Friday 31st from Berlin to Hamburg

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John rented a bike from Donkey Republic early in the morning and bicycled to the Reichstag, past the Brandenburg Gate, into the Tiergarten park, around Potsdamer Platz and along the Unter den Linden back to the hotel. Before going the last mile, John bicycled through an area around Nikoaikirche church (with its two spires and clocks) just south of Alexander Platz which is filled with little eateries and fun shops. Perhaps we’ll visit this area when we return to Berlin.

Hotels, Restaurants and Services we visited in Berlin:

· Hotel Alexander Plaza, Rosenstraße 1, Berlin, Germany Tel: + 49 30 24001 0. Nice location and clean rooms with a good breakfast but hallways are a little shoddy.

· Hauptstadrestaurant Gendarmerie, Behrenstrasse 42, 10117 Berlin, Germany Tel: [phone]. Good prices for a nice lunch and close to the stores and the main shopping area (across from Galleria Lafayette).



· Donkey Republic bicycle rental app, www.donkey.bike, good for cities throughout Europe. Easy to use and affordable.




..... Off to the train and Hamburg.

What an easy trip it was and we arrived just after noon. After a check-in at the hotel, John took off to register at the Convention Center. It wasn’t a very happy looking space – more like airplane hangers – but it should work when filled with Rotarians. We decided to wander down to the center of town where we were to meet a group of Rotarians from the Bay Area for a drink. Both of us were impressed with the shops, the young energy of the city, and the nice sunny afternoon.

Having met up with the Rotary gang and had a nice drink we were invited to dinner with Dan and Bob and a few others. The recommendation – Casa di Roma – came from a new member of the Club and was terrific. Peggy, John and the table drank far too much wine, which we felt the next day.

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