The last week (and final post)

We‘ve started the countdown for our return home to Savannah and are spending the final week in Berlin.  My sister, Debbie has joined us and we‘ve been to a lot of Christmas markets both in Hamburg and Berlin.  Before we left Hamburg we visited the Elbphilharmonie which is the home of Hamburg‘s symphony orchestra as well as a landmark in the harbor.  Debbie and I went up the viewing platform which is about halfway up the building and where you get a spectacular view of the

Elbphilharmonie in the background

Harbor and downtown Hamburg.

We also visited the Christmas market in the St. Pauli with was billed as x-rated.  Maybe we were too early in the evening, but it was pretty tame.  The market at the Hamburg City Hall was much better and actually had some craftspeople interspersed among the many, many Glühwein stands.

The Dom - Berlin

Our train trip to Berlin was uneventful and we‘ve been here for five days.  There are a ton of Christmas markets, although with a few exceptions, they all seem to have the same products.  We have accumulated a number of different Gluwein/Eggnog mugs which I‘m hoping United Airlines does not destroy on the trip home.

We made a trip to the wall today - it‘s still an eerie reminder of a harsh period of history.

Remains of the Berlin Wall