Lyndon at our hotel in London London Trafalgar square: The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars. The Queen's Guards are all part of the Household Division who have guarded the Sovereign and the Royal Palaces since 1660 There are two dismounted sentries on duty until the gates are shut at 8pm, when only one sentry is left on guard until 7am when the second sentry returns on duty. Westminister Abby inside the Abby A view of Big Ben with the London Eye in the background. Mark with the London Eye behind him Lyndon on the London eye Lyndon inside of the London eye The London Eye can carry 800 passengers per revolution - equivalent to 11 London red doubled-decker buses Each rotation takes about 30 minutes The London Eye can carry 800 passengers per revolution You can see around 40KM (25 miles) from the top as far as Windsor Castle on a clear day Each of the 32 capsules weighs 10 tonnes. Mark enjoying a pint at a local pub Our visit to the Tower of London Our visit to the Tower of London Where the keep the crown jewels (behind Mark) view of the Tower Bridge At least six ravens are kept at the Tower at all times, in accordance with the belief that if they are absent, the kingdom will fall. The construction work on Tower Bridge was completed in 1894. Mark enjoying a pint at the Fox and Anchor Views from on top of St. Paul's Cathedral Views from on top of St. Paul's Cathedral Views from on top of St. Paul's Cathedral Views from on top of St. Paul's Cathedral Lyndon making a call or changing into Superman! British National Museum The Rosetta Stone in the British National Museum
Our room in Berlin The view of the street from our room in Berlin Lyndon in front of our hotel entry way Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche - bombed out churh form WWII, basically the shell of the curch exists today as a reminder. KaDeWe department store in Berlin. A 'must see' if in Berlin. Mark - near Tiergarten We're enjoying some brews at the Café am Neuen See, near Tiergarten Beer is one of the 4 food groups in Germany
This is a bier (beer) bike; powered by everyone onboard. Lyndon and our guide (Jeremy) at the Berlin train station. Chancellery Building Reichstag Building Our guide, Jeremy, standing next to where the Berlin wall once stood (near the Reichstag). The famous Brandenburg Gate Holocaust Memorial, Berlin is made up of 2,711 gray stone slabs that bear no markings, such as names or dates. Brews at the Zur Letzten Instanz restaurant, dating back to 1621 Did you know that beer is cheaper than bottled water in Berlin? Lyndon at Alexanderplatz station. Arriving in Potsdam for the day This is the building where the Big 4 (allies) held the famous Potsdam conference. Lyndon in the middle of Potsdam, main street. We stopped into a cute little restaurant for lunch, oh yeah, and a beer. SEE!! We really did eat lunch! Sanssouci palace, the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam New Palace (German: Neues Palais) is a palace situated on the western side of the Sanssouci royal park in Potsdam. This is the park preceeding the palace. The Orangery Palace (German: Orangerieschloss) is also known as the New Orangery on the Klausberg, or just the Orangery. Prater Beer Garten in East Berlin Prater Beer Garten in East Berlin Brandenburg gate in the evening hours oops. When you gotta go, they're convenient. The whole thing sprays itself down inside when you exit. Supposedly the granite used in this subway station was in Hitler's Reichstag. So it is said... Our line to get into the Reichstag. Berlin government buildings. Emphasis is placed on glass being part of many rebuilt buildings, expressing an 'open' and airy feeling. more government buildings Reichstag The crosses represent people who were shot down as they tried to swim across to West Berlin during the cold war. Even Germany's constitution is imprinted on glass to add 'transparancy' to their government. Lyndon in the Brandenburg gate area. View of the Berlin Television tower from the top of Französischer Dom (French church) Mark at the Checkpoint Charlie Typical look of buildings in East Berlin. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. part of the Berlin wall, known as the 'Artists Walls'. This stretches for quite a distance, this is a small sampling of the varioius art expressions. Berlin Television Tower, right before we went up. views from the Berlin Television Tower views from the Berlin Television Tower views from the Berlin Television Tower views from the Berlin Television Tower Oh wait, another Brewhouse. Let's stop in and have a beer! An actual part of the Berlin wall, still in tact, with a watch tower. Sightseeing is exhausting and burns many carbs so it's time to replenish. a view of a rainy and cold day on top of the Frauenkirche in Dresden All of that rain and cold made us thirsty for a beer in Dresden. Lyndon in Dresden Yippi! We're on the way to Prague! Our hotel room in Prague, about 1/2 block from the old City Center. Nice bathroom! What? We're drinking Budweiser?!??
It can't be! It's really 'Budvar' which is quite different than American Budweiser, yet is is also known by that name. Mark enjoying his Budvar! A view of Prague. Note the ugly 'Radio Tower' in the distance (build under Soviet occupation). A view of the Tyn Church, from the top of the Old Town Hall. Our hotel room was 1/2 block down from the church. The street to the left of the church. A view of the square Prague Castle in the distance. This is the largest castle complex in the world. A view of the Petrin Observation Tower from the Prague Castle complex. Alfons Mucha, the Czech Art Nouveau painter, was resposible for new stained glass windows for the north wall of the cathedral during the 20th century. Prague Castle (church outside). Entrance to the castle complex. We stopped for lunch at U Cerneho Vola. I swear there is food there but you just can't see it! Now we're up at the Petrin Observation tower looking back at Prague Castle. A view of Tyn Church from the Petrin Observation Tower. Lyndon with the Petrin Observation Tower in the background. Mark & Lyndon on the grounds near the tower. A sampler plate at Prague Brew Pub, Pivovarsky Dum Having a brew at Pivovar Cesky Krumlov (restaurant) See, we really were at a restaurant! Further evidence being the name of the restaurant! Lyndon walking in Cesky Krumlov Some skeletal remains, in a dungeon'esque room of the old Castle Tower. Some views of the Ceskly Krumlov area from the top of the old Castle Tower More views of the Ceskly Krumlov area from the top of the old Castle Tower More views of the Ceskly Krumlov area from the top of the old Castle Tower Walking the streets of Cesky Krumlov The Astronomical Clock, built in to one side of the Old Town Hall Tower, dates from the 15th century. Schnitzel and Beer! Yummm. Lyndon on the main street in Prague. A nightime view of the Old Town Hall tower Our hotel room in the Cerny Slon, 3rd floor, 3rd room to the right (window open) We've arrived at the Czech Beer Festival in Prague! Lyndon ordering up a beer from our lovely fraulein. This is a very sad picture :( You pay for everything in the festival with 'Tolars' There is a Tolar up close Beer and soup! This is what happens when you have too many beers and loose Tolars laying around. Mark spots a beauty across the beer hall and decides he must have her! Be careful of what you wish for! These guys were from London and were an absolute hoot!! After this picture, everyone else wanted to get in on the action so she was quite busy kissing cheeks! OK. So Europeans are not prudes like Americans. This is the the way we do our business when there is lots of beer involved. Lyndon is riding the goose ride. Again, lots of beer and goose rides nearby is not necessarily a good thing. Back in Prage, old town square, this guy looks like he's mad at me for taking his picture. Picture of Charles Bridge in the background. A stop in Regensburg, on our way to Munich. Dom St Peter (a Gothic church built in the 1300s on the site of earlier cathedrals) The town square in Regensburg It was getting pretty warm already so we needed something to cool us off. This is part of a surviving Roman Wall in Regensburg Steinerne Brucke (Stone Bridge), across the Danube, looking back on the main part of Regensburg Another view of Regensburg from across the river. We have arrived in Munich! Lyndon, in front of Augistiner brewhaus at Marianplatz Glockenspiel at Marianplatz top part of the Glockenspiel Lyndon at the Seehaus Biergarten in the Englischer Garten Truly a site that makes you want to cry. Today was a great day in the park (Englischer Garten) The park covers 3.73 square kilometers which makes it the largest city park in Europe and larger than New York's Central Park (3.4 square kilometers) Fresh produce in the Viktualienmarkt, near Marianplatz. another shot of the Viktualienmarkt Sendlinger Tor (erected in 1318 by Ludwig the Bavarian as one of the four town gates belonging to a second ring of fortifications) Lyndon enjoying a Hefe at the Andechs Kloster (Monastery) which is a working monastery and dates back to the 10th century. A view of the outside of the monastery A view of the inside of the church in the monastery. When in Munich, one must fulfill a visit to the Hofbrau Haus Lyndon enjoying a liter Schwarzbier, or black beer' at the Hofbrau Haus. That's a big pretzel! Lunch at the Berggasthof Obersalzburg, which is at the base of Hitler's Eagle's Nest Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest' was designed and built for Adolf Hilter's 50th Birthday by his personal secretary and Head of the Nazi Party Chancellery Martin Bormann. The view on top of Eagle's Nest The view on top of Eagle's Nest The tunnel that leads to the elevator going up to Eagle's Nest A view of the Alps from our balcony in Garmish Another view of the Alps, the highest peak in Germany is Zugspitze. Walking around in Garmish Garmish Lyndon having a beer at the Bistro Cafe Max Lyndon in front of the Bistro Cafe Max Moonrise over the Alps and from our balcony! Awwwwww. :)
Lake Plansee - in the Tyrol, Austria Lake Plansee - in the Tyrol, Austria
Note the emerald green color of the lake Neuschwanstein Castle, royal palace in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the most famous of three royal palaces built for Louis II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig This fairytale look of the Neuschwanstein castle inspired Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom. Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge) crosses a large gorge, with steep cliffs on both sides and has a great view of Neuschwanstein castle. Gasthof Engel in Lindau, dates back to the 12th century. Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island in the eastern part of the Lake Constance, the Bodensee. The entrance to the Lindau harbor on Lake Constance in Germany, features a Lighthouse and statue of a lion. The view from our room at Hotel am Rathaus in Freiburg. Note the lttle water canal. They are everywhere in Freiburg. These canals, called called 'Bachle', are something unique to Freiburg. These miniature canals have pure water running thru them and provide natural cooling and pleasant gurgling sounds. Street performer in Freiburg Consecrated in 1513, having taken over 300 years to build, Freiburg Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Streets of Freiburg Freiburg city garden (park) Lyndon with the Cathedral in the background. Freiburg was founded by Konrad and Duke Bertold III of Zähringen in 1120 as a free market town; hence its name, which translates to 'free (or independent) town' Small brass tablets bearing the names of Holocaust victims are embedded in the pavement throughout the old city of Freiburg. Mark looking down from our hotel room. On the drive to Heidelburg, through the black forest, we spotted a cow that had too many biers.
(note the one in front) Lunch at Triberg at Zur Lilie in Triberg, on our way through the black forest, to Heidleburg. This is the town that boasts the world's largest cuckoo clock! And here is the worlds largest cuckoo clock! Cuckoo clocks rule the tourist industry in this Bavarian forest town. A shot of the Black Forest road and we drove many miles of it. Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany Lyndon in front of the Heidelberg Market Square The Heidelberg Castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. OK, so it was a hot day. This was the best schnitzel house. Period. Like the menu says, over 100 varieties of schnitzel! We both had schnitzel stuffed with something or another. Both entrees were yummy. The Church of the Holy Spirit and accomanying nearby plaza. The Alte Bruecke (Old Bridge) spans the beautiful Neckar River. Over the years, Heidelberg Castle has been undergoing a steady dose of renovation, one tower at a time. Going home in First Class.Html Slideshow by VisualLightBox.com v3.2