A Trip to Germany – Oct 2021

My daughter, Beth and her family live in Munster and I can’t wait to see them, especially my granddaughters, Anika and Sabina.

I plan to be in Germany for 5 weeks and during that time to do some traveling in Germany and Italy. I will attempt to post a travel journal and photos. I’ll only have my tablet computer and not sure how it will be posting to this website. I will also be posting photos of my experienced on FaceBook.

I lived in Germany 70 years ago as a military dependent in Idar Oberstein. My father was part of the Allied Occupation of Germany after WWII.

Monday, Oct 2^nd – 4^th Departure and Arrival

Left Seattle at 3 pm on Oct 2^nd.  Had to be at the airport early to get a COVID test (within 72 hours of arrival in Germany, so I spent the day at the airport and was tired and had a stomachache by the time I boarded my 15-hour flight.  It was not a comfortable flight because of how I felt.  Arrived in Iceland on time and changed to a flight to Copenhagen, again arriving on time.  The change to the Dusseldorf flight was not so smooth, packed airplane and departing 1 hour late, it was a small jet, noisy and rough ride.  I was in row 29.  At both plane changes, there were no gates for the planes to park.  We deboarded down roll-up steps and reboarded the same in the wind and rain,

Arrived at Dusseldorf an hour late, customs was easy, and the kids met me at baggage claim.  It looks like the only Immigration check is the one in Iceland.  They stamped my passport and no one else was interested.  They did want to see my COVOD vaccination card No one asked for the document for the COVID test.  Everyone on the plane wore masks and in all the airports except Copenhagen.  Once in Germany, everyone wears masks inside businesses of stores and some on the streets.  Entering a restaurant store, or other businesses customers must show proof of vaccination or recent COVID test results.

Tuesday, Oct 5^th.

Up early (6:30) with the girls getting ready for school.  Each school day, they get up on their own, fix breakfast and their lunches and are off to school a 7:45.  Some school days go until noon and others mid-afternoon, depending on their class schedule and extra activities and classes.  They carry a heavy load for 5^th and 8^th graders.  Anika has three languages, German, Latin, and French.  Sabina is in German and English.

Today, I plan another excursion into a different part of town, probably along the promenade and the lake.  I’m having trouble with weakness and it’s hard to go very far.  Need to work that out some before we head on our trip to Italy.

Took a walk to lake Aasee. It was littered from the college kids start-of-school parties the last couple of days. Great view. Weather is cool and rainy, but comfortable. I found a statue of a man and some angels/cherubs without any markings and with Beth’s help found out it is St. Nepomuk of Prague. Protector from floods and drowning. Interesting to find a statue of a Polish saint in Munster.

We did some planning for our trip to Italy, leaving on Saturday. Total it’s about a 16 hour drive and we’ll stop along the way to visit Florian’s Dad and Oliver, and to see the Austrian alps. It looks like it will be great fun. I just hope I can keep up with everyone to see the sights. Anika wants to meet the Pope, but we told her that was not likely, and she wanted to find someone who speaks Latin. For that I told her just find a priest.

Florian fixed up a bicycle for me and I need to get out and practice as my balance is not good. The number of bicycles on the promenade and streets is amazing. Beth and I plan to take a riding tour of the old town. They have antique car replicas that do traveling tours. Looks interesting and good way to see the sights. Walking is confusing to a non-resident as the streets wind around between the old neighborhoods and buildings. Dinner tomorrow night with some of the kid’s German friends.

Wed, Oct 6

Up to see the girls off for school and later in the morning went with Beth to the bank to exchange money.  We had to deposit my $ into Beth’s account and get the € from an ATM.  Bank tellers here don’t have a ‘cash drawer’ everything is done through bank accounts.

We went to the farmer’s market at St. Paulus Dom (St. Paul’s Cathedral).  It was a great selection of all kinds of food, from fresh fish and meats to vegetables and fruits, and a coffee shop.  The market is set up on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the courtyard around the cathedral.  It’s cool, rainy, and windy today.  People not wearing masks outside, but put the on to business transactions.  I was tired from the walk and spent the afternoon resting before dinner tonight.

Dinner with friends, Dirk and Maya and their daughters, Johanne and Lilya.  The daughters have been Anika and Sabina’s classmates for most of the time they’ve been in Germany and are the same ages.  Had a nice dinner of local-style foods in a local restaurant.  So far in my travels the only places I’ve been asked to how my Covid Immunization card was in a coffee shop and restaurants.  Walking is getting some better, I’ve been using my walking stick when I’m experiencing bad balance.  Not brave enough to tackle the bicycle out in traffic just yet.  I downloaded the aps for the Scooter Rentals and my give that method a try.  There’s no Uber of Lyft here (they’re not unionized and the German government won’t let them operate.

Thursday, Oct 7

Hard night last night with leg cramps that kept me up all night, Can’t figure out the cause other than I’m anemic.  I do know alcohol aggravates it, so I’ve been limiting my consumption (still manage to sneak one it regularly.

Took a walk to the south on the Promenade to find a pharmacy, wandered around St. Ludgeri’s church. He was the first bishop of Müenster in the 8^th century.  Also found a nice café for a snack and coffee.  Each time I go into a café they ask for my Covid vaccination record.  Masks are worn inside shops and restaurants.

In the late afternoon we met some friends for dinner.  The couple are originally from Poland and have a 3 year old daughter whom Anika baby-sits once a week.  Katie, Kuba and Tesia moved here in 2015 after living in a variety of other countries.  Katie works for the university with international students, that’s how she and Beth met.  Beth and the girls also lived in their apartment for several months when they were on child-leave.

It’s been interesting to meet the kids’ friends.  Dirk and Maya are both from this part of Germany and have family close, although in previous generations their ancestors were part of the forced migration from Eastern Europe that took place in different centuries.  Her ancestors were part of the serf/manor society and were forced to migrate when that society collapsed.  Maya is the curator of the Horse museum in Munster and offered free admission to visit the museum.  Add to my ‘to see’ list while I’m here.  I’ll not be posting photos of our dinners as it’s not acceptable custom to post photos of other people’s children.

Friday, Oct 8

Quiet day around the house getting ready for our trip to Italy.  We’ll go on Saturday to see Florian’s dad and brother and the proceed south to Venice.  I’ve still not completely adjusted to the time change and have to nap during the day when my internal clock says it’s the middle of the night.

A friend in Lakewood has an artist friend, Ekkehard Neumann, in Munster and I connected with him on FaceBook.  He has a studio but I couldn’t figure out when it’s open.  It’ll be interesting if we’re about to connect in person. 

I wanted to take a tour of St. Paul’s cathedral but their tours other than groups have been suspended due to Corona.  I think I can still go into the church and wander around – another to add to my ‘to see’ list.  I also need to find out about the tower tour in St. Lambert’s church.

Looking forward to the trip to Italy and will take a break from updating this journal as I’ll not haul my laptop around.  I will post photos on FaceBook while we travel.

Sat Oct 9 – On the road to Italy

Up early to pack the RV with our first stop with Florian’s dad, Fredi and Elke in Gemünden for lunch and to bring Fredi 70^th birthday greeting from the family.  A nice visit.  Fredi built his custom house probably 20 years ago.  Debbie and I visited in 2006 when we made a trip to Germany.  He’s added on for more room in the living and dining area and added solar panels.  There’s a playground down the block so the girls had an opportunity to work off some energy before we move on.

From Gemünden we drove to Florian’s brother, Oliver and his family Katia and Amy in Rannungen.  Oliver recently completed building his house.  Like most German homes, it is small in square feet and big in useable space.  Katia is a Journeyman Chef and mad us a wonderful dinner.  The girls enjoyed playing with Amy and the boys celebrated being together with a game turned drinking game.  Rannungen is Katia’s hometown, and she said their house is only the second house she’s ever lived in.  Her parents live just a couple of blocks away.  We stayed the night in their yard and Katia prepared a great breakfast before we got back on the road.

Sun Oct 10^th – Austria here we come!

Our planned stop for tonight is the last city in Germany as Sabina and I have to have a COVID test for entry into Austria.  Beautiful countryside as we travel, like something out of the movies.  Our overnight was Bernav am Chiesse, Germany.  We arrived late.  The RV park had a shower and restrooms so I braved the chilly weather for a hot shower.

Mon Oct 11^th

Up early  for a visit to the grocery store and Sabina and I COVID test.  Test done in 5 minutes.  I don’t remember the cost but it wasn’t much.  The weather was beautiful and the countryside is what you might image about the Austrian alps.

We got off the main road for a rest break and found a small village Chiesa di Resiutta, parking in front of St. Martini church.  A beautiful modern church with a cemetery and columbarium.  Apparently a new facility for a old parish.  I lit a votive for Debbie in the church.  A river is across the road with a nice walkway and view over the river, complete with a small dam and fish ladder.  The kids walked further and found a WW II bunker with a memorial plaque referencing Allied bombing.  It is hard to imagine why an isolated village would be bombed; the target was a major railroad bridge over the river.

From our break it was a long drive to our destination, arriving at Cavallino Camping Village on the Adriatic Sea south of Venice.  This was our home for the week.  The facility is on the beach, has a restaurant, spa, ice cream shop and modern restrooms and showers, including laundry facilities and place to wash dishes and a swimming pool.

Italy and Venice

On Tuesday we set up the tent around the RV and table and chairs for relaxing and meals.  It was a nice arrangement to have the extra space and was weather-proof enough to survive a thunderstorm.  The girls went into the ocean for a while, it was cool and windy.  We had a nice dinner in the restaurant of good Italian food and wine.

Wednesday we walked to the bus stop, took a bus to the ferry dock, and ferry across to Venice.  It was a serious walk for me to the bus stop.  The ferry ride was a good view of the islands of Venice.  We arrived at the dock at St. Mark’s Square.  We walked through the small alleys of Venice where no motorized vehicles or bicycles are allowed.  Found a nice little café for lunch and in the afternoon, took a Gondola ride.  Florian proposed to Beth on a Gondola so it was a nostalgic ride for them.  I wanted to see inside St. Mark’s Cathedral, but it closed early due to construction, but got some photos of the outside and the square.  In the middle of the square, Florian knelt in front of Beth and gave her a rose.  The girls enjoyed this moment with mama and papa as they remembered their courtship. We returned on the ferry, bus, and walk back to the camp.  I was exhausted and the final walk to the camp was very difficult. Beth’s watch said we had walked 14,000 steps.  It’s been a great disappointment to be so frail and the kids having to slow down and help me along.  They’ve been very patient and helpful.  I think it more my problem than theirs.

Thursday everyone but me rode their bikes to the ferry dock and took the ferry to Venice.  The girls wanted to see the mask and perfume museum that had been closed on Wednesday.  I took the day off to rest, had a good Italian lunch and ice cream.

Friday Beth and Florian went back to Venice and stayed the night.  The girls stayed with me and went swimming and we had a late lunch at the restaurant and ice cream and generally hung out enjoying the beautiful weather. 

Saturday morning the girls and I took down most of the tent and packed up for our Saturday departure to Rome. When Beth and Florian returned we finished preparations for getting back on the road and could not check out until late afternoon.  Florian and the girls went swimming in the ocean and we flew a kite.  Sabina particularly is the swimmer and braved the cool wind and cool water for a long time.  Florian did all the necessary servicing for the RV, filling the fresh water tank, emptying the grey water and the black water as our stop for the night was at a camp without facilities.  We arrived late, plugged in the electricity and settled in for the night.

Sunday Oct 17^th Roman Holiday

Sunday morning we woke to snow on top of the mountains to the south and frosty weather and got on the road early after some breakfast.  The drive again was like scenes from the movies, Italian alps, flat farmland and old villages on top of hills.  The weather has been wonderful.  We made some rest stops and stops for food.  Arriving in Rome we encountered big city traffic and made our way to the area where our B & B apartment was located.  Florian dropped us all off at a service station a block from our B & B and took the RV to a lot.  He rode his bicycle from the RV lot to the apartment and described the ride as a “rush” going though the Rome traffic.  In Rome traffic regulations seem to be suggestions and it is a lot like traffic in Manila.

Our apartment was first-class and in the shadow of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican, on the second floor of an old apartment building.  As Florian was on his way the apartment we walked around the corner to a street-side café for dinner.  Within a few minutes, Florian rode up and joined us. We were all glad to be settled for a few days with nice facilities and surroundings.  RV travel is a lot of work

Monday-Tuesday  Oct 18 & 19 – touring Rome

We had lunch with one of Beth’s friends connected with the University, Ksenija and her husband Renzo.  They guided up through a ‘real’ Roman lunch and had great conversation.  Ksenija is a long-time Rome resident and Renzo is a native.  From lunch we went to the Coliseum and took the tour.  An interesting place with a long history of changes and uses.  They’re working hard to preserve the ruins of this huge structure.  After the tour the kids went to see the Forum and I hung out at a street-side café near the subway station and had a couple of drinks and did some people-watching. I was too tired to do much more walking.

Up early to see the Vatican and St. Peter’s basilica.  The crowd was small, and we got right in. We had to show COVID vaccinations to get in.  We took our time seeing the inside of this very large facility.  Grand statues and paintings and the high altar was beautiful.  We just wandered around and took pictures until we saw what we wanted.  By the time we left, the line to get in stretched into the Vatican courtyard.  We saw a changing of the Vatican guards at one of the gates.  The Basilica is probably the largest collection of Christian art representing the lifetime of the Church and of this particular church as the See of St. Peter.

From the Vatican we walked to Castel Sant Angelo (Castle of the Angel) and found that we could not get in until Noon, so we crossed the river and found a street-side café for lunch.  After lunch we got into the Castle. I took the lift instead walking the steps and did most of the tour by myself.  The kids caught up with me as I was on the roof of the tower below the angel statue.  The angel is sheathing his sword as a symbol of the ending of the Plague.  The Castle was commissioned by the Emperor Hadrian (Mausoleum of Hadrian, 134-139AD) as a burial place for himself and his family.  Later it was used as a refuge for the Pope with a connecting tunnel to the Vatican. 

Back to the apartment for a nap.  The kids went shopping and I met Martha Watson, a friend from our days in Las Vegas who was in Rome on a tour, for dinner.  It was a good time of catching up with a good friend.

On Wednesday we packed up and took an Uber to the RV parking lot.  Florian rode his bike back and we arrived at the same time.  We took a bus on the Appian Way (the oldest paved road in the world and still used as a street), to Catacomb dia San Domitila and took the tour.  It is one of several catacombs discovered in this part of Rome.  Originally they were outside the city limits as it was unlawful to have a burial site in the city.  On the first level down is a church that is still in use for special services and feast days; I lit a votive for Debbie.  No photos allowed on the tour.  Some excellent examples of early Christian and Roman art, but much of it has been vandalized over the years.

On the road late and stayed overnight in a free RV camp set up by the local village (Citta Della Pieve) for travelers. 

Thursday – Oct 21 – Headed home

On the road to Füssen, Germany to an RV park on a lake, but didn’t make it because of a side trip to Campana dei Caduti, (Bell of the Fallen) in Sir Mjone, Italy.  The bell is one of the largest in the world and was cast from canons from the countries involved in WW I as a war memorial.  Over the years it has become a symbol of world peace with a history of significant events around world peace and the United Nations.  There is also a human rights exhibit and a walk lined with flags of the United Nations participating countries. 

We overnighted outside a camp that had no vacancies and did a ‘standalone’ night without electrical hookup.

Friday

Woke up to freezing weather and snow on the distant mountains.  We crossed into Germany in the shadow of Zugapitze, the highest peak in Germany and on the German and Austrian border (3,000 m) and to Bad Meȑgentheim to an RV park at Solymar Therme, a hotel and Spa.  The spa has several swimming pools, two restaurants in the spa and a no-clothing-allowed Sanna.  We all went in the pools and the Sanna.  A new experience in a nude bathing area with families and people of all ages.  The kids are used to this kind of recreation.  This stop was a special treat for the granddaughters as they love swimming and the German spas.

Next morning out sights set on Würzburg and a visit with Ellen and her family.  We arrived in the afternoon and had a nice visit with Ellen, her husband, Andi and children Moritz and Amelie.  We first met Ellen when we came to Germany in 2006 and she and Oliver were a couple.  Later she came to Anika’s baptism in Las Vegas. It was good to see her and meet her children and husband. He has a 1970s era 50cc Honda motorcycle, not something you see much anymore.   After our visit we headed for Münster, arriving late, unpacking the RV and getting to bed for a rest.  It’s been a fantastic trip and we’re all tired.

Back in Muenster – Oct 24th

Sunday Oct 24^th

Quiet day at home getting organized, doing laundry, and Beth and Florian went to clean the RV.  Cooler in Münster that in Italy, so some adjustment.  I’m feeling pretty good, tired, and aches. 

Beth helped me book train and hotel for my trip to Berlin.  I’ll leave next Tuesday and Return on Thursday. 

Mon Oct 25

Didn’t sleep well so missed seeing the girls before school in the morning.  Everyone is back to their routine of work and school.  Still some laundry from our trip.

Needed to exchange some greenbacks, so I found the bank that does money exchange.  It turned out to be just a money exchange so I paid a high price for the exchange,  Lesson learned – don’t bring American $ when traveling – use the local Bank ATMs.  In Germany normal banks do not do money exchange and will only accept $ for deposit into an account, which you can take out in € at an ATM.  I also checked out the train station and even found the platform from which my train leaves on Tuesday (presuming they don’t change).  I’m comfortable I can find my way around.  Still having problems with language.  I cannot understand people as they talk too fast, even when using words I’m familiar with.

I found a pharmacy to get some Benadryl and have discovered the best way to buy in a pharmacy is to use Google to find the medication chemical name to show to the pharmacist.  The usual over-the-counter meds we find almost everywhere in the states are only sold in pharmacies.

On the way back to the house I tried out one of the rental electric scooters.  It was a new experience, I only rode down the promenade from the traffic circle to the house, but went well and I think I’m ready to try a ride in more traffic.

Made reservations for a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Berlin that should take me to the highlights of the things I want to see.  Like all tourist destinations, can’t see everything so I’ll hit the highlights on the bus and get off for the particular things I want to see.  I’ll site-see on Wednesday and return home on Thursday.

Tue Oct 26

Florian drove to Holland to register as a foreign worker for his internship program starting next month and the girls had their usual school schedule.  Beth and I went to breakfast near the city center and as we began the walk back she discovered she’d left her house key at home.

 I had planned to see St. Lamberti church and St. Paul’s Cathedral today so we decided to use the time until Florian returned to do some touring.  We also visited the Old Town Hall of the Peace of Westphalia – the early town hall and site of the treaty that ended the 30 years war in 1648.  This treaty was the first time in European history a war was ended by a treaty and not a military  victory. The treaty was negotiated here, but most of the national sovereigns did not travel here and as the negotiations proceeded, a messenger had to be sent to the various sovereigns for their approval to bring back to the negotiations.  The interior is ornate and styled after a church, with a crucifix hanging in the Council chamber and Christian images of the Apostles, Jesus, and local saints.  Also on one side were images representing the seven liberal arts: grammar, dialectic, arithmetic, rhetoric, music, geometry, and astrology.  The building was destroyed during WW II with the Allied bombing on Oct 28, 1944, and not rebuilt until the early 50s with the reconstruction supported by local business instead of the government. 

St. Lamberti City and Market church is in city center and one of the oldest churches in Münster.  During the Anabaptist reign of terror in the mid-1530, much of the art in the church was destroyed.  After the Anabaptist hold on Münster ended, the church was restored.  It’s other role is when the Anabaptist leaders were executed, their bodies were put in cages and hung from the bell tower.  Replicas of these cages still hang from the tower.  Like most of city center, the church was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1943 & 1944 and rebuilt after the war as close to the original design as possible.  It’s a large facility and somewhat simply decorated with Christian are from the era in which it was originally built.

I lit votives for my Dad, Earnest and my daughter, Nancy (whose death anniversaries were Sunday), and for Debbie.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is the center of the city, surrounded by a large area for community activities.  This where the markets on Wed and Sat are held and I understand the Christmas festivities.  The foundation stone was laid on July 22, 1225.  The site has been a church since 793 when a monastery was established. The first school Anika attended when they moved to Münster was also established by the monks and is the oldest school in Germany.  The current cathedral was consecrated on Sep 30, 1264.

The interior is more ornate than St. Lamberti and representative of a early Cathedral church.  Stained glass windows represent the tradition and contemporary styles.  The organ and choir are impressive, with ornate metal statues for the Stations of the Cross in the Ambulatory behind the high altar.  One of the crypts off the Ambulatory is the crypt of the “Lion of Münster”, Bishop Clemens August von Galen, bishop during WW II and an outspoken critic of Hitler and the Nazi reign.  He was appointed a Cardinal in 1946, and a few days after his return from the Vatican, died on March 22, 1946 (liver failure, I think).

Also in the Ambulatory is a large Astronomical Clock constructed in 1542. It remains in its original shape, with no electrical or modern modifications.  The face that shows the Christian feast days is expected to be accurate until 2071.  The large dial shows the course of the sun, time of day, phase of the moon, and day of the week.

Münster is such a nice city and so much history, it would take a year to discover all of its treasures.  It was especially nice today to have Beth with me and to share the experience.  We have other tours on our agenda, some with the girls. I’ll write more of the highlights of my adventures and rely on some of my photographs to tell the rest of the story.

Wednesday Oct 27

Girls off to school and Beth and Florian working so a quiet day around the house.  I decided I would get more confident on the rental electric scooters and the one I rode yesterday was still sitting on Wallgasse, I took a ride through the traffic across from the Prominade and through part of the neighborhood.  A little balance problem still and the scooters ride really rough on the cobble stone. 

In the afternoon I had arranged to meet the girls after school to see the school and rode a scooter to meet them. Saw more of the town than I intended, it’s not easy to read GPS and ride a scooter.  I can’t go inside the school but got to see the buildings and classrooms the girls are in.  We rode home together.  It was a neat experience to see their school, Willhelm Hittorf Gymnasium (Website through this link) (Gymnasium means it is a school for students that are likely to continue in high education after high school}. Sabina is in 5^th grade and doing well, taking science, math, English, and German.  She also continues her ballet with classes weekly.  Anika is 8^th grade with math, social science, English, Latin, French and German.

Thu – Oct 28^th

Quiet day around the house.  Went shopping with Florian to have him pick out a Smart TV that I’ll give as a birthday gift to both girls.  We met Beth and the girls in Cathedral Plaza for the Rundfahrt (around the city) tour.  The transportation is a 1890s era hunting carriage, a replica and modified for electric power.  The driver and tour guide is a recent immigrant and did a good job explaining the tour in English, with some interpretation by Florian and Anika.  The tour goes through the city center and expands to some of the area around the city.  One section is old houses that were not destroyed in the WW II bombing and a watchtower and section of the old wall where you can see that it was originally constructed as a moat. 

After our tour we went to dinner at one of the oldest restaurants in Münster, the Gasthaus & Gaststätte Stuhlmacher.  A great dinner in Münster style.  Early to bed as I have sinus problems and didn’t feel well.  Some Benadryl and Sudafed along with some German nasal spray and organic supplements got me to a restless sheep.

Fri – Oct 29

Quiet morning and a conversation with Beth and Florian about which TV will best meet their needs.  Maybe Carnival with the girls this afternoon.  Iceland Air has cancelled my Dusseldorf to Copenhagen flight on the 7^th, so I’ll have to see how I get rebooked for my flight home.  The kids will accompany me to Dusseldorf by train and we’ll spend Saturday night in a hotel next to the airport.

Saturday – Halloween Party

The girls invited 13 of their school friends for a Halloween party and we spent the day preparing for that.  They had a haunted hallway with Papa as the ‘spook’ and decorated the house with webs and other Halloween decorations.  Ani prepared lots of food with a Halloween theme and spooky treats.  Papa prepared a scavenger hunt in the neighborhood, so after games and food, the girls split into teams for the scavenger hunt.  It was interesting because of the time change, it got dark early, and they did the hunt in the dark

After the kid’s party some of the parents came and we had an adult party complete with lots of beer, whiskey, and schnapps (bought some of the local schnapps to take home).  I was tired and had to end my night before the party was over.  The three couples were interesting people and fun to spend the time with.  I reminisce that I’ve had the opportunity to gather with locals in Japan, Korea and the Philippines, and now Germany for conversation and drinking of the local ‘hooch’  The folks I’ve met here have been completely gracious and welcoming.

Sunday and Monday

Quiet days of cleaning up after the party.  Everyone is tired.  We had takeout from a local restaurant and watched a movie before bed. Monday was a holiday for All Saint’s day.

Nov 2 Tuesday

Off to Berlin on the 9:10 train.  Walked to the station and found my platform and was set to go, but my train didn’t show up – I discovered they changed platform and I didn’t understand the signs.  I learned that the DB app gives up to date info, but it was too late to get to the other platform.  I discovered the train on the platform was going to the same destination as my train, so I got on hoping I could still make my connection for the high-speed train.  I made the connection with two minutes to spare in Rheine and began my first trip on a high-speed German train.  I had first-class seats and it was just like in the movies with compartments for six people and a dining car for snacks.  The train ran at top speed of just over 100 MPH; impressive.

Arrived in Berlin main station and took a taxi to my hotel – One Motel – in Alexander Platz (Beth’s recommendation).  The hotel is 18 floors and very nice, located in the center of the tourist sites.  My room was 17^th floor with a great view of the city hall and ruins of a Monastery.  I rested for a while and took a walk to find the place to connect with my tour the next day – across from Red Town Hall and the Neptune Fountain.  I walked down to the river for a great view of the Protestant Cathedral and the TV Tower.  Found a restaurant and had a wonderful German (advertised as Berlin style) meal, good wine and JD.  Didn’t rest well.

Wednesday

My Hop-on-hop-off tour meeting was at 9:30 am.  The tour guide did the commentary in English (for the first part of the tour, I was the only passenger.  My first hop-off was Potsdamer Platz and the Gestapo headquarters and a preserved section of the Berlin Wall, where there are displays and a museum of Nazi atrocities.  I missed the bus as it came around and walked down the street toward Check point Charley.  My cell phone stopped working as my International calling expired, so I didn’t have my GPS.  I stopped in a small café for coffee and cake, and they directed me to Check point Charley (just down the street).  The Checkpoint was being worked on and I visited the museum; an impressive selection of displays and artifacts of not only the Berlin Wall, but a world peace exhibit. 

Recaught my bus (after I realized I lost my hat in the museum) and rode to Brandenburg Gate. The tour went around the Berlin Zoo and most of the interesting sites.  From the gate I walked to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, an interesting display covering a city block with blocks of various sized appearing to be graves.  Having seem most of what I had set aside to see, and it was too late to get back on the bus to my origin, so I decided to walk back to the hotel.  It turned out to be more of a walk that I intended (I ended up covering about 4 km before getting back to the hotel).  Took a shower, had some dinner and went to bed.

Thursday

Up early for breakfast and got a cab to the train station, discovering I’d arrived an hour earlier than necessary.  I checked out the shops, bought some postcards for grandkids and some snacks for the train ride.  The train was crowded with my compartment full, so I spent a good bit of time in the dining car.  Arrive in Munster on-time and Beth met me at the station.  She had arranged an appointment with an Steopathiepraxis (Osteopathic) doctor for a treatment for the pain I’ve been having in my back and hips.  His treatment was great and relieved most of the pain, and he showed me some exercises to help stretch my leg and back muscles to help with the pain.  It was unlike any treatment I’ve ever had.  He did a lot of ‘pressure point’ manipulation and had almost instant results.  I need to find an equivalent practitioner at home.

Florian picked up us and we went to an electronics store, and they picked out a TV for my gift to both girls for their birthdays (Anika’s BD is Jan 1).  They watch movies on their lap-top computers and wanted something larger and the possibility of having TV (they already have a cable connection).

Nov 5 – Sabina’s birthday.

Up early to see the girls off to school and later shopping with Beth for birthday stuff.  Florian went to the bank and got me some cash and I found some Münster souvenirs and some local schnapps to take home.  Had a birthday party for Sabina.  The girls were thrilled with the TV and Anika got Bina a set of swim fins, Mama & Papa got her an ice cream freezer.  We watched an Ant Man movie and later Maya & Dirk came over and brought me a bottle of the Münster schnapps and visited for a while.  Late to bed and slept well.

Nov 6 – Time to leave.

We got organized and took the noon regional train to Dusseldorf. We have reservation at the Maritim hotel with a connecting walkway to the airport.  We checked in and had some lunch and got on the local train to downtown Dusseldorf.  It was a busy place and in the old town area, lots of restaurants and bars packed with people.  We walked to the promenade at the Rhine river and around to Korea Haus restaurant for a great Korean meal.  After dinner the kids went shopping in an Asian market and we returned to the hotel on the train.  Florian and the girls swam in the pool, and I took advantage of the room having a big bathtub.  Didn’t get much sleep and was up early, said goodbye and walked to the airport.

Long lines of people waiting to check in and when I got to the counter, I was told I had to get a COVID test.  Went to the test site and had my results in 15 minutes for 29€.  Got hung up in security because I had my laptop in my backpack and made it to the gate as they were boarding.  Short flight of about 30 minutes to Amsterdam and 6 hours layover.  Big airport and lots of walking.  I’m tired.  Long line and chaos are the theme of the day.  Amsterdam wasn’t too bad and well organized.  Iceland was chaos.  Got to my gate after going through passport processing and there was a crowd of people trying to get to 5 different gates, no direction, no idea if you were in the right line.  The flight was pleasant, I had an empty center seat so plenty of room and I slept most of the flight.  Smooth arrival in SeaTac, some lines getting through immigration and baggage check.  My airport van was waiting for me and a long drive dropping off two passengers before me.  It’s raining and I get home and the person looking after the house locked the back door with the key (I don’t carry a key when I travel), so I had to break into the house.  Everything is in good shape and it’s good to be home.

I got my Google travels for October, and it claims I visited 6 countries and 31 cities; walked 17 miles, bicycle (scooter) 10 miles, and by car 1,993 miles.  Pretty close I guess except I didn’t ride a bicycle. In 2021 I traveled 34% around the world. 

It was a fantastic trip.  The time with Beth and family was priceless. The RV trip was a new kind of adventure for me and the places we visited are places that I would not have traveled otherwise. I will certainly go back to visit, probably next fall. The kids have a nice apartment and are all doing well in their endeavors.  The opportunity for Anika and Sabina far exceed anything they could find in this country. Florian started his internship, which is partly in Holland, Beth continues her PhD work and works for the University. It was wonderful to be part of their lives for this time. I miss them already.