On a Roll

Well dear readers, looks like we are back on air or what ever the term one would use when one is doing a blog.
Last night the 15th annual Lübeck Museumsnacht was held. For 10€ one bought a pass that allowed you to visit all the museums and galleries. Music, perfomances, fireworks, we had it all.
Evening light so pretty, looking towards the old hospital

Rather amazing light show with accompanying organ music in the St Marien Church

People in costume about to break into dance

Fire works

Holstentor, again

Lübeck, update

My tablet no longer has a camera, so now reverted to using Knud's phone as camera and doing blog from the phone as well. Yesterday saw first attempt, unsuccessful, its out there in cyber space somewhere. After some quality time together Knud and I worked out where things may have gone wrong, all shall be revealed shortly when I go to publish.
Cute door and garden

Streetscape

Ornate staircase, 100's of years old

Outside of Town Hall


Vaulted ceiling of Town Hall


Holstentor , viewed from field side , this is to say the view that you get approaching the city.

test 3

fingers crossed

Test, again

Fingers crossed

Test

Test

Lübeck, another city for the bucket list

Linquenda is now shut down , packed up and ready for winter. We left her Thursday and set off with our backpacks laden, what happened about the lightweight packing? First a run to the bus stop, a missed bus so a cooling down period then finally the next bus, next a longer wait at station then the train to Berlin. A relaxed search and change of trains to Hamburg, a fast and easy hour and half latter we were in Hamburg. Then the stress started, there is something about Hamburg's main railway station. Trains are changed from one platform to another at a moments notice, usually only minutes before they are due to arrive so although one thinks one is organised and on the right platform, wrong . So as usual we had a mad dash and an attempt at the 4 minute mile with backpack. Keep in mind by this time it was peak hour so we were not the only ones doing headless chook impersonations. Thankfully sunk into a seat, on the right train with a matter of seconds to spare. One hour latter it was back on with the backpacks and out into the rain at Lübeck. Not so far , after some directions from the locals , and we found our holiday apartment, home for the next 5 nights. Gorgeous , just my sort of place with an eclectic mix of art on the walls.
Pictures of the apartment hopefully if this tablet behaves. Tablet has been playing up badly, shuts down completely as soon as I use the camera option , problem seems to be if I take too long to take photo so now down to a fine art of turn on, take photo in 1 to 2 seconds then quickly turn off. Trying to plan the composition of the photo a luxury I do not have anymore. Fortunately Lübeck is a stunning city and totally forgiving.


Holstentor , symbol of Lübeck, built in late Gothic style in between 1464 & 1478. Forms the entrance to the old town and the only one of the 4 gates left.

Historic Salzspeicher, Salt Warehouses, built between 1579 & 1745. The white gold that was so popular in Scandinavian. Salt stored here before being sent on up further north to Scandinavian.









Street scapes. The streets of the old town are enchanting, endless photo opportunities.



Little low tunnels , for want of a better description, leading to back houses, gardens.




And of course doors, I do love a pretty door.

Busy last weeks

We are now back in home port, Brandenburg Plaue getting Linquenda ready to leave for winter.
Our last couple of weeks flown by, filled with lovely happy memories.

OK all you grandparents out there, here is a little tree house the grandkids would love.





We had a wonderful evening at the Sanssouci Palace Gardens in Potsdam. A series of concerts were held about the 290ha of park, gardens and various Palaces and follies that make up Sanssouci. As night fell the different Palaces, follies gardens etc were lit up, actors wandered around in costume, music played and grand finale at midnight there were fireworks! Pity about the fog that appeared around midnight too. Pity too that the camera on my tablet decided to start playing up so hardly any photos taken


A lovely few days with Lars and Astrid on board





A cycle into Brandenburg to see the gardens at BUGA, we had been to Rathenow earlier in the season where there had been tulips by the millions, as beautiful and stunning as they were thought we would wait until latter in the season to see some different type of flowers in Brandenburg. We were not disappointed.


Waldmöpse , these dear little statues dotted about the place, in various posses. Waldmöpse is the fictional character of Ehrenbürger Vicco von Bülow .

Wall Exploring

The Berlin Wall total length 156.4km, 43.7km through Berlin and 112.7km around the outskirts. This can be broken down to
63.8km through built up areas
32km through woods
22.7 through open terrain
38km water border, lakes and rivers
The Wall was actually comprised of two walls with a no man's land or death strip of between 500 & 750mt wide, 186 watchtowers, 31command towers & 484 guard dogs.
Amazingly there were 5075 successful escapes through the death strip and under and over the wall, this also included 574 desertions by East German border guards. Sadly there were at least 136 deaths that are known about of failed attempts to escape.
The wall went up overnight, 13th August 1961, West Berliner's woke to find their city cut off from the rest of the world , East Berliners cut off from any escape to the west via West Berlin. Supplies of essentials were air lifted to West Berlin until such time as the Russians backed down and let supplies in by road and water again .
following the route of the wall

dirt tracks, paved tracks

Along the way are remains of the wall with information boards telling of the human stories

Die Glienicke Brüker , famous bridge in Potsdam where spies were swapped in 60's, this bridge was the border between the USSR sector and the American sector.

The sign for Mauerweg , Wall way, follow these signs to trace the path of the wall.
Over the past two summers we have explored much of the wall, endlessly fascinating. Have also met people who have escaped via the sewer, others who were penalised because their son escaped, so many stories.

A week of celebrations with Helga

Helga, Knud's mum, arrived at the same time summer arrived. Now if there is one person, apart from Filippa, who loves the hot weather and lots of sunshine that Helga. Well known amongst family and friends for her devotion to picking up the suns rays she was not disappointed when she arrived in Berlin on 3rd August. A week of temperatures in the high 30's , had us exhausted but Helga energised

First thing , go for a swim. Helga jumps off the side of Linquenda , I on the other hand go carefully down the ladder.

Helga's 82nd Birthday celebrated


Enjoying cruising around the lakes south of Berlin

Cooling off with a refreshing beer

and another

The sights one see's, fellow out with his parrots for an evening drink

Kreuzberg, a buzzy hip suburb in Berlin, fantastic restaurants, and we can moor right in the middle of it all

Of course it wasn't all eating and drinking, we did do some sightseeing, here Helga stands in front of the Brandenburg gate

What a social time

The bizarre summer weather continued, rain, wind , overcast, cool. The advantage of all this was that there were far less mosquitoes, flies, wasps etc.

Jytte, Sved Ove and Knud up on deck


Sved Ove, Knud and Jens Christian enjoying a beer , not long before they were driven inside when the next gale force winds began

While the lads bonded over a beer Bodil and Jytte & I went exploring the village.


Too windy and wet to eat up on deck so all cozy downstairs, with 8 adults at the table there wasn't much room left over for dancing.

Our gorgeous nieces, Josefine and Cecilie

Torben and Jette

Wonderful that friends and family from Denmark have been to visit us, lots of laughing and of course the many political discussions that happen when a bunch of Danes gather together. The world has been sorted out you will be relieved to know.