldi. The road bridge nearest the boat was under reconstruction, so pedestrians weren’t permitted - only cars - so he had to walk back towards the lock to cross the river and the Aldi was almost right opposite the boat. Foolishly, he hadn’t taken any money, otherwise he could have bought some fresh bread, but he said it was too far to walk all the way to the other road bridge to go back to the Aldi, then all the way back again, just for a loaf. I sweltered cooking fish and chips for dinner.