Last of our European Trip

This is the last post about our June trip to the Czech Republic and cities in what used to be East Germany.  We are grateful for the time spent with our grandchildren in Prague and for learning so much about living in both Czech and Germany now and in earlier times, especially during the time when they were part of the USSR.   In Germany, we enjoyed the comforts of our Viking River Boats (even though we didn't spend much time actually boating).   

On our last full day in Wittenberg, we spent a morning at the Garden Kingdom of Worlitz .

Garden Kingdom of Worlitz, Wittenberg 

After a trip to England during the "Age of Enlightenment" (18th Century) Prince Leopold began construction of his Garden Kingdom.  He brought the concept of the formal English Garden to Continental Europe.   Today the Gardens include  Gondola rides on the River that winds through the park and  18th-century castle-like buildings to visit.  This World Heritage Site is a beautiful park and a lovely place for a quiet walk and it does have historical significance, but in some ways it felt like "just another tourist attraction" because it didn't seem to really teach us much about the country we were actually visiting.    

 

 

Every time our tour bus left  the ship while we were docked in Wittenberg, we passed this apartment building on a nearby corner.  And every single time this sweet lady would be leaning out of her window and waving to us.  Sometimes  her husband (I assume) would be at the other window.  Our bus driver/tour guide said that she  always came to her window when the tour buses passed.  He said  she had lived in the same apartment for almost half a century.    I finally remembered to have my camera ready for her on our last day.  

So she's really saying goodbye to us in this picture, because it was on the day we left Wittenberg and the Viking ship for good.   

 

 

Our tour included two nights in Berlin.  (This hotel stay was a planned part of the Viking tour and was not due to low water levels.)  So the above picture was the view from our Viking Bus as we reached the City Center near the very modern and well-run hotel where we would stay.

 

Brandenburg Gate

We like to visit really big metropolitan cities occasionally.  We lived in London for three months once … we loved Prague earlier on this same trip …but oh my gosh Berlin was so huge and so crowded.   

 

Historical Museum

Of course, a day and a half isn't long enough to get to know anyplace, especially a huge city.  But we did get an overview and saw things we had never thought we'd see in person. 
 

Because of the crowds, it was actually impossible to get pictures of some of what we did see or even to get close to some things.    (There were massive crushes of people around Checkpoint Charlie for example).

 

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial and Church

We had a bit of an overview from our Viking tour guide as we arrived and then we walked around the Hotel neighborhood  after settling in.  The next day we took a Hop On-Hop Off tour on our own.  Those tours are great as overviews when you are short on time (and on energy by this time on our trip.)  

 

So this Berlin post is pretty much just an Instagram-type photo rollout.  I don't like Instagram nearly as well as blogging, because there's usually no story with the travel pictures.  And I like the stories!    

Victory Column (Prussian War, 1866)

We weren't in Berlin long enough to have much of a story.   But we're  happy we were able to visit and learn a little — and glad to have the memories and the pictures.  

  Moabit Neighborhood, Berlin

I don't have pictures of the last day of our European trip, but it was definitely exciting in its own way as we navigated the huge Berlin Railroad station for a long day's  trip to Munich.  We flew home to Oregon from Munich (with an unplanned overnight layover in Detroit due to an airport delay) and some wait time in Seattle.    I'll just say that both in the railway depot and the Munich airport we wished we'd paid more attention and/or remembered more of the German classes we took so long ago in high school but we figured it all out and made all our connections on time.  

 

Oregon sky from above the clouds

It was a great trip, but that first glimpse of home is always wonderful!

 

LINKING this week to the following sharing opportunities.  Thank you to the hosts.

MOSAIC MONDAY;  THROUGH MY LENS; TUESDAY TREASURES;  MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;  THANKFUL THURSDAY;  and SKYWATCH FRIDAY;