First off rule number one of visiting Amsterdam: Don't get yourself killed by a bicycle. They will dart out at you from various directions and at various speeds.
Despite the fact that bicycles are a rather dangerous hazard to your well being, our time in Amsterdam was very enjoyable. We left Berlin for Amsterdam very early in the morning so there was a lot of craziness on the part of me and my sister. Insanity at its finest on what was the most relaxing day of the trip. We got into Amsterdam early in the afternoon where we met up with Dave and Alison, my dad's best friend from grade school and his wife. They lead us to our houseboat and we relaxed by shopping or sleeping as the latter was the choice of my parents while shopping was the choice of my sister and myself. We then went out to dinner with Dave and Alison.
The next day was our final day of both Amsterdam and the trip. As a family was all headed out to the Van Gogh Museum. The sunshine beating down on us as we trekked out to the museum. Unfortunately for us the nice weather disappeared and we were left with pouring rain. So we headed for lunch hoping that the rain would let up a bit before Karlena and I stood outside in the rain to get into the Anne Frank House. That was something that we both wanted to do but since both our parents had been there the last time they were in Amsterdam we were on our own. It was not too bad of a wait since it moved rather quickly.
After spending a good chunk of the afternoon waiting to get into the Anne Frank House we decided that we were more or less out of time to go and do anything else due to time constraints. We just ended up hitting the shops looking for clogs to give as gifts before we headed back to meet up with Dave and Alison for our final dinner in Europe.
With the end of dinner came the end of the trip and it was time to pack up and head home.
28 August 2007
Berlin, Germany
With the trip winding down we made it to Berlin, Germany. Again with the overnight train rides we ended up in Berlin early in the morning. Once again check-in time wasn't until 2 in the afternoon so we were faced with the challenge of doing more with ourselves than sitting around the lobby and passing out. With that not being an option we headed out to Potsdam.
In Potsdam we saw the Sanssouci Palace. This was the summer retreat of Frederick the Great so that he could "enjoy life without a care". Frederick's New Palace was another one of the palaces of Potsdam that we saw. This particular palace's servant's "palace" is being turned into a building for the University. The third palace that we toured was the Cecilienhof Palace. We then went on to tour the New and Old Towns. A tad bit sluggishly we managed to make it both through the day and the tour. After our day in Potsdam we headed back to Berlin to eat and prepare ourselves for the following day.
The next day we started the day off by heading out to the T.V. Tower, continuing with our tour of the tallest buildings in various cities.
In the afternoon we ended up taking a walking tour. It was something slightly different but I am not sure that the idea of walking for four hours was something that was of interest to the family which by this point in the trip had been walking quite a fair bit. However that morning the troops were rounded up and together we headed out on foot to take a tour of Berlin in both rain and shine due to the crazy weather that would later ensue for the day. Despite the fact that it was a walking tour that lasted four hours I think this was definitely one of the tours that every member of the family enjoyed. On this tour we enjoyed the sights of:
-Hitler's bunker, which is now nothing more than a parking lot with a tiny sign stating that is where the Hitler's Chancellery and bunker used to be.
-We stood in front of what remains of the Berlin Wall. We saw the bit of wall that was left standing beside the former SS and Gestapo Headquarters.
-We saw Checkpoint Charlie. Though one does not want to get to close to the actors portraying the guards because they will charge you for a picture.
-There was an exploration in the rain of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe.
-The was the walk of the final battlefield of WW II in front of the spectacular new government quarter and we found out about the particular events that surrounded the Reichstag fire of 1933 which led to the Nazis' ride to power.
-There was the spot where President Reagan spoke his famous words 'Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall!' and JFK was confronted with the Iron Curtain.
-We stood before the ruins of the Berlin Palace and the shell of the Politburo's 'Palace of the Republic'
-We traced the footsteps of Napoleon, Bismarck, the German Kaisers, Nazis, and Allied forces underneath the Brandenburg Gate and over the Deathstip.
-There was the memorial of the Nazi book burning along with where Marx and Einstein taught.
Despite the rather crazy weather that rained like cats and dogs on moment and was sunny the next this tour was probably the one most enjoyable and very informative at least to the younger generation on the trip.
In Potsdam we saw the Sanssouci Palace. This was the summer retreat of Frederick the Great so that he could "enjoy life without a care". Frederick's New Palace was another one of the palaces of Potsdam that we saw. This particular palace's servant's "palace" is being turned into a building for the University. The third palace that we toured was the Cecilienhof Palace. We then went on to tour the New and Old Towns. A tad bit sluggishly we managed to make it both through the day and the tour. After our day in Potsdam we headed back to Berlin to eat and prepare ourselves for the following day.
The next day we started the day off by heading out to the T.V. Tower, continuing with our tour of the tallest buildings in various cities.
In the afternoon we ended up taking a walking tour. It was something slightly different but I am not sure that the idea of walking for four hours was something that was of interest to the family which by this point in the trip had been walking quite a fair bit. However that morning the troops were rounded up and together we headed out on foot to take a tour of Berlin in both rain and shine due to the crazy weather that would later ensue for the day. Despite the fact that it was a walking tour that lasted four hours I think this was definitely one of the tours that every member of the family enjoyed. On this tour we enjoyed the sights of:
-Hitler's bunker, which is now nothing more than a parking lot with a tiny sign stating that is where the Hitler's Chancellery and bunker used to be.
-We stood in front of what remains of the Berlin Wall. We saw the bit of wall that was left standing beside the former SS and Gestapo Headquarters.
-We saw Checkpoint Charlie. Though one does not want to get to close to the actors portraying the guards because they will charge you for a picture.
-There was an exploration in the rain of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe.
-The was the walk of the final battlefield of WW II in front of the spectacular new government quarter and we found out about the particular events that surrounded the Reichstag fire of 1933 which led to the Nazis' ride to power.
-There was the spot where President Reagan spoke his famous words 'Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall!' and JFK was confronted with the Iron Curtain.
-We stood before the ruins of the Berlin Palace and the shell of the Politburo's 'Palace of the Republic'
-We traced the footsteps of Napoleon, Bismarck, the German Kaisers, Nazis, and Allied forces underneath the Brandenburg Gate and over the Deathstip.
-There was the memorial of the Nazi book burning along with where Marx and Einstein taught.
Despite the rather crazy weather that rained like cats and dogs on moment and was sunny the next this tour was probably the one most enjoyable and very informative at least to the younger generation on the trip.
Warsaw, Poland
After a rather rocky start in Poland things finally settled down enough for us to enjoy the city for the day before we headed off into the unknown known as Berlin, Germany. We had most of the day to see the sights that the city had to offer. Continuing on with our usual routine we booked a tour of the city. On our tour we saw:
-The Old Town, included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List.
-The Royal Castle with its Square, residence of monarchs from 1596 to 1795, as well as the residence of the Polish President in 1918. We also had the chance to see King Sigismunds's Column-the first secular monument in Poland.
-St. John's Cathedral, a Gothic Church and witness to some of the most important events in the history of Poland with sarcophagi containing the remains of eminent Poles.
-The Old Town Market Square and Barbican.
-The former Jewish Ghetto, the Memorial to the Heroes of the Ghetto, Umschlag Plaz and Mila Street, site of the bunker where Mordehai Anielewicz, the leader of the Ghetto Uprising, committed suicide.
-The Royal Route, with superb aristocratic residences and famous monuments, including the Holy Cross Church with its urns containing the hearts of Fryderyk Chopin and Wladyslaw Reymont, the first Polish winner of the Nobel Peace prize for Literature.
-The Royal Park, a walk in the most beautiful park in Warsaw commonly known as Lazienki or 'The baths' and a visit to the interiors of the so-called 'Palace on the Water', the lavish summer residence of the last King of Poland, Stanislaw August Poniatowski.
-The tomb of the Unknown Solider, The monument to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and the Monument to the Victims of Katyn.
-We also on a slight detour to program we climbed up the clock tower with a beautiful view of Old Town.
After the tour we headed out to find a place to have a sit down dinner before we headed back to the hold to pick up our luggage and head to the rail station to catch our final overnight train to Berlin, Germany at 11, which turned into 11:30 since it turned out to be an half-hour late.
So our time in Poland was quick with only a tour of the city, a pastry shoppe, two dinners, and a McDonald's later time was up.
-The Old Town, included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List.
-The Royal Castle with its Square, residence of monarchs from 1596 to 1795, as well as the residence of the Polish President in 1918. We also had the chance to see King Sigismunds's Column-the first secular monument in Poland.
-St. John's Cathedral, a Gothic Church and witness to some of the most important events in the history of Poland with sarcophagi containing the remains of eminent Poles.
-The Old Town Market Square and Barbican.
-The former Jewish Ghetto, the Memorial to the Heroes of the Ghetto, Umschlag Plaz and Mila Street, site of the bunker where Mordehai Anielewicz, the leader of the Ghetto Uprising, committed suicide.
-The Royal Route, with superb aristocratic residences and famous monuments, including the Holy Cross Church with its urns containing the hearts of Fryderyk Chopin and Wladyslaw Reymont, the first Polish winner of the Nobel Peace prize for Literature.
-The Royal Park, a walk in the most beautiful park in Warsaw commonly known as Lazienki or 'The baths' and a visit to the interiors of the so-called 'Palace on the Water', the lavish summer residence of the last King of Poland, Stanislaw August Poniatowski.
-The tomb of the Unknown Solider, The monument to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and the Monument to the Victims of Katyn.
-We also on a slight detour to program we climbed up the clock tower with a beautiful view of Old Town.
After the tour we headed out to find a place to have a sit down dinner before we headed back to the hold to pick up our luggage and head to the rail station to catch our final overnight train to Berlin, Germany at 11, which turned into 11:30 since it turned out to be an half-hour late.
So our time in Poland was quick with only a tour of the city, a pastry shoppe, two dinners, and a McDonald's later time was up.
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