Jamie at the Berlin Wall Memorial
At the Reichstag - Germany Capital
At the Brandenberg Gate - an Anarchy rally was on the other side - yeah.....
First Class on the ICE Train - travelled at 250 kph - yep 150 mph.
Jamie doing Breast stroke
Rhythmnic Gynmastics competition
Museum to us:)))
Kim and Jamie at Castle Charlottenburg
Jamie at Checkpoint Charlie
10-13 Oct – We travelled to Berlin for a swim meet against the Berlin Bear-a-cudas. We rode the Intercity Train Express. It took 6 hours with a few stops but was well worth it. We travelled in first class so we had nice seats, a table and electricity for the laptop. Several families were on the train as well so it was fun. We arrived in Berlin and looked for a recommended restaurant but could not find it. We found a very nice pasta place and 3 families had a great meal. On Saturday we travelled by taxi to the swimming pool about 20 miles away. There were just 2 teams at the meet. The meet started at 0900. Jamie won 1st place in the 100 IM despite being 8 sec slower than her best time, 3rd place in 50 m breaststroke again just 2 sec slower than previously and finally 4th place in the 50M backstroke that she entered for the first time this year in 55sec. After the meet, we explored Berlin on our own. We attended the first two rounds of the Berlin Masters Rhythmic Gymnastics event. There were 16 girls from all over the world including Slovakia. It was really impressive to see the gymnasts do the floor exercise with the hoops and rope. There were about 1000 people there. We left at the intermission and travelled to the Berlin Wall memorial – one of two remaining places from the 95 miles of the wall that can be seen in the city. It was really interesting to see it. It was hard for Jamie to understand why the East German govt would put up the wall to keep people from going to freedom in West Germany. After that, we travelled to the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag – German capital. There was a large anarchy rally at the Brandenberg Gate when we exited the Metro station with police in riot gear everywhere so that was fun………….. We got some good pictures but not from the best side because of the idiots at the rally. We then walked over to the Reichstag. It was very pretty in the sunset light. The dome was closed for the month so we could not walk up the new glass dome and ramp. We then walked thru the Tiergarten – former hunting grounds - the new Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz. We had a great dinner inside of Jagerschnitzel (guess who ordered that), Pork roast and a plate of Spatzle, cheese and bacon – sort of like Halushky in Slovakia – guess who ordered that!! It was good but Babka’s was soooo much better. We took the metro back to the hotel and stopped at a Turkish restaurant for some Baklava and other desserts before returning to the hotel. We went to sleep watching the German-Russia soccer game that Germany won 2:1. On Sunday, we enjoyed breakfast then took the train to the site of Check Point Charlie – the only entrance to West berlin in the American Sector. It was really neat to see it but most is gone now – only a replica of the guard booth and sector signs. They are making a new museum. We also visited the site of the Gestapo (Nazi Secret Police) and saw a exhibit of how the Nazi’s came to power and some of the tactics they used to maintain power in the seized countries like Czechoslovakia and Hungary and their plan to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, sick, etc. Jamie had a lot of questions. Then we walked to the Geramaldi Museum to see some art work. Jamie got to see 8 original pieces by Albrecht Duehrer. You might remember him from our Nueremberg trip. We visited his house there. Then we walked to the Kaiser Wilheim Church that was bombed in WWII. It was not repaired and left as a memorial to the violence and destruction of war. I visited the same place in 1980 on my tour so it was really neat to be there again with Jamie. Then we travelled to see the Egyptian Museum that is not there anymore. Anway, we walked across the street to see the Charlottesburg Schloss (Castle). The inside was closed so we toured the gardens. We then we back to the hotel to rest. We walked around the neighborhood and found an Italian restaurant and got Pizza, Rigatini Alforno and baked lasagna. Monday morning we had the buffet breakfast at the hotel, packed and went to the train station for our train home. The train ride was first class again. It was a great trip – expensive – but fun and Jamie saw and learned a lot she will need later in school – hope she remembers!!!!!
Jamie at the Berlin Wall Memorial
At the Reichstag - Germany Capital
At the Brandenberg Gate - an Anarchy rally was on the other side - yeah.....
First Class on the ICE Train - travelled at 250 kph - yep 150 mph.
Jamie doing Breast stroke
Rhythmnic Gynmastics competition
Museum to us:)))
Kim and Jamie at Castle Charlottenburg
Jamie at Checkpoint Charlie
10-13 Oct – We travelled to Berlin for a swim meet against the Berlin Bear-a-cudas. We rode the Intercity Train Express. It took 6 hours with a few stops but was well worth it. We travelled in first class so we had nice seats, a table and electricity for the laptop. Several families were on the train as well so it was fun. We arrived in Berlin and looked for a recommended restaurant but could not find it. We found a very nice pasta place and 3 families had a great meal. On Saturday we travelled by taxi to the swimming pool about 20 miles away. There were just 2 teams at the meet. The meet started at 0900. Jamie won 1st place in the 100 IM despite being 8 sec slower than her best time, 3rd place in 50 m breaststroke again just 2 sec slower than previously and finally 4th place in the 50M backstroke that she entered for the first time this year in 55sec. After the meet, we explored Berlin on our own. We attended the first two rounds of the Berlin Masters Rhythmic Gymnastics event. There were 16 girls from all over the world including Slovakia. It was really impressive to see the gymnasts do the floor exercise with the hoops and rope. There were about 1000 people there. We left at the intermission and travelled to the Berlin Wall memorial – one of two remaining places from the 95 miles of the wall that can be seen in the city. It was really interesting to see it. It was hard for Jamie to understand why the East German govt would put up the wall to keep people from going to freedom in West Germany. After that, we travelled to the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag – German capital. There was a large anarchy rally at the Brandenberg Gate when we exited the Metro station with police in riot gear everywhere so that was fun………….. We got some good pictures but not from the best side because of the idiots at the rally. We then walked over to the Reichstag. It was very pretty in the sunset light. The dome was closed for the month so we could not walk up the new glass dome and ramp. We then walked thru the Tiergarten – former hunting grounds - the new Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz. We had a great dinner inside of Jagerschnitzel (guess who ordered that), Pork roast and a plate of Spatzle, cheese and bacon – sort of like Halushky in Slovakia – guess who ordered that!! It was good but Babka’s was soooo much better. We took the metro back to the hotel and stopped at a Turkish restaurant for some Baklava and other desserts before returning to the hotel. We went to sleep watching the German-Russia soccer game that Germany won 2:1. On Sunday, we enjoyed breakfast then took the train to the site of Check Point Charlie – the only entrance to West berlin in the American Sector. It was really neat to see it but most is gone now – only a replica of the guard booth and sector signs. They are making a new museum. We also visited the site of the Gestapo (Nazi Secret Police) and saw a exhibit of how the Nazi’s came to power and some of the tactics they used to maintain power in the seized countries like Czechoslovakia and Hungary and their plan to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, sick, etc. Jamie had a lot of questions. Then we walked to the Geramaldi Museum to see some art work. Jamie got to see 8 original pieces by Albrecht Duehrer. You might remember him from our Nueremberg trip. We visited his house there. Then we walked to the Kaiser Wilheim Church that was bombed in WWII. It was not repaired and left as a memorial to the violence and destruction of war. I visited the same place in 1980 on my tour so it was really neat to be there again with Jamie. Then we travelled to see the Egyptian Museum that is not there anymore. Anway, we walked across the street to see the Charlottesburg Schloss (Castle). The inside was closed so we toured the gardens. We then we back to the hotel to rest. We walked around the neighborhood and found an Italian restaurant and got Pizza, Rigatini Alforno and baked lasagna. Monday morning we had the buffet breakfast at the hotel, packed and went to the train station for our train home. The train ride was first class again. It was a great trip – expensive – but fun and Jamie saw and learned a lot she will need later in school – hope she remembers!!!!!
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