Berlin, Hamburg..

Was it an indication of things to come, when we were rained on the trip to Berlin.. slightly, given, but... passing little river towns along the Elbe (the river's German name) which just


Labe in Czech-Elbe

along the Elbe

Along the Elbe in Germany



Elbe
river scape
 



Bad Schandau

a few weeks later were flooded?
Berlin greeted us with cloudy skies, some rainy days and overwhelming things to see... almost impossible. On the  1 sunny day we took SBahn to Pottsdam and spent all day till dusk in the extensive gardens of Wilhelm's Sans Souci, feeling dwarfed by the Neue Palast (now housing a University) still being cleansed after years of neglect.

Berlin- Alter Dom facade

Ahlbeckerstr. toward Planetarium (our street :-)

Busts in rondeau at Sans Souci

On the porch of Chinese Pavillion

Bode Museum on the Spree

New palace

San Souci -garden side

New Chancellery-home of Angela Merkel (for now)

Moltke Bridge over the Spree

River spree tour showed buildings from the water up :-). Komische Oper Berlin gave us Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre.. and it was really macabre. But one must hear and see it at least once.
After those tiring days, with rest in a lovely apartment with views over the roofs of Berlin, onwards to Hamburg. Leaving it JUST prior to big spring floods of Central Europe.

Rainclouds over Spree-Good Bye

On the Reeperbahn (not so noble quarter)-That street was blocked off.

The Embassy and 'noble' quarter of Hamburg



Inner Alster with fountain-spray blown in the  wind