My niece and her husband live in Lüneburg, an historical, attractive and livable town located about 31 miles from Hamburg. Lüneburg is located between the Elbe river and the Heathland. The Heathland or Heide (as it is called in German) is rural area with heather, juniper and farm houses covered with straw-thatched roofs. Lüneburg was not destroyed during the war and has retained its medieval character. It is one of the prettiest towns in northern Germany and dates back 1000 years. Lüneburg was once a very wealthy town thanks to its salt industry, which was the gold of the Middle Ages. In the town, you will find old magnificent buildings in northern German gothic style, and narrow alleyways. The old city hall was built in 1230 A.D. and today is still the city hall. I always enjoy my visits to Lüneburg because I get to spend some time with my niece and her husband. On previous visits, I have gone to the Salt Museum and water tower. After Lüneburg, my niece and I spent three wonderful days in Berlin. We arrived on a Friday and my niece invited two of her friends to enjoy the evening and have dinner together. I am a creature of habit and like to stay in the Mitte (the new center of Berlin). From here, I can walk to Museum Island and one of the opera houses. Unter den Linden is one of the main streets with the Brandenburger Tor and many more attractions. Our hotel, The Westin Grand Berlin has a grand lobby with a bar where we met my niece's friends for a drink. Then we went to a very "in" and super cool restaurant called Crackers for a wonderful dinner. The menu is diverse, fresh and modern. Someone on Trip Advisor described this place as a cool hip spot with stylish food, I agree! I had vegan ravioli with a hazelnut sauce that was delicious. I like going out with the younger generation and enjoy listening to their stories. On Saturday, we had a lazy morning and did some shopping in the afternoon. We had lunch at Galeries Lafayette, a French department store. They have a wonderful food section. In the evening, we went to the "Komische Oper," which is next to our hotel and saw Der Jahrmarkt von Sorotschinzi (translated as the Fair at Sorochyntsi), an opera by Mussorgsky. The chorus was fantastic, with some Ukrainian folk tunes that are incorporated into the opera. There is additional music composed by Rimsky-Korssakov. The lineup of folk archetypes includes a drunken father, a daughter, and a stepmother's aphrodisiac baking. She makes dumplings to keep her lover and has a bizarre encounter with an oven-ready turkey. A wonderful weekend goes by fast. On Sunday, we strolled along the Spree River visiting some open-air markets and the Alte Nationalgallerie at Museum Island. Museum Island is now a UNESCO world heritage site and I always enjoy a visit to one their beautiful museums. The Old National Gallery shows a collection of Neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork. You will find many famous names in this beautiful gallery like Cezanne, Renior and many more. This gallery was designed by Fridrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia in the 19th century, who dreamt of creating a "sanctuary for art and science". My favorite painting in the gallery is the "Little Princess of The Heath", die Heidenprinzeßchen by Fritz von Uhde. The little girl reminds me of myself, I like her attitude. What else is a girl to do when she sees some beautiful hats that are handmade by a local artist? Support the local artist of course! Soon, it was time to say good bye and this good bye was easy, because we knew we would see each other again in May in California. Whenever you are in Germany, try the curry wurst, a sausage slathered with ketchup and sprinkled with curry and paprika powder. Read more about Berlin here.
8 Comments
Gerlinde
6/19/2017 12:42:06 pm
You wouldn't recognize todays Berlin David. That city has gone through so many changes, even in my lifetime. It is amazing. There is a good book that tells the story of Berlin through a house. It is called " The House on the Lake " by Thomas Harding.
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6/20/2017 08:01:44 am
I think I need a good European vacation myself. Those old cities (so much older than anything we have here) remind you that whatever goes on in this world this world will go on. And those folk archetypes just reinforce that idea even more. GREG
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Gerlinde
6/21/2017 09:35:28 am
Europe is changing but they is still so much to do and see. The old Hanseatic towns in northern Germany are very pretty. I think among them Lübeck is the nicest but Lüneburg is nice also.
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6/21/2017 05:39:03 am
Another wonderful trip Gerlinde! My husband and I keep talking about flying into Munich, then heading to Austria. We just can't seem to finalize the plans but I would love to see this side of the world! Thanks for the tour - it only helps ignite my desire to travel more :)
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Gerlinde
6/21/2017 09:37:34 am
That sounds like a great idea to fly to Munich. If you go to Austria don't miss Salzburg and the Königssee in Germany. I also love Vienna , there is so much history.
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7/7/2017 11:51:46 am
Gerlinde, thank you for sharing this fabulous trip with us here. I could imagine myself there as you described all the wonderful sites and fun. (And I love hats :D ) Huge hugs.
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Gerlinde
7/7/2017 03:53:10 pm
Thanks Teagan, I always appreciate your kind comments. Those hats were a lot of fun .
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