Good Morning Berlin

The picture is lousy because the sun is streaming right in my eyes.

The tower on the distance is a 100 meter television/radio tower built
to ensure that the eastern bloc countries could get Western
communications like Radio Free Europe.

The Soviets got competitive and built a 150 meter communications tower
in Moscow.

My last towel animal

My peacock.

More wall

Path of the wall

There are a number of small sections still remaining as historical
reminders. These cobblestones mark where the wall was placed.

Victory Column

This celebrates all of the victories of the German Army. The gold
stripes up and down the column are gilded cannons captured from their
enemies.

Charlottenplatz

This is a reconstructed palace completed in the past several years and
originally built in the early 1700's. We saw a lot of "reconstructed
sites" from the original plans or old photos.

The spy bridge

This is where they exchanged spies in the early 60's. The different
paint denotes the different regions. The left was East Germany and if
you look carefully at the pavement you can see the variations in the
surfaces.

Pottsdam by the canal

This is the view from our final destination. We spent our days getti g
oriented on Berlin and Pottsdam.

And we got stuck...

...when the door didn't open.

Very strange form of claustrophobia.

Say hi to Margaret's leg. No photo editing on the iPhone.

We go up

Yes we are on a bridge canal that goes OVER the Elbe. Very odd.

We go down

For the Locklubbers

Yesterday we left the Elbe to head up to Potsdam. It wasn't easy and
included a number of locks that lifted us up or down about 70 feet.

Huge current on the Elbe

Sometimes older is better

East German Rennovation

While we have seen many charming rennivations on this trip as this
side of Germany rebuilds itself. Sometimes the rennovations run amuk.

Guten Morgen Magdeburg

This is a 1200 year old town and the Capitol of Saxony. Dresden is
only 900 years old. Am taking a power walk this morning. We are only
here untill 11am.

Crests of the Nobility

Every town and every nobleman who initially supported The Reformation
have their crests adorning this church.

Wittenberg

This is the inside of the church where Martin Lither posted his 95
theses and started the Reformation. No picture of the doors because
tourists were glued to it.

Rennovations

Now 20 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain, 70% of Wittenberg has
been restored and cleaned up but they are keeping that house that ugly
color because they don't want to forget.

Communist Grey

Apparently while East Germany was under Comminust rule, all of the
buildings were this color because of horrible pollution, benign
neglect of the government and lack of funds

Uh Oh

Okay I made a booboo. This is the elephant. I guess the earlier
picture is a Dog.

So much for my towel animal interpretations.

Guten Morgen Torgau

This is where the Russian and American troops first met during WW2.
More about the story after we wander. This afternoon it's onto
Wittenberg.

More Meissen

And this elephant. I just couldn't include the little painted,
bewigged figures galavanting around the seemingly unaware naked woman
sitting in the garden with the dove on her shoulder.

Meissen Factory

We toured the Meissen factory today and saw how the porcelain is made.
Lots of very ornate, very expensive objects. Including this more
modern tea set and

Cobble stones.

Someone should write a book about East German cobblestones. Typically
granite they last hundreds of years and definitely add a cutesy
element to quaint mideval towns. They are also murder on the feet.

Apparently the quaintness is so in demand that West German towns would
Buy up East German cobblestones to get the same effect.

Mein Elefant

This is what greeted me this morning when we returned from Dresden.
This boat is really lovely.

Frauenkirche Dressen

This is a funky picture that I casually took over my shoulder. This
the famous church that was dessimmated on February 13, 1945 when 775
British bombers wiped out Dresden. (that is not a typo). They took
one pass, then a 90 degree turn and then another pass.

The church was leveled and was only finished being restored in 2005.
The dark rocks you see are from the original stucture which has been
rebuilt according to the original plans.

Good Morning Dresden

Find the Climber

This is a test of my iPhone's resolution. Find the climber. He's up
there.

The Alps of Saxony

Very pretty scenery but they aren't the Alps. More like the rocky bumps.

Cruising up the Elbe

Eleanor '66 oaling up the rays on the upper deck. It was an absolutely
perfect day.

Dining

Since I have no urgent need to seek out the kitchen as has been
suggested by my dear friend, I thought I would give you a view of the
dining room.

It's gorgeous and the food is Yummo. We are typically having four to
seven course meals at night which are wonderful The secret is yummy
food and small portions.

Breakfast is served until 10.
Soup is available at 11.
Lunch at noon.
Tea at 3.
Cocktails at 5.
Dinner at 7.
Late night snack at 11.

Locked Out

I have just learned that Internet service doesn't work at the bottom
of a Lock.

Street Signs

It is virtually impossible to figure out how to pronounce the names of
these towns.

At 1:15 today, we will cross over the border to Germany. I might have
a chance of understanding something thanks to my marvelous grasp of
the Grrman language.

Good Morning Walkers!

Meet Barbara and Sally, two MIT spouses who I convinced to get up and
take a 6:30 walk around town.

Good Morning Leimeritz

We have woken up on the shores of beautiful downtown Leimeritz. We are
still in the Czech Republic. It's a gorgeous day and we will be
cruising up the Elbe for the whole day to Dresden.

This is the view from my stateroom.

Leaving Melnick

We cast off this afternoon and are now cruising down the Elbe which is
confusing because we are going north. The Elbe empties into the North
Sea.

We are learning that all but ten minutes of the cruise is in areas
that previously were part of East Germany.

Tomorrow we cruise all day to Dressen so expect lots of photos.

Prague

We spent this morning seeing the sites of Prague. We arrived on time
to see the Astronomical clock strike nine. I am sure there is a great
video online of it's working as well as an explanation. Very cool.

This is a view off the Charles Bridge built in the 1400's. Pretty good
photo for the iPod. During a mega flood, the tide was over the water
wheel.

My Stateroom

Much nicer than I expected. Thought I would have the room by the
engine room.

We just finished a seven course dinner.

Genug

L

C

Self cleaning potty

Okay the Europeans have definitely figures out the plumbing side of
things. This is a picture of a self cleaning potty from the Frankfort
Airport.

When it's time to take a seat, the green arm comes out and sprays
cleaner on the toilet seat which is rotating. Then there is a squeegie
that wipes up the spray again while the aeat is rotatong and the seat
is clean. Fancy schmancy.

JFK Business Lounge

Jonathan has cordially welcomed Mom and I to the lounge for the upper
crusties on Lufthansa. They let me in as a courtesy. Mom has the fancy
pants business class ticket. I am in Economy. Couldn't they come up
with a better term like the "Adventurers' Class" or "Frugal
Funlovers" or maybe "Cheapskates". I am feeling like Discount Donna.

So far we have learned that they don't have skycaps at the curb like
JetBlue which makes juggling two suitcases, two carry-ons, two purses,
two canes and a walker an interesting experience.

Our flight leaves at 3:40. We are in for a long wait so we just have
to enjoy the automatic decaf latte machine (I am in heaven) and the
unending array of food.

What am I getting myself into.....

I am starting to realize that this trip is only two days away.  

Have I packed?  No.  

Have I thought about packing?  No.

Have I called everyone who is coming   You bet....

Its quite a group.  Everyone sound very gung-ho and very smart.  The ages range from 45 to 83.  Not surprisingly, the majority of travelers are  Wellesley alums as well as a smattering of Smithies and one from Bennington.  I have already told the non-Wellesleyites, that they can become honorary alumnae.  

There are four retired professors  -- three from Skidmore and one from MIT.  I think I am going to have to wrap up any chick-lit novels in plain brown paper and deny my addiction to The Biggest Loser.  I will write more about them in the event they give me permission.

Our agenda is great.  We take off on Friday and meet everyone in Frankfurt on Saturday.  From there, we fly to Prague and get on the boat, the MV Katharina Von Boren which has 41 guest cabins, each of which looks out on the water.  The boat is named after Martin Luther's wife.

DAY	PORT	ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	OPTIONAL TOUR INFORMATION
Saturday	Prague			Embarkation - begins 3:00pm
Sunday	Prague		8:00am	M Old Town City Walk
	Mirejowice	12:30am	1:00pm
	Leitmeritz	9:00pm
Monday	Leitmeritz		5:30am
	Bad Schandau	1:00pm	3:30pm	A Fortress Konigstein
	Dresden	7:00pm
Tuesday	Dresden			M City Walk
				A Mortizburg Hunting Lodge
Wednesday	Dresden		12 Noon	A Zwinger Palace and the Gallery of Old Masters
	Meissen	2:00pm		A City tour and Porcelain Manufacture
Thursday	Meissen		3:00am
	Wittenberg	1:00pm	6:30pm	A Footsteps of Martin Luther City Walk
Friday	Magdeburg	2:45am	11:00am	M City Tour
Saturday	Berlin (Potsdam)	2:30am		Disembarkation - until 10:00am

I could get used to this.....

Okay Okay

Wellesley College Trustee, Lynn Sherr

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=126383

And the answer is......

No, its not Barbara Walters.....

No, its not Diane Sawyer.....

Any other guesses???

Name that head

Yesterday I went to a Wellesley luncheon featuring Kim Bottomly. She
gave a great speech. This was my view. Name that head. It's famous.

A Rainy Saturday....

I have just hit the grocery store buying gobs of food in anticipation
of leaving the house to the swarms of munchers for ten days. While
Rande is an accomplished griller, Matt succumbed to eating a can of
chickpeas straight from the can a few weeks ago. Yummo.

Charlie appreciates that no one has yet commented on the state of his
room.

Jenny wants to know why she's not on the blog, so I am attaching a
photo of Snoopy waking up Jenny yesterday morning. Aren't they cute.

I have to go to my mother's this afternoon to reassure her, yet again,
that we are really going to Germany and that we have everything that
we could possibly need.

Testing

To memorialize what I am taking a vacation from.
Here is Charlie's room.