My trip to Europe with Amtrak, Luftansa, and Deutsche Bahn

[Seaboard92]

My RE to Aachen

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice pics and trip, thanks for sharing!

It's been so long since I was in Europe they were still building those buildings! LOL

 

[Seaboard92]

I still have some more to post. Stay tuned Jim. You should go. It's amazing. Dfw should have some good flights. They can get an A380 I believe

 

[Seaboard92]

To continue the day. After I arrived back into Köln as I only went for half a day. I walked back over to Früh. Then went back to the hotel in the pouring down rain to get the suit cases. And back to the station. I then caught an ICE II for berlin. It was a fairly easy ride. Not much in the terms of scenery. But a little bit. We arrived in the main station and then caught a cab for our hotel. We picked the key up from the safe exactly like they told us. And then set out for the Summer in the City Carnival outside our hotel. For a change we had a view from our room. Then we went to bed.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Oh, my, I was in one of those courts with a glass roof once. It could have been that very one. I went into a lace shop and asked for some very w-i-i-i-i-i-de lace. The old lady turned and got some cards out of a cupboard that were wrapped with lace about 3-4" wide, nice handmade stuff. Most of the prices were above my young-person's budget, but I chose one that I could afford. It had about six different prices on the card, each one crossed out with a line and a price about double written below it. The final price was still one I could afford. I pointed to the first, lowest price, and asked "When was that?" (in French). "Avant la guerre" (before the war) she replied. The year I bought it was 1984, I believe.

 

[Ronbo]

It seems like there are very few people in most of the photos you took. Is that because it was early in the morning, the time of year, or the kind of looks like dreary weather? Just curious,I am enjoying your report and pictures!

 

[Seaboard92]

In Aacehn it is because I got there at six am. I move very early. And go places most tourists seem to skip

 

[Seaboard92]

Dom hotel Köln



My usual cake



Summer in the city Berlin

 

[Seaboard92]

The next day which was my birthday was a Berlin day. I got up and crossed the city by the U12. My first stop the Oberbaumbrüke. Which is a beautiful subway bridge over the Spree. Then I strolled along the East Side Gallery which is right next door. After walking along that I went to the DDR museum. I made a huge mistake not going there right when they opened as they were packed. Upon leaving the museum I bought a Border guard hat from the DDR for twenty euros with my lunch money. I had just a little bit left so I bought myself a ice cream cone of my favorite flavor. Straticella. Then I took the s bahn further east to the Berlin Children's Railway. A railroad entirely ran by children. And a handful of adults who supervise for safety purposes. The kids do 100 percent of the maintenance, operations, and management. I might write a separate review for them. I am writing an article for a magazine about them. So I had a nice guided tour. Complete with free unlimited ticket, shop tour, cab rides, and a safety vest to photograph them. And the two adults in charge of the operation took me around. It is a fascinating program. I hope you check it out next time your there. Then I had my dinner back on the west side in a small street cafe I had tried on a previous trip. This time it wasn't as good as I remembered. But that's alright. Then we went and listened to the musical acts at summer in the city.

 

[Seaboard92]

The three stop U1



Kaiser Wilheim Gedanchkirche



The Oberbaumbrüke



The Berlin Wall



Ostbahnhof



The tv tower



Next door to the tv tower



Summer in the city

 

[Seaboard92]

Today we got up early to go to Hamburg and the Minitur Wunderland. We took an ICE I from the main station to Hamburg. Quick easy little run on new millage for me. I had breakfast on the train my favorite cake. Upon arrival we checked in our hotel which was an Old Brothel. And the interior has not been updated. Then I went strolling around this beautiful city. I joined up with a walking tour by mistake. It was there and headed the way I was going. I stayed long enough to learn some things. Then headed towards the Wunderland. The Wunderland is huge. It is everything you dreamed it would be. You enter into the museum part which is the history of Germany in models. Followed by Utopia where they invited the main political parties to make a model of their version of utopia. A fascinating concept. The only bad thing was the crowd. It is gigantic. The American sector has plenty of amtrak too. You'll see the Desert Wind as they have Vegas. It's well worth the visit. Afterwards I took a free harbor tour called the city ferry as our hotel owner procured us free tickets for it. Then We went to the Dom. A gigantic fun fair that occurs three times a year. It was amazing. And the carnival food was amazing. The rides were each unique and different. Totally different then how it is at my state fair.

 

[Seaboard92]

The spreciherstadt



The U bahn



The Rauthaus



The Hauptbahnhof



The main station





The museum part



Berlin 1961



Maurfall



Wunderland



It's scenic



The desert wind

 

[Seaboard92]

Today we went to Cuxhaven and the Wattenmeer. Which is a tidal flat. We had a bit of an issue we were told to go to a certain track. And the train said Cuxhaven. And we got on. Turns out they moved our real train and we went to the rail yard. So we got some rare millage. Plus we got our own special movement into the terminal again to return us. Where we caught the next train. The ride was actually quite enjoyable. Once we got to Cuxhaven we took a bus to the strand. I walked a half mile out initially then returned to eat along the strand. The water then came in while we ate. After that I was able to walk about two miles out into the North Sea without getting my feet wet. One gigantic thing of mud. Afterwards we took the train back to Hamburg and due to delays almost missed our connection back to Berlin. Where we had cake and snacks in our compartment. Then we relaxed at the train station. Then I did some night photography.

 

[Seaboard92]

My little rare millage train



The North Sea



The water is in



The water is out. In the direction of shore



Island transportation



Metronom



Dsb



Summer in the City



The main station



The kudam

 

[Seaboard92]

The next day we chose to stay in Berlin. First we walked around my grandmothers old neighborhood. After getting ice cream next to her church. My partners went shopping and I strolled down Karl Marx Allee. We had lunch in the Nikolivertal. Then after that I went dancing the night away

 

[Seaboard92]

Cafe Moscow



Frankfurter Tor



Nikolivertal



The rotesrauthaus



Live music to dance with

 

[Seaboard92]

The next day was a true whirlwind. We hit Wismar, Lübeck, and Schweirn all in one day. We started the day out with our normal s bahn to the main station. Then took the train to Ludwigslust. Our new train had routemaps as tables and we saw a little bit of wismar. So we decided to go there. It was a small hike to the old town. But that isn't a problem. I would recommend Wismar. It is wonderfully preserved. The old town is amazing. And it had brick gothic churches. Then we took the train to Lübeck with a connection in Bad Klinen. An interesting little station where six trains are scheduled in and out at the same time. We almost missed our train due to the bicycles having to get on. It was a two unit dmu and it wasn't that good. Lübeck itself was beautiful. But not nearly as nice as Wismar. After strolling a bit I took the train back to Schwerin with a change in Bad Klinen. I ran around Schwerin trying to get to the all palace and back in an hour layover. I managed to do it but my travel partners missed the connection as they were too slow. And came back on a train after me. I had a direct train to Berlin. But the problem due to track work my train was being rerouted around the city. So I had to take a time consuming s bahn ride. Where I eventually got back to the station and had dinner. Then my phone died. So I just guessed which train my partners were coming in on. And waited.

 

[Seaboard92]

The holiday express to Sylt

regionals meet at Ludwigslust



Wismar



Wismar market



Wismar



Lübeck station



Lübeck a gate



Lübeck



Schweirn



Schwerinarket



Schwerin Lake Palace

 

[Rincewind]

regionals meet at Ludwigslust

The yellow one is heading towards my small old hometown.