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Vogelsburg

Vogelsburg

When I told Siegi that I wanted to do some cycling, he recommended villages along the Main river. Today, we checked into a hotel called Vogelsburg, near Volkach. You’ll probably have to look for it on a map. but that’s a good thing.

Vogelsburg has an excellent restaurant,

Tempelhof

Tempelhof

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Bzzzzzzt! We’re back in Berlin (not really, but for purposes of this narrative). Specifically in the former American sector of West Berlin at one of the largest buildings in the world: Tempelhof Airport.

If really big empty buildings are your thing, you are going to love these photos. The

One, at last!

One, at last!

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As I’ve said before, I’m not a great photographer. I just snap what I see in order to share with you. But every now and then I manage to take one that I think is pretty good.
242 Steps of Fun

242 Steps of Fun

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It was not our first climb up a bell tower, but it was the first time the attendant seemed skeptical that we could make it to the top. I must be looking old.

The Naumburg Treasures

The Naumburg Treasures

After we left the cathedral, we walked to the other side of the cloister to have a look at the so-called treasures held by the cathedral. And who would not call them treasures after seeing these exquisite paintings and carvings?

Consider the centuries that have passed since these objects were

A Difference of Opinion

A Difference of Opinion

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When my grandfather returned to Kentucky after living in France for two years, friends asked his impressions of life abroad. His reply, “If you’ve seen one cathedral, you’ve seen them all.”

There are days when I would agree with him, but today was not one of those days.

Karwe at last

Karwe at last

Late in the day, our meandering course took us to Karwe, a village on the banks of the Ruppiner See. Once again, we find ourselves at a former large farm. Same story. Post-GDR the property is restored to a buyer with sufficient funds. Maybe the family of the pre-GDR owner,
Lunch with the Classics

Lunch with the Classics

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While in Rheinsberg, we had lunch at a fish restaurant beside the lake. For reasons that no one could explain, local artists have constructed a scene from the Odyssey along the lake shore. Here we see Odysseus struggling to resist the sirens’ song.
A Journey… (cont.)

A Journey… (cont.)

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Let’s have a look at another way that private property was reused by the GDR.

The village oh Rheinsberg is best known for Rheinsberg Palace and it’s surrounding park. Like many palaces, this one has housed a lot of privileged people. The ones that most interest us are

Amplemann

Amplemann

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I first met “little traffic light man” while cycling through the GDR in 1990. He’s the equivalent of the Walk/Don’t Walk signals at home. Amplemann is hard not to like, with his jaunty walk and his hat.

I was not the only one to take a liking

A Journey to the East

A Journey to the East

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It’s easy to think of Germany as a single country. Reunification happened a long time ago, right?

Imagine your country forcefully divided, each half operating under very different forms of government. Children grow up with different values, different expectations. These differences don’t go away because a treaty was

Livin’ High

Livin’ High

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You say you’ve dined at the Jules Verne in Paris? They know you by name at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans? You yawn when the duck is served in Beijing?

Bah. Your life is not complete until you’ve had currywurst at Curry 36 in Kreuzberg.

Treptower Park

Treptower Park

Soviet troops were the first to reach Berlin during the war and it cost them dearly. This immense memorial was built to honor their sacrifice. Over 9000 are buried here in anonymous graves.

To the cynical Western eye, there seems to be quite a bit of propaganda to promote the

Damn, damn, damn…

Damn, damn, damn…

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You know how you plan, you pack, then when you arrive you discover that you left your socks behind?

Well, I forgot to show you photos from a visit on a sunny English afternoon to Flatford Mills, where John Constable painted some of his best-known works.

Don’t know the