More Berlin

Peter’s family once had a monkey named Zippy. Far and wide, everyone has heard of him, so we were not at all surprised to find his likeness here at KaDeWe, the largest department store in Europe. Ingrid considered buying this lamp for Peter’s sister but better judgement— and Peter’s screaming— prevailed.

Potzdammer Platz again where Ingrid and Peter found a Nordsee chain to buy more Matjes herring.

A view north on our street. Note the red awning and further up the street (to the left of the photo) a red car.

The red car is parked to the left of our door, the white door to the right of the red door. The second story from the top is our story, but our apartment is in back, viewing the courtyard.

A memorial in Wittlohe. Visit with the Spoering/Landwehr family. Return to Berlin.

Our friend enlisted in the army at age 17. He is seen here in an interview by a member of the church community of Wittlohe. This along with other exhibits, such as letters from soldiers, is meant to illustrate for the younger generation the pain and suffering of war and to serve as a warning.

You’ll remember from earlier posts the idyllic picture of the kayakers on the Aller River and also that thirteen English soldiers drowned in the river near Otersen in WW II. This photo is of the British crossing into Otersen.

The local church community, worried about climate change, in 2010 began planting trees, fully aware that this a very small gesture. Here is Willie with one of his daughters.

The house where we had dinner with her family last night, Monday, the 12th of August.

Back in Berlin, on the way to see the Brandenburg Gate, we examine our images on a screen in the subway station.

Built two hundred years ago the Brandenburg Gate stood for twenty-eight years between East and West Berlin.

Far in the background is the television tower—der lange Lulatsch—that was a symbol of east Berlin.

The Berlin Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Holocaust Memorial, is near the Brandenberg Gate. (More about this later.)

In Verden

Verden. Pop. around 16,000 Many riding shows held here. This view of the pedestrian way which traverses all of the old town.

The cathedral of Maria and Caecelia. A mixture of Roman and early Gothic architecture.

The Johannes church in Roman style.

A memorial to former Jewish residents who were sent to various concentration camps.

The old town hall.

The oldest house in Verden, built 1577.

In the fields of Otersen

Preparing the barn for a belated 50th and 18th year birthday party for Steffen and his son.

Recently built landing on a small lake on Steffen’s land..

Fields of Otersen

Kayakers on the Aller river.

Twenty-four days before the end of WWII, the war came to Otersen. Between April 4th and April 10th, 43 residents of Otersen went missing or were killed. This gravestone in one of 29 in a small graveyard for soldiers whose homes were in Otersen. Hans Lenkersdorf died at 18. Nearby in the Aller river thirteen English soldiers drowned. Fifty million died in WW II.

Trip to Otersen, founded 782, half way between Hanover and Bremen, older than Berlin

Niedersaechsischer Baustil. Lower Saxony farm house bult late seventeenth century. Typical for Otersen where once twenty-two farms thrived but now only four remain.

Our gracious hosts rented this timbered vacation house for us.

Side view.

Our living room.

Our hostess’s father and sons were, as you can see, hunters. (different house)

One of our hosts and his father-in-law, age 92.

Third day in Berlin.

Known to every American over seventy: Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra. Where are they? Not in Las Vegas, but hanging over our dining room table..

In Amsterdam we learned how to dry clothing, so except for the lone sock, it went off without a hitch today. Peter swam in the morning (pool very crowded). Peter and Ingrid shopped at Karstadt and the following picture shows their most important purchase: Matjes herring.

Second day in Berlin

Viewed from our window at night. Interpretation up to you.

Three techies ignoring each other.

Typical light-hearted Berlinerin playing with her granddaughter’s toy grocery store (Kaufladen)

First day in Berlin on the Kastanienallee (Chestnut Alley)

Our street.

This young woman lives down the street from us and is almost as rusty as we are.

Our kitchen

Our balcony.

Long day. We’re tuckered out. Going to bed.

Second Day in Iceland. Trip to Reykjavik

We found it interesting that many of the people who provided services were from elswhere. The chef at our hotel was from Poland, the server from Cypress (we spoke a few words with him in Greek.) We purchased a sweater from a clerk from Portugal.

We took a one hour bus ride from the airport to Reykjavik. This is The Water Carrier (1937) by Asmundur Sveinsson, honoring hard-working women.

Modelling a sweater.

Shopping area.

We considered buying a drone for everyone on our gift list but didn’t like the color scheme.

Short stay in Iceland.

Fishing docks in Keflavik

The yellow disks hold fishing lines with multiple hooks. Please note that these four pictures were taken on the 5th of August in Keflavik.