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Published: September 27th 2016
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Driving into Sweden from the north, the main things you notice are millions of pine trees stretching out in every direction. After driving through northern Sweden for three days, the main things you notice are millions of pine trees stretching out in every direction!!! I am not saying it got monotonous, but after a while I couldn't tell if we had moved on at all or stuck in a continual loop!!! To pass the time we played I-spy . I spy something beginning with "t". I am sure you get the picture.
Amongst the multitude of pines there was a campsite. At this campsite were Sarah and Tabitha and a great bbq area, where after scavenging for wood and food and drinking far too much, we were treated to the amazing sight of the Northern Lights whilst stood on a beach with a glass of wine in hand - bliss.
To get away from the trees - who were becoming more triffid like - we sped to Stockholm for safety. Before any exploring took place, Cusco the Chief Spaniel decided he had not had enough attention in the last 30 minutes so developed a huge lump behind his ear,
so a trip to a vet ensued. Well, dear readers, this vet surgery would put many hospitals to shame, in fact, I started making a mental list of my ailments to discuss after he was treated. Of course, Cusco was in his element, being fussed over by three pretty Swedish women, he was turning his charm on to full effect. An infection was diagnosed and so antibiotics and anti-inflammatories were to be introduced to his diet.
We met up again with Sarah and Tabitha and it was clear that with Wendy they were conjuring up a cunning plan and soon announced it . Three words that struck terror in to my heart and sent Cusco scurrying away to hide - The Abba Museum - aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!! We left Stockholm the next day.
At Trelleborg we got on a ferry - which was handy as we were crossing the Baltic - to take us away from Scandinavia but left us with a lifetime of memories and deposit us in Rostock in northern Germany. A pleasant town where we experienced something that had been missing for a couple of months - the ability to sit in a town square, order two
beers and not have to worry about remortgaging the dog to pay for them!! What a relief to be back in such a sensible environment. Your correspondent had always wanted to visit Berlin and Leipzig, so that is what we did.
Under our new sponsorship deals with Lowenbrau and Bitburger a laden down Claude laboured to Berlin . A well placed campsite had been found, only a short distance from the trains and even closer to an Imbiss. Now,we had not discovered such a thing before but I was delighted to make aquaintance. An Imbiss is a small hut/shack with seating attached to the kitchen where good cheap food and cold beer is served. Your correspondent was able to treat Wendy to a chicken burger and chips and two pints of beer for only 6 euros - wow, was she impressed !!!
Berlin did not disappoint. The wall, checkpoint Charlie, The Reichstag, The Bundestag, museuems by the score and City beating United and Celtic hammering Rangers on the same day - marvellous. Wendy was a bit concerned that she would be not be able to deal with so much history to follow - a bad school teacher is
blamed - but she was very impressed (as was I) with the Berlin Wall memorial at Bernauer Strasse. A very simple but very evocative display that brought the history vividly to life. Berlin also provided Wendy with the very important re acquaintance with pretzels. Not the small crispy ones you get in a bag but the big, bready ones covered in salt that Germany make to perfection. It was with their sustenance that she returned to tower climbing at the beautiful cathedral while Cusco and I drank beer and decided which part of this amazing city to explore next. A trip to the Reichstag was booked but was only allowed in to the futuristic glass dome on top of the building which told the history of the parliament as well as giving amazing views of the city. Brandenburg Gate is one of those places, that no matter where you walk to, you always end back there - either that or my map reading skills are crap.
Leipzig was next - the City of Heroes. It was here that the Peaceful Revolution began that led to the collapse of the GDR, the Stasi and the knocking down of the Berlin
wall. The Monday demonstrations and things as simple as people playing music in public, began a groundswell that became irresistible and the rest was, as they say, history. We walked the cobbled streets and imagined those events. I visited a museum called Runde Ecke which was in the old Stasi headquarters which was such an eye opener on how this secret police service operated.
Coming up in the next blog !!!! Wendy flies back to UK and leaves Gordon and Cusco in Munich, in the middle of Oktoberfest, on their own - what could possibly go wrong ?????
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
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