Germany

April 2022
Berlin, Schwerin, Lubeck and Hamburg Read more
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  • Day 1

    Painswick to Berlin

    April 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    We set off for the airport nice and early make sure that we avoided the traffic that the news had made it clear would be a problem on Good Friday. The roads are quiet and we arrived at Heathrow very early even though the underground wasn't working and so we had to get the bus from where we parked our car.

    Heathrow was similarly quiet and we checked in quickly and whizzed through security meaning we had a couple of hours to relax in the lounge with a beer or two.

    Flight was delayed by about half an hour but eventually we took off and arrived in Berlin, just about 20 minutes late. Got the train and underground from the airport to our hotel where we arrived at about 6:15 p.m.. it seems we've been upgraded to a suite and so we've got a nice living room, separate bedroom and bathroom. We're on the 6th floor with a view over a pretty non-descript Street if I'm honest.

    We spent the evening having a few drinks in some of the bars nearby before getting home ready for a day of sightseeing on Saturday.
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  • Day 2

    Berlin

    April 16, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    After a bit of a lie in and a late breakfast we met up with the walking tour that we had booked. This took most of the afternoon.

    Once done we had some food sat outside a bar before going back to the hotel for a shower and an evening out!Read more

  • Day 3

    Berlin

    April 17, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Another later start today after a late Saturday night!

    We caught the u-bahn to Potsdammer Platz and revisited the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag along with the Holocaust memorial.

    We stopped at the hotel Adler for a drink, much as we had done 10 years before. Then we walked about 25 minutes to checkpoint Charlie.

    By then it was time for food and so we had another meal sat outside in the sunshine before trying to find a cafe that David Bowie had frequented... It was closed and so we went back to the hotel for a freshen up ready for another evening out on the town!
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  • Day 4

    Berlin to Schwerin

    April 18, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We're up for breakfast by 9:30 despite a late night undo checked out of the hotel by 11 to catch a train to Schwerin. The train was pretty busy and took about two and half hours And we arrived in Schwerin at about 2p.m. We caught a taxi from the station to a hotel and we're able to check in when we arrived.

    We have is lovely overlooking the lake and the hotel itself is a converted warehouse tastefully decorated. After a quick drink overlooking the lake, we walked the 20 minutes or so into the centre of the town. The town itself is really pretty with lots of old buildings and spotlessly clean. We wandered around and saw the Rat house and the main church before walking back long the lower lake to our hotel.

    After a shower we ate in the hotel and had a lovely meal where I had veal and Ed had salmon. After a few drinks it was time for an early night and we were tucked up in bed by 10:00 p.m. to try and get back some of the sleep that we've missed!
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  • Day 5

    Schwerin... On two wheels

    April 19, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    When we returned to the hotel we enquired about renting some bikes and settled on some electric bikes to help us if it got hilly.

    We set off and went south back through the town and passed the Schloss before following the lake around to a little suburb about 6 km away where we stopped for a bratwurst and beer. We continued on skirting the lake through some countryside around the other side of the lake and then back across a causeway before finally heading back south to the hotel. Whole journey was about was about 23 miles.

    Feeling justified with our efforts. We return the bikes and sat in these little wicker basket, things in the sun with a beer and then some wine. As the sun started setting, we popped back to the room for a shower before having another lovely meal at the hotel.

    Schwerin is a really pretty little place and I've thoroughly enjoyed our time here.
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  • Day 5

    Schwerin town and Schloss

    April 19, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We had breakfast at 9:00 and then were soon after out to explore what the town had to offer. We've had another lovely day of weather with clear blue skies. Although early on it was pretty chilly and a bit windier than yesterday.

    We walked the 20 minutes into the main town and through to the other side where the Schloss stands, on an Island in the lake. The Schloss is a building that looks a bit like a fairytale castle with glistening towers and was first built in the 15th century, although it has clearly had a fair bit of modernising since then. It's also the building which houses the Mecklenburg regional parliament.

    We paid the entrance fee and spent about an hour wandered through the rooms which have already been renovated. Some were very opulent whilst others much less so.

    Having seen the inside we then walked around the beautifully kept gardens before heading further out to the parkland area behind which offers some dramatic views back to the castle.

    We returned to the castle and had a drink in the little restaurant before walking back into the town and then returning to the hotel.
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  • Day 6

    Schwerin to Lubeck

    April 20, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We were up and had breakfast and out of the hotel by 10:00 to catch the train from Schwerin to Lubeck... About a 90 minute journey.

    We arrived in the back just before midday and walked the 15 minutes from the station to our hotel. First impressions of the town are of a beautifully preserved old city with loads of very old buildings and three or four significant landmarks.

    We couldn't check in yet so we dropped our bags at the hotel and went for a little walk to see the rathaus and have a beer overlooking the square. From there we went at one of the old towers for a fantastic view of the city. This is another one of those places I've never heard of despite it being a city over 200,000 people and it turns out that much of the city was actually destroyed during the second world war.

    We went back to the hotel and checked in properly before heading back out for another wonder around the streets taking in the canals stopping for some lunch and seeing the main sites. I finally stop before we return to our hotel for a shower was an old Seaman's bar which helped that very much like being in a old wooden ship and had models of galleons and other naval artefacts hanging from the ceiling.

    After a shower we went to the Rathauskeller for food and had a lovely meal sitting in an old booth in the cellar. We were both weary by now so we headed back to the hotel for some cards and a night cap.
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  • Day 7

    Marienkirche, Lubeck

    April 21, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    After breakfast we had a little bit of time before we needed to check out so we popped across the road to look inside the Marienkirche.

    The church was very large but was largely destroyed during the war and has since been rebuilt. However, as a reminder to the destruction of war they have left two bells that fell from the tower where they landed.

    Having visited the church we checked out and walked to the station for the hour-long train ride to Hamburg.
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  • Day 8

    Hamburg

    April 22, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After breakfast we caught the underground to the new city area and went to the model village museum. It was vast with 2 floors of models... Really well done with lots of attention to detail.

    Later we had a beer by the river Elba before having a Hamburg hamburger for tea!Read more

  • Day 8

    Hamburg tour

    April 22, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We arrived in Hamburg and dropped our bags at the hotel as it was too early to check in.

    We walked back to The train station to pick up one of the open top bus tours which helped us get our bearings of the city. We spent a couple of hours travelling around and seeing the major sites before returning back to the train station.

    Having oriented ourselves we had a drink and a pizza and then headed back to the hotel to check in. We had a relaxed rest of the day with a few drinks.
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