(As a preface to this post… so sorry we went radio silence on the blog for more than two weeks! We had some technical difficulties as our webmaster switched hosting companies. But all is well now, and you can expect more regular updates again in the future!)
We made our way from Copenhagen to Berlin in just less than one week. We traveled along the scenic coast of southern Denmark, then hopped a 2-hour ferry across the Baltic Sea to Rostock, Germany. We have been mostly on back roads through the woods here, and to be honest, much of the scenery reminds us of home. We arrived in Berlin and spent two full days in this city so rich with history.
Our first day was full of typical errands, but included a visit to the BIGGEST bike shop we have ever seen in our lives! Germany produces some fantastic cycling gear, so we weren’t really surprised to find such a huge store. But we did end up spending a couple of hours in there, replacing some critical items that over the course of our journey have been damaged or begun to fall apart.
On day two, our amazing warmshowers host Britta took her day off from work to give us a personal tour of the city. What a treat! Here are some of the highlights:
The East Berlin TV Tower… a famous landmark in Berlin.
The plaza in front of Humboldt University… sight of the famous Nazi book burning in 1933.
Checkpoint Charlie… a must-see for American visitors to Berlin! The best-known crossing point into the American sector of Berlin during the Cold War. After our visit, we found out the Dave’s dad had crossed through Checkpoint Charlie in the 60s!
The Eastside Gallery… a portion of the Berlin wall that is still standing and was painted with murals after the Wall came down in 1989. At the 20-year anniversary of the wall coming down, many of the artists returned to the wall to “refresh” their paintings. It was really amazing!
Britta and me in front of the Reichstag–the German seat of government. We had so much fun with Britta… she was such a gracious and generous host!
This is really just a sampling of all the sights we saw! There’s no way to sum it all up in one blog post… Britta did such a great job of showing us around!
OK… not the best picture we got of the Brandenburg Gate. But as we left town, we felt we had to take a picture of actually riding through… something that would have been much different 30 years ago. (That’s Dave in the brightly colored jacket in the bottom left!)
4 comments
britta says:
Jul 24, 2012
it was a pleasure to host you guys, i enjoyed your stories and happy i could be a part in your trip :). all the best for the rest of your journey, many tailwinds, warm weather, no flats and most important: great people on your way!!
ps: it is ok “to take”. you can give back / pass it on when you are in the postion to be abble to give.. 🙂
Julie says:
Jul 24, 2012
Amazing! It is so hard to believe all that Nazi stuff. The kids and I just watched the Sound of Music and they were so suprised about all of it— just like me when I really think about it again. It’s almost unspeakably tragic. But, so glad we are on the other side of it. Enjoy your time!!
janet wadsworth says:
Aug 13, 2012
I enjoyed catching up on your wonderful adventures! I met Anna Johnson Pate at a summer bible study and she helped me find your postings. Glad all is goi ng well as you live your dream. Tom and I just got back from England. We spent 7 nights piloting our own narrow boat through locks and canals in England- launching from Worchester. That was stenuous enough for me. Later we drove to Bath ( great city- highly recommned). You are in my prayers. Love, Janet Wadsworth
Langley Granbery says:
Aug 26, 2012
We arrived in Berlin on July 28th and stayed for three nights! Amazing to see what has taken place since the Wall came down.
Lois and I were with Bob and Shirley, and they reminded us of your blog address. I had intended to start tracking with you earlier, but it hit the back burner.
Safe travels!
If you more time in London, check out the War Rooms. Great new interactive museum adjacent to the rooms. Of course, London is amazing with so much to see and do.