Day 10: Reached Leipzig

After 381 km from Nuremberg and a total of 636 km from Unterföhring, I reach Leipzig. Second goal achieved!

After a hearty breakfast at the Mercure Hotel Gera, we set off. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to visit Gera, so I have to settle for a glimpse of the orangery. We drive along the Elster, well signposted, no discussion about the right way. The landscape becomes more open, fields of corn dominate the area. We pass Zeitz on the right, possibly a mistake. I know Zeitz as the 'ZZ Top' among car license plates. However, 'BLK' for Burgenlandkreis seems to dominate. But I have not seen any castles...

For the first time, a rest area offers a hydrant where I can get water. We start a conversation with an older couple who draw our attention to the flood in 2013. The Elster has also overflowed its banks, flooding the land up to 2 meters. Now the dikes, which remind us of the North Sea, make sense.

In Pegau, we once again have an ice coffee. A beautiful little town, where you can see half-timbered houses again, which had been absent for a long time. After that, the Elster was straightened for a stretch. We come to the Zwenkauer See, a legacy from mining times. Shortly afterwards, we reach the Cospudener See with Schloss Belantis, which turns out to be an amusement park. People seem to enjoy it... We find a bathing spot, and a couple with their grandchild touring the area explains it to us. The refreshment feels good, and we head for the last kilometers to Leipzig. Through extensive parklands with canoe rentals and water slides, my wife guides me to Augustusplatz. After that, I take command and lead us to the Penta-Hotel, where I held an election training last year and where I want to enjoy the atmosphere once again.