Germany - July and August 2015

I have made three postings for my trip to Europe from July 12 - August 24, 2015  Please read all three.

Amsterdam and British Isles Cruise

Germany

Lisbon and Porto, Portugal

July 27, 2015 - Amsterdam to Koln (Cologne), Germany

At least we had seats on this train ride.  In Koln we visited the famous cathedral – the subject of one of my first paintings, long missing.  I also got a sim card and could use my phone to make calls.  We called Julie to wish her a happy birthday (yesterday), but we forgot to tell her this.

Stained glass in the cathedral

The famous Cologne Cathedral, one of the few standing buildings after WWII

July 28, 2015 - Koln, Germany

Today was one of those walking days.  We walked along the Danube in both directions.  We visited the serf (mustard) museum.  We saw some apartment buildings that looked like they would fall over.  Tonight we opted for Chinese food, enjoying Peking duck and German beer.  It is funny, I never drink beer at home, but in Germany it’s like drinking water.

One of the many bridges crossing the Rhine

Eric and his new car, a rental for $350 a day

How does this building stand?

Exercise anyone?

July 29, 2015 - Koln - Stuttgart, Germany

We became oriented to the city before meeting our friends Ann and Norman Shuker, from London.  This was the first time in Stuttgart as tourists for all of us.  Beer was our first stop.  We walked around before enjoying another German dinner.

Somewhere in Stuttgart

July 30, 2015 – Esslingen, Germany

We took a day trip today to the quaint medieval town of Esslingen.  We wandered the streets, visiting the church du jour – that is my rule, only one church a day.  We then climbed over 300 steps to get a great view of the valley.  After we climbed down, Norman took a hilly road, basically climbing the mountain a second time.  We had a wonderful traditional lunch at a local restaurant.  After lunch (and beer, of course), we hit the shopping streets.  I bought spoons for Bloody Mary's, which had internal space for straws.

Eric, Ann and Norman

The river through Esslingen

We climbed over 300 steps to get to this building.

The local rooftops

This looks like a painting I did years ago.  Will there be another?

Same here

This is the main river in Esslingen

July 31, 2015 - Stuttgart, Germany

In the morning, Eric and I walked around and saw this commotion down the street.  When we got there there were about 30-40 young men in underwear waiting outside the men’s clothing store, Jack & Jones.  It was the grand opening and anyone who came in underwear when home with a full outfit.

Waiting at Jack & Jones for a free outfit

Norman and Ann joined us and the four of us sat at a cafe on the main square for an hour and a half.  Then we walked through the gardens and had some more beer.  We took the tram to the Staatsgalerie museum.  There was an erotic piece in neon with four naked erect men shaking hands.  I saw one Monet, so the visit was worth the while.  For dinner we had Italian, with one of the best veal dishes I've ever had.  I wish Julie was there to share it with me.

Sculpture in the main square

Me and Eric

Eric, Ann and Norman having our afternoon beer

The neon sculpture with four erect men shaking hands

A fountain outside the museum

Modern lamppost

August 1, 2015 - Stuttgart to Berlin, Germany

We took a six hour ICE train to Berlin.  We took local transport to the Gay area.  We had a beer and then went downstairs to visit the cellar.  I'm afraid I can't describe what we saw down there.  I’m sure its packed at night.  We had more beer and wiener schnitzel for dinner.

August 2-3, 2015 - Berlin, Germany

We bought a two day hop on, hop off pass and rode around town.  On day one we saw most of the tourist attractions, including the train station, city hall, the remains of the Berlin Wall, and the Holocaust Memorial.  I can't tell you how many times we crossed from east to west and back again.  In the afternoon we walked at least five miles, through the Tiergarden and beyond.

Dome on the Reichstag Building

Don't know if I'm in the East or West

Reichstag Building

A beautiful indoor mall

One of the remaining panels of the Berlin Wall

Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

On day two we saw the Olympic Stadium.  The hop on, hop off experience in Berlin was the worst ever. There were times the bus waited up to half an hour.  After lunch I visited one of the remaining sections of the wall, ending at Checkpoint Charlie.  That evening we had another fantastic meal with my friend Dirk and Kristof, who recently moved from Belgium.

The Olympic Stadium

Me in front of the Berlin wall

Checkpoint Charlie

President Kennedy in Berlin

August, 4, 2015 - Berlin to Hamburg, Germany

We had two fantastic meals in Hamburg - and not hamburgers.  For lunch we had cod from the Baltic.  For dinner I had a potato/spinach/cheese casserole and Eric had goulash.

August 5, 2015 - Hamburg, Germany

We started the day on a tourist boat.  It was all in German so you know how much we understood.  The weather was perfect.  We then visited the Rathaus, or City Hall.  After the obligatory beer, we walked along the port of Hamburg.  Finally we had a bagel for lunch and took a long walk back to the hotel.

A protest in Hamburg

The fountain on the lake

The City Hall

The back of the City Hall

A gold T-Rex

This sculpture goes up and down and round and round

Flags by the lake

A rainbow in the fountain

August 6, 2015 - Lubeck and Scharbentz, Germany

Today we took the train to the Baltic Sea.  The first stop wasn't on the water, so we took a second train.  The beach was mobbed, due to the perfect weather.  I managed to get my toes wet in the freezing water.

During our short stop in Lubeck

The crowded beach

August 7, 2015 - Hamburg to Dusseldorf, Germany

This was our last full day together.  After the tour hour train ride we rested in our hot hotel room until I went to the desk and demanded a room where the air conditioning actually worked.  We walked to the river and across the two bridges over the Rhine.  We had dinner at a riverfront cafe.  We retired early in preparation for our 5:30 am departure.

Dinner at this cafe along the river

As usual, there is a mystery picture.  There is a prize for the first correct answer.

August 8, 2015 - Dusseldorf to Madrid to Lisbon

I'm off to Lisbon while Eric returns to the U S of A.  Right now I'm in the Iberia lounge in Madrid drinking champagne.  Eric is on his flight to Chicago probably doing the same thing. I recall that at age 16 I took my first flight ever from Idlewild to Madrid.  That was before it was called JFK.  It was a 12 hour flight in a prop.  On the way home we had to refuel in Gander, Newfoundland.