Potsdam and Berlin

Took a few extra days off work last weekend and went back to Berlin for four days. Man, I love that city!

My friend and former co-worker Toni was in the Netherlands all week on business. After her week of work, she planned another week of play and we meet for the weekend in Berlin.

I took her to all the usual spots -- Brandenburg Gate, the Parliament and Reichstag/Bundestag, Unter den Linden, Potsdamer Platz, Friedrichstraße and all the shopping there, KaDeWe, Ku'damm, the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche -- but my favorite destination this weekend was a new one for me -- Potsdam.

It is a short S-Bahn trip from Berlin to Potsdam -- and worth the trip. The city grew in importance during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was the location of the summer palace of the Prussian royal family and the majority of the great buildings were built during Frederick the Great's reign 1740-1786.

It has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status. I was amazed by the architecture and gardens at Sanssouci, but there is great variety of architecture in the city itself. If you are in Berlin, do not miss Potsdam. (Sorry, Bill and Tj. -- I wish we'd gone there this summer when you were here!)

See my new Berlin and Potsdam pics at the Picasa link.

On the Wednesday before my trip to Berlin, Dave made carrot cake for my birthday (my favorite!) and had us over to their place to celebrate. We had a good time -- although, for the life of me, I'm not sure why I brought champagne. Every time I drink it, I remember why I don't like it. Good champagne, rot-gut champagne -- it all gives me a headache that night and the next day. No other liquor has quite the same effect on me. I can drink beer all night and just have a dry mouth the next morning. But a few glasses of champagne and I'm poppin' Advils like they're M&Ms....

-T