Let's take a ride. Here we wait on the platform.

NEXT  
Here comes our train! The next series of photos were all taken from the 'hanging train'. The train follows the Wupper River. You get good views of the streets below. The river makes a big bend and so does the train.
We got off after going through several stations and - then waited for a train to return to our starting point. We got a seat near the front so we could get a view through the driver's windows. The train follows the twists and turns of the river. Gliding over the city streets We pass businesses and apartment buildings.
The main rail station of Wuppertal where we got off the train. A view of the countryside as seen from the car window. We follow Route 7 east toward Gottingen where we will stop for the night. Friday, August 13: - - After a nice breakfast at the hotel in Gottingen that was included in the price of the room, we went to the local shopping mall to find a cash machine. We checked out the mall, noticing lots of the same stores we have here, found the cash machine and then got on the road for Berlin. - - Here's an interesting side note. When we got home we noticed on our bank statements that the cash machine we used was a Bank of America ATM. Didn't know they had any in Germany! It had the name of a German bank on it. - - We drove through some beautiful country as we headed into the Harz mountains. We noted the place where we crossed from the former West Germany into the former East Germany. You can still see the differences and the East German section seems a lot older and more run down, although they're working to bring it all up to standard. The buildings are a slightly different style... more boxy and all looking alike, all with red tile roofs and beige or tan stucco walls. We also noticed that there are no homes out in the farm land. All are within the town boundaries. You enter a town and immediately see homes and businesses. You travel a mile or two and see the sign that shows the end of the town and then there are no more homes or businesses. You're back in the farm country or the hills again. - - We stopped in the town of Wernigerode, noted in our guide as a beautifully preserved town with a medieval center, a unique rathaus (city hall) and lively market. - - We then headed for Magdeburg where we would get on the autobahn for the drive into Falkensee, the suburb of Berlin where Frank and Dan live. We stopped in Magdeburg and filled up the gas tank, got some snacks and took a break. The gas cost us 66 euros or $80! Gas is very expensive in Europe. - - As we drove toward Berlin the sky darkened and it started to rain. About 20 minutes from Falkensee we hit a thunderstorm with a driving downpour, and we could hardly see the road. Luckily, everyone slowed way down. When it let up we continued on, but just as we got off the highway and on the city streets of Falkensee we got hit with another downpour, more lightning and thunder. When we got in front of Frank and Dan's home we had to wait for the rain to let up before we could get out of the car. - - Frank and Dan built their home just in the past two years and have been doing a lot of the work themselves. They're not finished, but what they have done looks great. The woodwork, walls and tile are beautifully done. - - We brought our bags in, we visited and then had dinner. A typical German town like many we passed through. Note how - everyone parks on the side walk since there's not enough room on the street.

[ Europe Trip in August 2004 ]
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