From contradictory Weimar, home to Germany’s greatest writer Goethe, this wonderful country’s doomed effort at post-WWI parliamentary democracy, and, yes, the horror of Buchenwald concentration camp, the briefest of posts (wordcount-wise) with pictures to capture Daisy’s progress through week seven of our three-month journey.

First, a map to summarise the last few days from Berlin – winding towards, over and round the Harz mountains, retracing the route of our first-ever longer tandem adventure in 1978.

The red line top left and right was to Berlin, the thin blue one onwards through Magdeburg to Erfurt and now Weimar.

News, very big news, clearly continues to happen out there in other realities – Johnson resigning (what a truly dreadful man), Trump indicted (same again), oceans heating dramatically (scarcely covered in mainstream news – too dangerous to accept that it’s actually already all over for us as a civilisation), Ukraine on the offensive (wishing them well and Putin not so much)….

Our microuniverse had us on heavily-laden Daisy climbing the 300 metres to Buchenwald and intensely grateful for our Pendix e-power, though burning through almost half of one whole battery’s power in less than an hour to deal with at times 14% gradients.

From here, just photos, with captions, summarising we hope Daisy’s latest excitements.

Kelbra campsite
The beautiful view over Kelbra reservoir, no longer swimmable with shoreline laden with solid blue-green algae
This is our new global reality. Heavy-duty Algae taking advantage of warming temperatures and fertiliser runoff.
The consequence of a brand-new chain cleaner, top not fixed, emptying itself into our trailer bag.
Our boxing system
Clever use of drone tech to drive a heavy-duty mower keeping Germany’s brilliant network of bike lanes clear of triffids.
Erfurt campsite, clean water and despite swimming ban (campsite owner says he can’t stop us falling in by mistake), lovely morning dip.
Overnight charging from campsite power. Kept dry just in case of rain.
Vegan cake in Erfurt. Delicious, but pricey.
Exquisite choirstall carvings in Erfurt’s Catholic Cathedral (where Luther was ordained)
Schloss Gebesee, where Jutta’s dad was at school in the 20s.
Old stately home at Gebesee now quietly falling apart
But being well-used to house seasonal workers from Romania (ethnic Hungarians with whom good to practise Duolingo-driven skills for real), Ukrainian refugees and these gypsy kids.
The symbolism of Weimar so close to Buchenwald. A metaphor for not just the German but the human condition.
Buchenwald watchtower.
The irony of Buchenwald’s welcome – To Each His Due, in Bauhaus-informed script
The especially efficient crematorium ovens in Buchenwald, where the local Erfurt firm of Topf & Sons first tested technology later installed at the Nazis’ extermination camps further east.
East Germany’s ideologically-driven 1955 memorial to Buchenwald, claiming its liberation (by American troops) for the communist resistance.