Day 34 Rostock to Gustrow... Hazel

Walking to the bikes in the morning must be quite a sight as we waddle along, bowing from the strain of carrying four pannier bags. Our Ortleib bags are excellant panniers, and completely waterproof. They are how ever a pain to carry. This morning our waddle is greeted by Alice's bike's flat rear tyre.
So pit stop time and we've not done any km yet!
Still at least we're inside (the four star hotel's underground parking) and fed. Breakfast the best spread we've seen; and finally the proper sausages that Alice has been craving. Not only sausages but raw sausgae meat to eat (a delicacy?) . It tasted like nicely seasoned sausage meat, so I'm not convinced by the blue serving.
Wheels rolling, quick stop to Tourist info to see where the bike shops are... It doesn't open till ten, nor does the bike shop we find! At least I have the oppertunity to buy some new pants. It is most tiring hanging your washing out to dry on your pannier rack awaiting a cycle breeze dry only for monsoon after monsoon.
At ten o'clock we discover the inner tube vending machine outside the bike shop... Tubes gathered, we roll back to tourist informaiton with quite a formidable middle aged German lady- certainly no little girl blonde swede. A smile was gifted when we accidentally thanked her in Swedish!
Finally we leave the city... attempt to leave the city, oh suburbs with your winding cycle paths and poor signange.
Now into the counry side. There are lot's of wind farms happily spinning away. We on the otherhand are slowing moving, forcing ourselves into the headwind . Scores of fellow cycle tourists whizz the other way with their tail wind. "Hej Hej" we cry not wanting them to see our envy. Actually they are not whzzing or enjoying a tail wind because they are cycling at touring pace- a steady 5mph on flat or descents. They walk up the hills.

We reach our first town. Coffee is called for. A Butchers sells coffee and meat but no cakes so is vetoed for Lidl. Now out of Scnadinavia (where everyone speaks English) we are forced to try our German. I sound quite welsh, which is odd as I don't sound welsh normally. But we sit down with three coffees and three cakes so it can't be that bad.
Alice has started muttering about germans. It would seem Fawlty towers and Dad's Army have served as post war propaganda indoctrination programme. Alice and I are behaving a little like Basil Fawlity and Coporal Jones respectively.
On and on, our hopes of a 100+km day diminsh as our slow progress continues. Plus we really need to do washing.
A little German lady is blown off her bike infront of us. We rush to help her, remarkably she is utterly unscathed. Alice trys to talk of the 'Luft' and how bad it is, she does not understand, but thanks us before cycling away.
Lunchtime (we are only 15km away- that's how slow our day has been: breaks every 15km!)
The last bit is next to a canal lovely flat and taramc. We race along sheltered from the wind overtaking the locals who look quite confused by speedy tourists!
We are staying tonight at a "Gasthaus". This is inbetween a hostel and a hotel. But seems to only incoporate the best bits of both: towels, linen, ensuite, bike garage, internet, laundry, kitchenette.
The only difficulty is that "z" is in a strange location on the keyboard. So Phil and Alice are a little slower with the blog catch up. As I only write my name once I'm not really affected.