Day 7

Poland. Going over the boarder was anticlimactic. There was NO boarder. NO boarder control like there is going into Switzerland. Yeah. Just drove on over. We went to a two of the pottery places. Melinas and Andy’s. 

Melinas was first and although they were touted as being great and unique, it was small. Mmmm ok. Granted my first time here. 

In between the two stores we went to The Blue beet root. https://www.bluebeetroot.com/about-blue-beetroot-hotel-poland/

Cute place. Great food. We opted for their home made Perogies. We got the mixed. Potato, spinach and meat. All great!!

My picture. Not staged. 

I think Butch lined his up and staged his food. Haha!

Loved the stone troughs and the wrought iron and stonework fence. Butch is now convinced we should do something similar to our house in Georgia. 

Ok it is pretty

Sorry no pictures of the pottery OR what we bought until we get home as they packed it all up for us with paper and such... so it shall stay in the car until we get home!  Pictures when we get there. I’m convinced I can NOT take Butch with me anywhere. We bought way more than I would have if it was just me!  Got Christmas stuff. Got some Halloween. Fun stuff. 

On the way home we passed Tropical Islands Report. It’s in a Zeplin hangar south of Berlin 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=41yGr6ktaBE

My edited photo doesn’t seem to be available through here. Sigh. It’s in the distance and really was large even as far away as it was!

And with that the day is done. 

Late dinner. A repeat at Otitos. Edemame some sushi and some Pho (again). I can’t do repeats. Bitch has no qualms about repeating foods. 

Day 6

This was supposed to be an easy day. Hahahahaha. We don’t know how to do that. The drive days are the least walking days. Today was 6.9 miles. BUT it was a good day. 

We went to see Checkpoint Charlie. It’s only .5km from our hotel but I had been “saving it”. Hahaha. 

We have lots of days here so I’m pacing myself but Butch likes to walk. I’m DYING. I have zero stamina. I make it 5 miles and I’m DONE.  He just goes and goes and goes then stops at 5pm. It’s strange. But I’m adjusting to his travel style. 

So today. Checkpoint Charlie. Interesting. 

Leaving East Belin going into checkpoint...

Then turned around to go back to the East section. 

So what’s sully is that I never u defat oof that “West Berlin” was really an island of freedom in the middle of occupied Germany. Seriously never got it. Like ever. Until now. Should I adjust this?  There was a wall around “West Berlin” but it was really an island of Berlin. Very strange concept to me that this island of freedom could exist in a sea of USSR occupied area. I really need to read up on the whole Germany and Russia and USSR boundaries. 

Talk about empty. Not flooded with tourists. Then again of was 9am on a Thursday. Go figure. 

Looking East again. 

Walking towards the west. Along where the wall was in the past. 

Near the ministry of flight. How appropriate, eh?

Then onto sad history. This was a very sad sight but very informative. That is yet another section of wall. This time we are on the west side. 

This was a display with before the war and after the war with the distraction that happened. 

Reading the history of the horrible things that one human can do to another is heart breaking. Hearing these people say they were following orders was something that hits close to home with military. That is what military does. They follow orders. These people were no different. Follow orders or die was the option. For that most were imprisoned or put to death after. They were all stuck in a war they some , I’m sure, didn’t support. Really makes you wonder if you would have the fortitude to stand up for your beliefs and fellow humans. I hope I NEVER have to find out. 

So after that sadness we sat outside a while basking in the sun and reflecting. Then took a walk a few more blocks over to get some lunch. I know seems sort of disrespectful to go straight to lunch, but we really didn’t. It was a bit of time between. 

Lunch today was Indian. Mmmm

Samosas

Lamb tiki masala, lamb something or nother ( the green one). It was a little spicy (German spicy will be our new term...meaning THEY say it’s spicy and we think it has some flavor!) super tasty which is good because we are averaging one big meal a day and light dinner. Today was a sandwich shop with 1/2

Sandwich each  and some pasta salad and I added a coconut chocolate goodie to my order  :)

mall of Berlin. Fairly close to us. 1km. 

We had to walk through once and stopped inside for a potty as well ;)

The Memorial to the murdered Jews in Europe. 

Honestly I thought there was more to this. Maybe we came at it from the wrong direction and missed the “information” portion?  Hard to know. There is a definite downhill slope and the pillars get taller as you go in further. We didn’t walk down into them. 

This art was lost on me. 

But 1/2 block away was Brandenburg gate. BIG gate. Big Platz in front. 

To the right if the gate picture above is the back of The Reichstag. Also impressive. By this time my feet are saying ENOUGH. But nope. We’re walking back to the hotel. I need to stand up for myself and say “hell no” and get in a train. But nope. I trudged one knowing that part of what he was saying g was true. We needed to stop off at Lidel for waters and hoped to find a shop for a light dinner - which we did. A sandwich shop. We got a nice fochia bread sandwich with motzarella and tomato. And a pasta salad to split AND I added a coconut chocolate concotion for dessert. Mmmm Butch doesn’t like coconut so I was safe. Ha!  

We did sit for a minute on the backside of the Reichstag overlooking the river and the library. Yes, that’s a library over there!!

And we made it home with waters, dinner and we are officially done for another day as we sat down in the room around 6:00. On our feet walking most of the day. 

Tomorrow is a drive to Poland to see some polish pottery and do some shopping :) it’s the little things in life. I think I shall replace my pampered chef covered baker with a polish pottery decorated and pretty one :)

Christmas presents and all that fun stuff will be picked up as well. Fun times!!

Day 5

Day “off”. Got up late BUT laying around the hotel relaxing. And alarms going off. 

Yep. At our hotel please use exit stairways. We are only the 5th floor so not too bad. Out we go!  I had tossed on Jeans and a jacket.  I wasn’t messing around however. I went next door and grabbed coffee and a danish. Ha!  I then came back and watched the activity. False alarm but entertaining. 

Then we got our day started. 

After the trip to the sea we had to park at the Courtyard hotel behind us. Who knew it was there?  Not us!  BUT there is a ton of construction so the entrance to the parking was blocked. We drove around in circles looking for parking. I finally asked a man who spoke no English if that was hotel parking and it was (thanks to a passerby who assisted). And we had to go in the out to get in. The ticket was hand written for the time arrived as well. BUT it all worked out and life was good. We parked and went back to our hotel.  

Reba was safe in parking that wasn’t our hotel parking, but parking none the less!  We got her out of that garage and headed out to find a golf store for Butch.

 

The golf store was located and shopping accomplished! 

Love the Art Deco pillars on the mass transit system. 

Later that night we went out for dinner. Korean was the nation of choice today!

Day 4

Welcome to the Baltic Sea. This is Rostock Germany. Beautiful sea side resort area. It was nice to get out and put my toes in the sand

Water was 57ish degrees. Not horrible. The wind was brisk but it was shocking to see the number of people in full winter gear. How were they not sweating to death?  By the time I got onto a store or a restaurant I had to strip my jacket off. Too hot!!

Butchs picture of a seagul. 

Don’t fall over *I* ordered muscles as a starter because they said garlic butter. Well I likes snails that way so why not, right?  They are too chewy for my taste but all you could literally taste was garlic and butter and BOY was it good. 

Butch had mousaka and I had something. It was tasty but I don’t know the name. It was ground chicken or pork or something similar. It was spiced with some peppers and served with taziki sauce as well as some coleslaw and some rice. I barely touched the rice  I did eat some of the coleslaw as it was fresh and crisp. It was all good. We were stuffed after!

Then we drove down to Schwerin Germany. 

Beautiful drive!

Metal map of the city. Very cute town. 

Beautiful castle!!

grotto

This castle was closed for tours due to Corona. SO it’s on my list to come back to. I need to see the inside of this castle for sure. It was a fun and LONG day. We didn’t leave the hotel until 11... and got back at 10:30pm so long day. But fun too.