Eclipsing Northern Europe by cruise : Basic black , and Baltic blues

[Gracie115]

 

We really like the Mighty Ships series , but it's been mostly the Olympics on the telly here .

 

YES!!! IRON MAN Phelps!! Amazing Olympics..... doubt anyone will ever equal what he has over 4 Olympics....

 

sorry....couldn't help but comment....:o

[MicCanberra]

YES!!! IRON MAN Phelps!! Amazing Olympics..... doubt anyone will ever equal what he has over 4 Olympics....

 

sorry....couldn't help but comment....:o

 

He certainly knows how to swim, a real champion.:D

[scubacruiserx2]

YES!!! IRON MAN Phelps!! Amazing Olympics..... doubt anyone will ever equal what he has over 4 Olympics....

 

sorry....couldn't help but comment....:o

 

Yes he's truly an amazing swimmer - the best ! Pat was a swimmer and I played football , track and volleyball so I'm looking forward to Usain Bolt - the Micheal Phelps of sprinters . ;)

[KikisDad]

To become Elite you need 300 points, if one person in the cabin is elite then they can take their cabin partner / room mate in with them to the elite lounge but you may only get one set of vouchers with the discounts. Some cabins earn more points per night than others, i.e. balcony gets 3 points compared to a concierge on 5 points.

 

As Rosie and I have cruised together we are at the same levels on each cruise line.:D

 

Also on celebrity and Royal Caribbean, they will match your spouse to your level. For example, if you are already elite when you get married your spouse automatically becomes elite even if she's never been on a celebrity cruise before.

[scubacruiserx2]

Also on celebrity and Royal Caribbean, they will match your spouse to your level. For example, if you are already elite when you get married your spouse automatically becomes elite even if she's never been on a celebrity cruise before.

 

Thank you for the great information KikisDad . Fortunately , I wasn't matched to my spouse's level , but married up to Elite ! :)

[scubacruiserx2]

The morning in Germany looked great and began early .

 

 

 

 

We had booked the following tour with SPB Tours , our first with them .

 

 

 

 

Classic Berlin Tour with roundtrip Berlin-port transfer

 

24 person max or private | 6hrs. transfer + 6hrs. with guide and driver | Very active

 

This is an exciting tour that gives you an inside view of the City's turbulent past and promising future. We arrange a tour for you to see the majority of the main sights & landmarks during this one day and all at an affordable price. You will be picked up at the port (in Warnemünde, Rostock or Wismar) in a comfortable A/C vehicle. It will be at your service for 12 hours. You will enjoy a 3 hour ride on the German Autobahn on your way to the city of Berlin. You will then be met by your English speaking guide and either transfer to another vehicle for the day, or stay with the vehicle you are in.

 

Sightseeing will include highlights of the capital with photo stops at the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, The Berlin Wall and the famous Reichstag with the glass dome. You will have a chance to walk, drive and take plenty of pictures on the tour. You also have the option to try a traditional German meal for lunch.

 

Tour runs with any number of people signed up (for most, but not all, cruise ships. Please inquire if your cruise ship is eligible.)

 

This tour is not recommended for wheelchair passengers, and if a person with a wheelchair decides to participate he/she must have a personal helper to assist in boarding/disembarking the vehicle, and entering the restrooms and restaurant, and all sites. At certain locations a wheelchair person may not be able to exit the bus, and may have to stay inside the bus.

 

 

 

 

After exiting through the white shed , and having our passports stamped , we walked passed the row of Celebrity buses .

 

 

 

 

After boarding the bus and being seated waited about 30 minutes between the second to the last person , and the last person , to arrive . We had chosen the ensuite seats about half way back .

 

 

 

 

 

It's about a 3 hour ride non stop to Berlin and found myself humming the old Kraftwerk lyrics , Fun , fun , fun on the Autobaun .

 

 

 

We did make a pit stop along the way and we hoped that it wasn't the traditional German meal promised in the description of the tour .

 

 

[MicCanberra]

Nice song to get stuck in my head. cheers for that.

[scubacruiserx2]

Nice song to get stuck in my head. cheers for that.

 

An older song (1974) which seemed appropriate as the cars whizzed past us on the Autobaun . But their song ( and video ) that stuck in my head the most was Das Model .

 

 

 

It reached #1 in the UK in February , 1982 .

 

 

Here's the English version :

 

[MicCanberra]

An older song (1974) which seemed appropriate as the cars whizzed past us on the Autobaun . But their song ( and video ) that stuck in my head the most was Das Model .

 

It reached #1 in the UK in February , 1982 .

 

I like this one about cars from Gary Numan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldyx3KHOFXw

 

It reached #1 in the UK in 1979.

Edited August 15, 2016 by MicCanberra

[Moksha22]

Fabulous read. Thanks for sharing your time, pictures and memories. We will be on a similar itinerary on the Silhouette next May. Could I ask if the casino was shut the whole time you were docked at SPB?

[CruiserRob]

 

It's about a 3 hour ride non stop to Berlin and found myself humming the old Kraftwerk lyrics , Fun , fun , fun on the Autobaun .

 

 

Actually, the lyrics are "Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der Autobahn"

 

We drive drive drive on the Autobahn :D

[scubacruiserx2]

I like this one about cars from Gary Numan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldyx3KHOFXw

 

It reached #1 in the UK in 1979.

 

A real defining moment in the electric new wave / synthpop style of keyboard driven music ! The early predecessors that I think were influential on synthpop besides Kraftwerk , were Tangerine Dream , also from Germany and on the side of the Atlantic , Devo . Stevie Wonder and Gary Wright had great success also with keyboard driven music .

 

 

 

But of course the New Wave took on a much more edgy sound . :cool:

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Fabulous read. Thanks for sharing your time, pictures and memories. We will be on a similar itinerary on the Silhouette next May. Could I ask if the casino was shut the whole time you were docked at SPB?

 

I'm afraid that we can't help you , as we didn't gamble or go into that area while in SPB .

[scubacruiserx2]

Actually, the lyrics are "Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der Autobahn"

 

We drive drive drive on the Autobahn :D

 

Thank you CruiserRob for the literal translation .

 

Unfortunately , I've always had a Weird Al Yankovic mindset ( It must be a Slavic thing ) , which allows me a creative interpretation , and /or changing of , the literal lyrics . :confused:

 

 

Anyhow , I did read that Ralf Hütter , the lead singer, keyboardist, founding member and leader of the electronic-music band Kraftwerk , has said that The Beach Boys were an influence on the band, and seemed[to whom?] more open to the interpretation of the chorus as a homage to their song . Wikipedia

 

 

For us , because we weren't driving , and we were on vacation , it was fun , fun , fun watching some of the vehicles roar past ( Our grandson loved some of the exotic sports cars ) . Also , there was a spontaneous outburst of applause , by some people , when a local Polizei , had a car stopped which had passed us earlier , at a high rate of speed . :eek:

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

On our bus ride to Berlin we had exceeded the number of 24 people promised by SPB Tours .

 

Video clip of the Autobahn :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxN72_CQarg

 

 

But at our first at the Olympiastadion , we picked up our guide Heather , and broke up into 2 groups . We stayed on the bus and they transferred to another bus .

 

The stadium was home to the pre war Olympics , where Jessie Owens won 4 gold medals under Hitler's nose .

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympiastadion_(Berlin)

 

 

 

 

 

In the city now , Heather gives us some background history of Berlin :

 

 

 

Our first stop was at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

 

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Wilhelm_Memorial_Church

 

 

There are 2 churches here , the old one which was bombed in 1943 , and left intact and a new one .

 

 

 

 

First , the old .

 

 

 

 

 

Inside

 

 

[blueboo]

I'm afraid that we can't help you , as we didn't gamble or go into that area while in SPB .

 

I can help, yes it was closed the whole time in every port we docked in...does not open again until in international waters

[upwarduk]

I can help, yes it was closed the whole time in every port we docked in...does not open again until in international waters

 

Same as the onboard shops. You need to be 3 miles from land before they open, thereby not taking trade away from the towns people.

[MicCanberra]

That has been our experience with the shops and casinos on various cruise lines all around the world.

[scubacruiserx2]

Thank you everybody for the help . It does make sense , as we had seen a number of casinos in SPB .

[scubacruiserx2]

In the old church , there we a number of beautiful mosaics .

 

 

 

 

 

But in the new church , and the surrounding area , it was totally different and thoroughly modern .

 

 

 

 

Including a Tombak alloy Jesus .

 

 

 

You can see the modern surroundings and pay toilet which Pat found novel enough for couple of a photos . And don't forget your 50 cent coins !

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

At our next stop , Heather shared a photo and some history of our next site , The Reichstag building .

 

 

 

 

The Reichstag building (German: Reichstagsgebäude; officially: Deutscher Bundestag - Plenarbereich Reichstagsgebäude) is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the Imperial Diet (German: Reichstag), of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Diet until 1933, when it was severely damaged after it was set on fire. After World War II, the building fell into disuse; the parliament of the German Democratic Republic (the Volkskammer) met in the Palast der Republik in East Berlin, while the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany (the Bundestag) met in the Bundeshaus in Bonn.

 

The ruined building was made safe against the elements and partially refurbished in the 1960s, but no attempt at full restoration was made until after German reunification on 3 October 1990, when it underwent a reconstruction led by architect Norman Foster. After its completion in 1999, it once again became the meeting place of the German parliament: the modern Bundestag.

 

The term Reichstag, when used to connote a diet, dates back to the Holy Roman Empire. The building was built for the Diet of the German Empire, which was succeeded by the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic. The latter would become the Reichstag of **** Germany, which left the building (and ceased to act as a parliament) after the 1933 fire and never returned; the term Reichstag has not been used by German parliaments since World War II. In today's usage, the German word Reichstag (Imperial Diet Building) refers mainly to the building, while Bundestag (Federal Diet) refers to the institution.

 

Article from Wikipedia

 

 

 

The dedication translation means To the German people .

 

 

 

This was also the site of one of the most famous Soviet photographs of WW II .

 

 

 

We next walked about 10 minutes across a green area toward the Brandenburg Gate .

 

 

 

The double brick line in the street follows the path of the Berlin Wall .

 

 

 

[MicCanberra]

The double brick road reminds me of the various tourist routes in places like Boston and such, like the freedom walk, etc. Whenever I see something like this and do not know why I ask someone what it represents.

Edited August 16, 2016 by MicCanberra

[scubacruiserx2]

The double brick road reminds me of the various tourist routes in places like Boston and such, like the freedom walk, etc. Whenever I see something like this and do not know why I ask someone what it represents.

 

It's great that you have an inquiring mind Mic ! We had not noticed it until Heather pointed it out . She did a great job with the Cold War segment of the tour ! :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

At this point Heather stopped us and explained that this was where President Reagan have uttered his famous words " Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall! "

 

 

On this day you could a large screen where many people were gathering for the Group Stage games of the European Football Championship . At this point it used to be part of the British Sector when the city was still divided .

 

 

Photo from Stefan-XP and wikipedia

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate

 

 

It was raining steady and hard to take a photo of Pat and Ty without others in the photo .

 

 

 

On our left we noticed flowers and a memorial

 

 

 

 

They were in front of the American Embassy . Heather talked about the Embassy and Pariser Platz , while I was busy taking photos .

 

 

 

I was so busy that I didn't notice the flag at half mast , and as we left I privately asked Heather about the memorial . We hadn't yet heard about terrorist attack and shooting in Orlando . :(

 

[MicCanberra]

It sure was a sad thing with so many lives taken needlessly.:(

Edited August 16, 2016 by MicCanberra