Wernigerode, Berlin & Potsdam - October 29 to November 2, 2016

Saturday, October 29, we left Erfut and stopped in Wernigerode, a city with the Wernigerode Castle and lots of half timbered homes.  We hiked up to the castle and then walked around the old city.   It was very crowded with vendors, musicians and tourists.  Sunday, my second cousin Monica and her boyfriend Alexi, who is from Belarus, took us on a tour of Potsdam, a city on the border of Berlin. We visited the Cecilienhof Palace where the last allied conference of World War II was held in July, 1945 and attended by President Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin.  Cecilienhof Palace was built in the Tudor style during WW I for the son of Wilhelm II. It was interesting to see the conference room and table, still furnished just as it was when discussions for German reparations and the demarcation of Poland's border took place.  On Monday Monica took us to Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, the island where a lot of the Berlin museums are located (pretty cool!). I had a nice chat with our US Embassy guard who is from Indiana and has been living in Berlin since 1989!  On Tuesday we went to visit the German Technical Museum which had locomotives, airplanes, history of films, photography, ships, textiles, prescription medicine history and the myriad uses of sugar.   Tomorrow we head for our last leg in Germany, five nights in Hamburg, before returning to Poland. 

                                            Wernigerode Castle

Alexi (my second cousin Monica's boyfriend), Michael and my cousin Monica.   They were are tour guides in Berlin and Potsdam on Sunday and Monday.

In Potsdam where the WWII reparation meetings were held

Checkpoint Charlie

Brandenburg Gate

Art on the Berlin Memorial Wall

Brandenburg Gate with the US Embassy on the left

                                     

Bamburg & Erfut - Thursday, October 27, 2016 to Saturday October 29

Bamburg

View of Erfut from our Hotel window

View of Erfut from St. Petersburg Citadel

Garmisch Partenkirsch in Bavaria, Germany - Monday, Oct. 24 thru Thursday Oct. 27

We drove from Munich, Germany, then into Austria, and back into the state of Bavaria in Germany to visit Hitler's Eagle's nest. The scenery through Bavaria is so picturesque, beautiful houses, farms, churches, green grass, the Alps in the background and different shades of trees changing colors! Beautiful day and warm weather, I am wearing a short sleeved T-shirt and a sweatshirt jacket that I am usually carrying!  No snow but lots of rain today after we visited the Neuschwanstein Castle which Walt Disney used as a model for his Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyworld. Michael & Sophie hiked up, a 45 minute walk, Mircza and I chose the bus and a 15 minute hike. Still warm.   We are staying in a very nice B&B in Garmish Partenkirsch for 3 nights. We may go to the Zugspitze tomorrow depending on the weather.   

Driving up to the Eagle's Nest in a bus

Cousin Michael at the furthest point of the Eagle's Nest

                                     

View of Hitler's Eagle's Nest, which was presented to him as a gift, but rarely used

                                      

Hiking up to the Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle (King Ludwig II of Bavaria)

Munich - Saturday, October 22 thru Monday October 24

We arrived in the center of Munich (me driving) to find our hotel reservation was cancelled! We needed two nights lodging and driving was terrible in Munich because of the construction on the roads.  It was 7 pm and I was very unhappy!   We were then booked at the nearest hotel which was further from the old town of Munich, but all turned out okay.  Munich is in the state of Bavaria in Germany, BMW and Mercedes HQ, dealerships with tons of them on the roads.   Saw the 1972 Olympic village, that's when Israelis were taken hostage and then killed by a Palestinian terrorist group.   Liked the old town, visited Marianplatz with the old City Hall that has the Glockenspeil clock that has two tiers of moving figures with songs played  at 11 am, noon, 5 pm and 6 pm.  And visited a lot of churches, mostly Catholic, unlike Dresden where most are Lutheran.   Tomorrow we are heading for the 3 days to the Alps to hike, visit the Eagle's nest and some castles. A few photos from Munich.

Old city hall Munich

Closeup of Glockenspiel on the city hall building in the Marianplatz

 

Cousins Michael, Sophie and Mircza enjoying a beverage in Marianplatz

Lodz, Poland; Bautzen, Rathen, Dresden, and Meissen, Germany - Oct 15 to 22

Saturday, October 15 to Tuesday, October 18 I spent in the city of Lodz, Poland with my Cousin Michael's family.  I met their new granddaughter, Zuza, their daughter-in-law, and Wojtek.  My cousin Sophie made a delicious Polish dinner on Sunday and my cousin Mietek and his wife joined us at Michael's house.  During the free time, Michael took me all over Lodz to show me all the improvements and historical spots.  Following are some photos from Lodz, Poland, and Bauzten, Germany.

On Monday, October 15, Michael Fijarczyk, my cousin, (aka Uncle Sam) picked me up at the Warsaw Airport 

Many Americans have second homes.  People in Poland have little cottages very near their homes (not hours of driving to get there) where they have gardens and spend their free time when trying to get away from city live.  This is Sophie and Michael's cottage (called a dzialka) about 8 miles from their home in Lodz, Poland. 

Lodz was where the textile industry thrived before the war.  Herr Scheibler was the owner of a major factory and provided jobs, housing, schools for all his employees.   This is the chapel in the cemetery in his honor.

The old factory has been renovated with hotels, museums, shops, theaters and restaurants

Proud grandparents Michael, Sophie, Granddaughter Zuza and son Wojtek

Cousin Mietek, Anne and his wife Alicja

We left Lodz, Poland on Tuesday, October ber 18 to pick up  my cousin Mircza from Pilawa Gorna, Poland.  On Wednesday October 19 we left for Dresden, Germany and made our first stop along the way in Bautzen, Germany. Cousin Michael and wife Sophie enjoying the lovely streets.

On Thursday, October 20 we left from Dresden, Germany and drove to Rathen (just outside of Dresden) to hike up the Baste.   Michael, Mircza and Sophie just before our hike.

One hour climb for this view of the Elba River just outside of Dresden

View from the top of our hike

We stopped in Bad Schandau to view the Elba (we were able to take an elevator here)

We had an Air B&B apartment in Dresden for 4 nights.   It was a 3 bedroom with a balcony.  Parking was sometimes difficult to find, but fortunately we always found a spot near the apartment.

Our Balcony

Living and Dining Room

Kitchenette

Dresden - completely rebuilt after WWII when the whole city was bombed

I love the eyes on the house roof next to the church

Beautiful view in the town of Meissen

We toured the Meissen Porcelain factory and were able to watch the artisans decorate intricate details on a variety of china and figurines.