Dublin, March 2022

Our second trip to Denmark to pick up belongings of one of our humans was scheduled for the first two and a half weeks of March. This would be our second trip following our first trip to Denmark in September 2021.

Again, this time we would be driving to Gilleleje, a small town north of Copenhagen and returning to Dublin. It would be a 4,860 kilometer drive. and we'd be visiting 7 countries including detours to Berlin and Paris.

Click each photo to enlarge

From Celle near Hanover we headed east om the motorway. On the way we stopped at Checkpoint Alpha, one of the border crossings when Germany was divided. Back then, east and west were kept strictly apart by fences and walls.

Marienborg, Germany, Mar 2022

At Checkpoint Alpha cars would line up to have papers checked. There were strict control to enter East Germany

We arrived Berlin for a 3 day stay at the Schlosshotel Berlin. Our list was long of things we wished to see in this world city.

Schlosshotel Berlin, Berlin, Mar 2022

In the morning, Roger got up early to enjoy a bath. He was humming and feeling content.
"Why does he always have to sing?" Tom complained from the bed as he was trying to sleep a bit more.

We took the train from Grünwald to the city centre. Our first stop was a at the Reichtag, the German Parliament.

Berlin, Germany, Mar 2022

Next, we went to the Brandenburg Gate. It's was built late 1700 hundreds. This monument became famous by the end of World War 2 and became a symbol of the German division during the cold war, which started in the 1950s.

As we walked down town, we walked on Gertrud Kolmar Street and passed a car park. This is where the Führer's bunker was located during the Second World War. The bunker was apparently demolished in 1947, so nothing is left today. But the place is now said to be the most photographed car park in the world.

Schlosshotel Berlin, Germany, Mar 2022

After a long day of sightseeing, we enjoyed the lounge in the evening.
"You know," Roger said, "this would be a very appropriate place for my tapestry to be on display. It could hang just under the ceiling."
"Are you sure you that's what you want?" McBear asked. "People might shorten it further to get notes everytime there's a bill to be paid..."

The next day we went to Potsdam. It's a suburban city southwest of Berlin. Here, among other things, we went to see Neue Palais (the New Palace) in the same park as the Sanssouci Castle. The New Palace was the last residence of the Prussian emperor, Frederick the Great.

Potsdam, Germany, Belgium, Mar 2022

The palace is said to have been completed in 1769 after the end of the Seven Year War, 1756-1763. After the Second World War, during the time of East Germany, the palace feel into decay, and it's only after the downfall of the iron curtain in 1989 that the palace is being restored back to its former splendor.

Having spent some days in Berlin, we headed north to the old city of Rostock. From here, we sailed with Scandlines to Falster and drove up to Gilleleje north of Copenhagen. Here, we are waiting in the queue for our ferry to Falster in Denmark.

Gilleleje, Denmark, Mar 2022

Finally, we arrived Gilleleje north of Copenhagen. Here, we met up with our old friend, Baltazar, whom we knew from December 2000, when we spent the Christmas together. We told Baltazar of all we had seen on the way. We also told him about the tapestry which had caused us certain issues, especially how to keep it together. Baltazar said he had an idea for the perfect tapestry. He left and came back with ... a roll of toilet paper!
"Toilet pap... what?" Roger said with horror in his voice.
McBear was quick to interfere.
"Baltazar, that is such a splendid idea! I am sure it will make a terrific tapestry."
"And there's already an pattern printed on it - and nobody will be asking for notes to pay for bills and the likes." Tom applauded.
Baltazar was delighted.
"How many tapestries do you want? I am sure we can fill up your car boot with rolls in case one tapestry should get lost."
"For now, one is enough... we have to think of all the items and boxes we are here to pick up and stuff into the car..."

Maastricht, Holland, Sep 2021

Having stuffed our car with old belongings, we left Gilleleje and headed southwest. We stayed a single night near Hamburg and then arrived Vashartelt just north of Maastricht in Holland. It's an old castle rebuilt into a hotel.

From Maastricht we headed southwest to... Paris! Our humans wanted to to some additional sightseeing of places they hadn't visited before. We stayed at the Hampton by Hilton in Clichy. Here we are at the Arc d'Triumph. We had actually been here twice before, but each time at winter time and the photos turned out crap. This time - the third - was no better; it was overcast and late in the day and the photo is, as you can see, dark and it's... crap!
"Thank God we have a decent shot of me at the Eiffel Tower", Roger noticed.

We went to see the Pantheon Church. It's huge.

Paris, France, Mar 2022

McBear was excited to study the massive 47 kg pendulum slowly swinging from side to side. The pendulum is hanging down 67 meters from the top of the dome. The pendulum was used to prove that the Earth is spinning around its own axis once a day. The pendulum will start at say at the 10 am marker and during a full day one can notice how the pendulum will move to a different marker with no intereferes of any kind - only the Earth's own rotation.
"This is fascinating," McBear said.
"Captivating!" Roger added. "And you could stand here the full day waiting on the pendulum to move?"

Our last stop before the ferry back to Ireland was at the village square in Saint-Mere Eglise just south of Cherbourg. We had been here last year as part of our tour in Normandy to see some of the landing sites of the famous 1944 invasion. Our photographer had realized that there was no photos of us in Saint-Mere Eglise, so he wanted to take the opportunity to compensate for the lacking photo.