Travel to Travel

The day began warm and continued warming to be the warmest day of the year for Germany.  We sat outside at our favorite breakfast place and drank iced lattes.  I had my final couscous salad and Karin her muesli and sweet pastry, today plum cake.  We sat and watched people and their dogs and children and the postal delivery person on a bike. His bike carried three covered vinyl pouches.  From one he picked up mail for one dwelling with several apartments.  He used one of his keys to open the outside door to reach the individual boxes inside. He repeated that delivery method at the building next door. Later, on the other side of the street, we saw another postal delivery person . He was riding a bicycle on the sidewalk also and had several yellow covered thick vinyl pouches.  Fascinating. 

We returned to our room for the last time and checked in for our flights to Munich and LA tomorrow morning. Karin has been very gentle in her manner of encouraging me to go visit Studentendorf where I lived as a student at the Freie Universität Berlin 1959-60, yes it was the year before the wall was put up.  With my US passport I traveled easily to the East - to stop at the Czechoslovak store, to attend the opera, and concerts. As a student, however, I spent the majority of my days either at the Freue Uni or in my room in Studentendorf studying or traveling the 15-30 minute ride between the two. Social life was minimal. Karin had photographed the route agreed to take, and we traveled by tram. S Bahn, and bus, about an hour. It was warm and sticky, especially masked. The prediction of temperatures in the 90s were the reason for my hesitancy plus the time involved traveling. However, Karin found a good route, and I am very happy that we shared the visit together. An ALDI and other services have been added to the area which was funded by the US. Additional living quarters and a children's play area have been added too. The buildings appear repainted and expanded, cobblestone walking paths area an addition, but the green areas look dry. 

It was a happy ride back to the hotel to pick up our suitcases and head for the new airport, Berlin Brandenburg.  It was now the middle of the day, we were very warm.  We took two trams to the Hauptbahnhof. We were familiar with this route. At the train station it was very busy with travelers coming and going.  It took several minutes looking for a FEX, Flughafen Express sign. We found a figural display and recognized the train we wanted; we identified the platform number, found an elevator down to the platform.  Karin looked down and saw the airport express train waiting to depart in a few minutes. We stepped into the elevator,  pushed a button and we went up, another button was pushed, and we up another level. People came in and pushed buttons, and we finally made it down to the platform and into the airport express train minutes before it departed.  The ride was smooth and quiet about 45 inches. We were on our way home.

The Berlin Brandenburg airport is unlike any I have seen. Of course it is modern and has several levels. The organization of ticket counters is unlike those at LAX international terminal. We found a few shops, too, especially places where we will buy our supper. Our hotel is a few steps away.  We signed in, found our room and removed our back packs and set down our suitcases.  After lots of cold water and shoes off our feet Karin suggested that we go to the Lufthansa counter to inquire if the airline requires a test for COvid 19 with written results.  She expressed concern about the wording of a document she received along with the check in this morning. We walked back to the airport, about a minute away and past a fountain and outdoor smokers.  Karin asked her question after the Lufthansa desk, and we are relieved to hear that the airline does not require a documented negative Covid-19 test.  We visited a souvenir shop and checked out a couple places where we could purchase food. We returned to the hotel with two healthy German sandwiches and a vegetable salad with yogurt dressing. And apfelschorle. We ate the satisfying meal in our cool room and enjoyed the view out to a green courtyard.  We decided to re-pack and acknowledged that we will need to check our carry on luggage due to strict limitations on kilograms.  

We are now watching German men's soccer teams compete.  I have enjoyed watching soccer games, both men's and women's.  I have also enjoyed watching the Tour de France.  These are a couple things I shall miss. Speaking German, eating wurst and potatoes, drinking Berliner Weisse, traveling all around on public transportation for just 9 Euro a month for each of the three summer months, a gift of the federal government to get people out of their cars. I shall miss Anja and Herbert, and Naila.

I am also ready to come home, be out of the suitcase and 1130 PM bedtimes, and not to need to pay to use a public toilet.

We fly to Munich at 9:50 AM and on to LA at 1150. Whether there will be a blog tomorrow is a good question. By the way we achieved only 8 thousand plus steps today. Tomorrow we will achieve even fewer. It's back to walking at home on Thursdsy and Curves on Friday.

Gute Nacht, Susan 





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