Berlin History Tour (cont..) 08-31-2016

Our guided tour complete, now we are on our own.  Today we met for breakfast and walked down to Pottsdamer Platz and went to the Topographic des Terror.  A chronological history of the creation of the system that resulted in the wholesale slaughter of a group of people primarily based on their religion.  A sobering visit that leaves a person wondering...how could one person do this to another.  Anyone who has the opportunity to visit Berlin should make a point of visiting this center.

Other areas of interest we had the opportunity to visit was the plaza where the "book burning" took place and the courtyard where Col. Claus von Stauffenberg was executed after participating in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler.  Across from the U.S. Embassy we saw a memorial that was erected in memory of the many millions that perished at the hands of the Nazis in WW2 and we continued our tour through the Brandenburg Gate to visit a memorial established by the Russian Army to honor the 2,000 Russian soldiers that perished in the Battle of Berlin.  Of interest at this memorial were the display of the first two Russian tanks to enter Berlin in May 1945.

Our father fought in WW2 and this visit brings a better understanding to us on what that war was all about.

SS Police recruiting poster

Brandenburg gate after the wall went up

Col. von Stauffenberg

Monument at plaza where the books were burned.  It represents empty bookshelves.

Original garden at Gestapo HQ's

Could this be a Russian Bear?

We had lunch here today..Maximillan's

Russian War Memorial

First Russian Tank (T-34) to enter Berlin

pavement markings to show the path of the Berlin Wall

Berlin 08-30-2016

After an exhausting travel day we arrived at our hotel in Berlin and settled in.  We had a late dinner and retired for the night.  We had a long day scheduled for Tuesday.  At 9:00 am we met with Arja, our tour guide, Anita, our driver, and LuLu, the poodle.  We spent the day with Arja and learned a lot about Berlin.  Its early history, effects of WW2, the Wall, the Reunion (when the wall came down) and the subsequent recovery.  A great recap of history.  We visited the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Berlin Wall, traveled from East Berlin to West Berlin and visited Hitler's bunker. Today we are on our own.  ,

Our base in Berlin

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin Cathedral

Chancellor Merkel, Linda and Pat (you can't ever tell who you might run into on the streets

Arja giving a history lesson. Bismark statue in the background

at the Reichstag

Hitler's bunker 1945

Hitler's bunker, today (a parking lot)

UPS is everywhere

battle damage still evident on just about any standing building from the 1940's

Arja, Lulu, Anita

Italian night

Italian pizza in a German restaurant

Delta is ready when you are 08-29-2016

I would like to tell you a little bit about our trans-Atlantic crossing.  Our grandsons, Ethan and Samuel, wanted to see the airplane land and take off at the airport.  So Beth took us to meet our plane.  To the disappointment of Ethan and Samuel there was not an airplane in sight.  Linda and I checked in and the boys started looking for planes.  After about 45 minutes, no planes and they had to leave.  Another day, maybe.  We had an uneventful, on time departure for Atlanta.  However, when we boarded the aircraft, we had a pleasant surprise.  Our seats were in first class.  I was so happy.
The trip just got better.  We met Larry and Pat in Atlanta and they got us in the Crown room while we waited in comfort for our flight to Berlin, with a plane change in Amsterdam.

There was a slight delay in boarding in Atlanta due to a minor maintenance issue on our aircraft.  We then boarded and were again pleased to be assigned to "comfort" seats near the front of the plane.  It was very warm in the aircraft.  We found out the maintenance issue was related to the air conditioning system.  The air conditioner did not work.  So after sitting on the plane for about an hour, we were told to deplane and wait in the terminal while this minor issue was corrected.  Time stretched on and a couple of hours later we were told the problem was not so minor after all.  We had a gate change and a plane change.  So instead of taking off at 7:40 pm we took off about midnight.  We missed our connection in Amsterdam and were placed on a later flight to Berlin.   We arrived in Berlin after a 22 hour trip.  On the plus side, the luggage belonging to Linda and me arrived on our flight.  On the minus side, the luggage belonging to Larry and Pat arrived on a later flight.  We had a safe flight, the weather was good, and after a delay, Larry and Pat's luggage  arrived on Tuesday.  Great weather, good food, nice hotel.  I will try and catch up later tonight.

Jerry, Linda,Pat, Larry

European History Tour 08-27-2016

50 years ago my brother and I graduated high school in the 1966 graduating class in Atmore, AL at  Escambia County High School.  It is only fitting that we take this trip together in an effort to see what we missed in our World History classes. We leave tomorrow with Linda and Pat.  Linda and I will meet up with Larry and Pat in Atlanta and fly over together.  Our journey will take us into the heart of the Third Reich, Berlin, visiting the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall and other points of interest.  From there we shall travel by train to Rothenberg, a 15th century city established on the banks of the Tauber River.  It is one of the best preserved walled cities of Europe.  (it was a bit scarred due to B17 flyovers in WW11).  Our next stop will be in Heidelberg, a city that can trace its beginnings back to the Middle Ages.  It was first mentioned in 769 AD.  From there we will take the high speed train to the City of Lights (Paris, France).  Wine, French cuisine, caberets, the Mona Lisa and a cruise on the Seine River.

Once we get to Paris we will join up with DPS Captain (ret) Roy Smith and his wife Pam.  We will meet them at the Wild Horse Caberet and take a cruise to Normandy before heading home.

This will be a field trip into European History.  I could have written a good report in my World History classes.  I could have even gotten a "B".  Travel with us and enjoy the trip.

Jerry, Linda, Pat, Larry

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin Wall

Some tower in Paris

Rothenberg wall