July 8, 2025
Our travel day from Copenhagen to Berlin turned into an adventure that I hope to never repeat (sorry a long read). Due to rail schedules we were schedule to take 4 trains rather than the two we anticipated. The first train was great we made our connection to the second train where we had assigned seats then the chaos began. The car filled up with students with huge backpacks that had no seats. The aisles were so packed that no one could move for the two hours of the trip. When we got to the station, late of course we only had a few minutes to make the next train. We were in the back of the car so we had to wait for everyone else to get off. Then it was a race to the next train!!! Well by the time we got there all but one seat was taken. Ernie and I found a small space to stand next to the one seat ,It was only two hours so I knew I could stand that long. It was only after we took off that I realized I was standing in front of the WC….argh!! Of course since all the other passengers we on the train before there was a conga line needed to use the bathroom. I found a way to lean into the door to allow them to get into the bathroom. Every bit of space was used and the train kept adding people at each stop. Oh and the car behind us was locked and totally empty. I got to look at that the whole trip. We finally got to our stop which was one before the main stop in Hamburg and fought our way out. Then we raced up the stairs and down the next to catch our fourth train of the day. We were all settled into our seats when Kim figured out we were on the wrong train. Fortunately it stopped in Hamburg and we fought to get off as passenger were getting on. When we got to the platform we realized we were missing one bag so Kim went back in for the bag fighting upstream. We went upstairs to try to figure out what the next train was when Kim noticed that the train we were supposed to be on was on the next track. We raced to the train and got into the first available car and inched our way to our car where our assigned seats were waiting for us. We plopped into our seats and celebrated that we made it!!! Traveling is such an adventure!!!
Our first day in Berlin started with us figuring out their transit system and taking the subway out to catch our boat to Potsdam. Potsdam is a city on the border of Berlin, Germany. Sanssouci Palace was once the summer home of Frederick the Great, former King of Prussia.
It was a beautiful day to cruise down the river!!
After our three hour cruise we took the subway back to Berlin and started exploring the historic parts of the city.
Checkpoint Charlie was the Western Bloc’s name for the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War, becoming a symbol of the Cold War, representing the separation of East and West.
The Berlin Wall was built by the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War to prevent its population from escaping Soviet-controlled East Berlin to West Berlin, which was controlled by the major Western Allies.
There are memorials through out the city with pieces of the Berlin Wall and the story of the Cold War. At checkpoint Charlie there is the remanents of the guard house and pictures on the Russian side of a Russian soldier and on the American side of an American soldier.
We were walking the the Brandenburg Gate when we came across the Memorial “Between Propaganda and Terror. This memorial has the largest remaining portion of the wall and tells the story of the rise of Hitler and the war! It was really hard reading the history and knowing that so much of it relates to what is happening in the US today. It happens one day at a time with one right being taken away each day!!!
We finally made it to the Brandenburg Gate. The gate is a symbol of German division during the Cold War and it is now a national symbol of peace and unity.
The Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe is 2700 blocks of concrete at different elevations and it a quiet place of reflection.
Our very long day ended with sunset at the top of the Berlin TV tower as we viewed the sprawling urban city that embraced the new with its difficult the historical past.
A long day adventuring but definitely a “Best Day Ever…So Far”!!!!
Sorry for the train escapade but the end result was worth it!!
Sadly what used to be the best and most efficient trains in the world (next to Japan), German train have become unreliable, dirty and overcrowded. I miss the good old days. At least you made all your trains, last year one of ours didn’t even show, but thankfully we hopped on one last minute that did the trick. Lots of running in Munich though… Berlin is awesome, I want to go back to do the TV tower…. Continued safe travels!!