Berlin
The pictures are:
On the train to Berlin
The Brandenburg Gate
We went to the top of this church
Pedal Cab
2 of 4 boats that escorted us out of the harbor
After 5 hours sleep, we got up and were on the train to Berlin at 7:15am and arrived in Berlin at 10:30am. While the Eurostar train to Paris was first class plus, this train was out of an old movie. An isle down the side of the car with compartments for 6 the entire length of the car. If we would have wanted to, we could have shut the door, pulled the curtains and gone to sleep as there were bunks
for all 6 of us.In our compartment there were 4 others from St. Louis. Barb had met one of the ladies on Sunday when she had complimented Barb on her scarf. After a while on the train, this lady noticed my Bloomington Gold jacket and said she had been to the show last year. We explained to her what we did. On the train back, she said that she remembered Barb at the show because she had asked her directions at the show when she was in the food court and saw Barb cleaning off tables. What a small world.
We arrived in Berlin and showed the 4 from St. Louis how to get around on the subway by going with us to the Brandenburg Gate – what a sight when we saw it for the first time. Barb and I then joined a small group walking tour of the main city fo
r the next 3 ½ hours. We spent most of the time in the former East Germany side, including seeing the small portion of the Berlin Wall still standing and Checkpoint Charlie. It is so hard to imagine what the life might have been like either in the war or after in East Berlin.After the tour we went to the Berlin Dome which is the largest church in Berlin and walked up the 276 steps to the very top of the dome and saw the city from an outside viewing area – wow.
Then we took a ½ hour pedal cab ride back to the Brandenburg gate area to walk around. Then just before we left, I had a great bratwurst – wow was it good. Interesting enough, our train back was to leave from a different station, so we had to take the tube there and get on
the train back to the port and we were on the ship be 9:30pm.The ship had a local German band playing on the pool deck when we got here; we listened a little and then watched the local fireworks, celebrating 4 cruise ships in port.
We are now sitting out on our deck at 11:00pm and the German band has moved to the pier to play while we start to leave. There are a lot of people from the small port down of Warnemunde, where we are, standing on the dock to see us leave – it is quite a sight.
Tomorrow is a day at sea so we will have a chance to relax and then it is on to formal night tomorrow.
Night for now.
