Monday 18 May. Cottbus

Even though my train wasn’t due until about 10.45, I was packed and ready by 9.00 so walked to the station at a very leisurely pace. When I got there I noticed a couple of taxis, so “What the heck!” thinks I, and I ask the driver to take me to the Baumkuchen factory. He said he wouldn’t wait for me there but that they would call him to pick me up.

He didn’t actually take me to the one I’d asked for but it didn’t matter. I went in to the little shop and asked about seeing the cakes being made. (The other factory does tours I believe.) Max, the lovely young man behind the counter said he’d check with his father even though they weren’t baking today. Dad said yes, so in no time I had a paper hair net and gown and he was taking me right through the whole place and telling me all about it.

After thanking Max so much for his kindness I thought I’d better buy a cake, so I got the smallest one they have and shoved it into the top of my backpack. Max had called my taxi and back he came to take me to the station. I still had tons of time waiting on the platform, which was quite pleasant as the weather has been almost warm today.

The first train, a fast intercity, took me to Berlin HBF (main station) and the second was a regional train so much slower and that took me to Cottbus. After failing to get my first Uber, I took a taxi to my accommodation which is quite a long way from the station, in the older part of the town.

Broken glass at the front door didn’t impress me and nor did 3 huge flights of stairs up to my apartment. Fortunately I bought a ham and cheese roll for later while was in Berlin, as I’m certainly not going down and up those stairs again tonight. Once at the door I spent ages trying to unlock it with no luck and contacted the owner to that effect. A few messages back and forth and just when the owner was about to come here and help I got it open. I was deadlocking and undeadlocking instead of just unlocking.

A cup of tea, a piece of Baumkuchen and a good WhatsApp chat to Smith and I was revived. My apartment is huge with a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room. The building must be really old as there’s a kachelofen (tiled stove) in the corner of the living room.