Travelog for: Günther

Hello folks,
I safely arrived at home, it was very comfortable to cuddle with Paul 2 , thank you hostdad 

many faces looked at me as my box has been opened....Philly, B.o.B., Mr. Lemony, *coco*, Dr.Kröbner and my old friend Mr.Shaun.
I am just arrived at the right time,  tomorrow is a surgery and all rely on my expertise as an anesthetist, I  do not know how they come up with this idea, ok, I be well schooled in rum, and I also have a calming voice 

Hi folks,

Last weekend we made a trip into the capital city of Germany – Berlin

I was the navigator on the road





dad had to take part by a sailingboat race on the Müggelsee.  I think it was something special…. I saw a lot of different numberplates from Europe at the cars and many crazy boats and peoples.







  That was to thrilling for me and I persuade mum to go downtown Berlin.
After riding by bus and train we saw the river Spree




the Reichstag building, after its completion in 1999, it once again became the meeting place of the German parliament: the modern Bundestag.






  In such a huge town it is impossible to visit the interesting places in one day, so we continue the sightseeing for the next two days.

on the top of the Berlin tv-tower 207 metres high



Suddenly, in a showcase I saw a blue shimmer, so nosey as I am I take a look and what´s that!!!!  Lots of blue plushy elephants…. and I feel in my bones I had seen tham before...and when I came closer I saw that there were a lot more plush friends....Alex_Squirt, Chalon, Crawfish, Fiete, DuDette, Gwenelle, Kuzma........ 



We spend an exiting afternoon in a coffeebar with a lot of plushy stories from our journeys

Kisses
Günther

Mommy!!! Didn't you notice that I'm not at home? Don't you miss me? I'm really confused!

In the morning after the meeting I got up very late. The whole time I heard familiar voices in the travelbag so I felt really relaxed. When I crawled out I realized that I wasn't at home! I was in the wrong bag! Didn't you notice that Mom? I don't remember what happened after the meeting.


In the afternoon Alex showed us a postcard he got from his brother Phog who is in Finland. He told us about the finnisch language on the card: "Kesäterveiset Jyväskylästä!" Alex told us that "kesä" means "summer", "terveiset" means "greetings", Jyväskylä is the city where Phog is and the ending -stä means where it comes from. So the whole sentence (just 2 words!) means "Summergreetings from Jyväskylä". Mommy, I learnt some Finnish!


I already started to like my new roommates. 

Günther

I´m sooo happy to see that you are ok, my little stripegecko...so enjoy your time in Berlin
everything is fine ...

we love you

Hey Mommy,

today Alex asked me what I visited the last weekend. I showed him on a map! I think he was confused!



Then he allowed me to take some driving lessons. It was funny, but I failed. Maybe I'll do my license!




In the evening I went to the famous Ku'damm (short form of Kurfürstendamm)! It is one of the most famous avenues in Berlin. The street takes its name from the former Kurfürsten (prince-electors) of Brandenburg. This very broad, long boulevard is full of shops, houses, hotels and restaurants. In particular, many fashion designers have their shops there! The avenue with four lines of plane trees runs for 3.5 km (2.2 mi) through the western Berlin.


Günther

PS: Mommy, Daddy, brothers & sisters: I love you!

Hello Mommy,

that little freaky hamster called Chalon left today for his first big journey! He is traveling to Bruchsal.

First he wrote a card for his new host. I was surprised that he's able to write!


When he packed some chocolate into his bag Alex get angry. He told him to take candies instead of chocolate because of the heat.




Fiete gave him a little cow as a talisman for his first journey and I gave him a book about his basic rights in the EU.



Then he left. Good luck little Chalon!


Günther

Hey Mommy,

we did a short stop-over in Halle/Saale, the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Its early history is connected with harvesting of salt.
The town was first mentioned in 806. According to historic documents, the city of Halle has been a member of the Hanseatic League at least since 1281.
This is one of the shopping areas. In case of the heat there weren't so many people.


The city is called "City of the 5 towers" and here you can see "the towers above the city" (as a building is named).
Four towers (on the left) belong to the Market Church St. Mary (Marktkirche), built in 1529–1554. It is using elements of two medieval churches, St. Gertrud Church dating back to the 11th Century and the older St. Mary Church from the 12th Century. The church has four steeples, the two western octagonal ones are called Blue Towers because of their dark blue slate roofing. The other two Hausmannstürme are connected by a bridge and on this bridge was the fire watch. The church owns as well the original death-mask of Martin Luther.
The big tower (on the right) is the Red Tower (Roter Turm), originally built as campanile of the older St. Mary Church between 1418 and 1503.
Roland (on the foot of the Red Tower, maybe you can see it), originally (13th century) a wooden sculpture representing the urban liberty. Today’s sculpture is a sandstone replica made in 1719.
And on the left, just a few steps away you can see a monument to George Frideric Handel, built in 1859.
The sun was not really helpfull in this pic.


On our way back home we took lots of pictures in the car!








This is one of the water towers. You can find a few of them all over the city.


Look, they write the name of the street ON the street! And we didn't use the freeway.










This lake is the famous \"Goitzsche\". (Sorry, the link is in German)











And we saw a beautiful sunset!



Yours Günther

Hey Mommy,

my first road trip with Alex' car!!!
First we traveled on a street next to a lake.


Then we reached the freeway and Crawfish hit the gas!


When we passed the lake Sachsenburg we did a short stop-over for a picture. You have to know that Fiete's life mission is to take pictures in front of lots of water.
This beautiful small lake is an abandoned coal mine which was flooded by domestic water.


Then we went on by car and left the lake.


We stopped near some flowers for a picnic.


It was a special day for Crawfish, because she got her driver's license for Germany!


Then Alex gave a heart to DuDette, that she always knows which DuDu is her hubby. She was a little bit confused when she heard there's another DuDu. DuDette and the real DuDu both have a heart on their stomach.


We enjoyed our picnic. Some of us got lemonade, some milk, a cake and fruits for all of us and a piece of cheese for the mouse.



When we went back home after the picnic Alex and I decided to try out the new skateboards. We lashed the boards behind the car. What a fun!


Günther

Mommy,

we went to a border line!

Ok, it's just the border line of the rural district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld and the urban district of Dessau-Roßlau. Each sign of the districts show the emblem of the area.
Did you know that there are 295 rural districts in Germany, but only 107 urban districts?

"Welcome to the rural district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld"


"See you in Dessau-Roßlau" (They forgot the "urban district" on the sign!)


Kiss kiss
Günther

Hi Mommy,

as you know Crawfish got her driver's licence these days. Now all of us want to be allowed to drive cars. So Alex opened his own driving school!

Ladies first - DuDette started and did it perfect.




Then it was Fiete's turn and he failed.




Last but not least my turn. I was so fast that I couldn't stop.





Then it was time to have some fun! We guys did a race on the skateboards. DuDette gave us a starting signal and Crawfish waited at the finish line. First I was the leader, but then I got a problem with my balance and fell off the board. Don't worry, I'm ok. So Alex won! The whole time Fiete didn't know how to start the board. It was a funny day!




Günther

Hey Mommy,

here are some more pictures of Berlin!

This is the Berliner Philharmonie, a concert hall and home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.


Next to the Philharmonie you can find the St. Matthew's Church. The church is part of the Kulturforum which is a collection of cultural buildings in Berlin. It was dedicated in 1846.


Günther

Hey Mommy,

Alex got another lovely postcard from his brother Phog who's still in Finland.


Later we all took one of the skateboards and went cruisin'. Then we saw somebody relaxing in Alex' canvas chair. He also had a beautiful skateboard!


He told us his name is Casanova, Mister Casanova. He's Alex new brother.


Günther

Hello Mommy (oh and hello Daddy),

today we went to one of the major rivers of Central Europe - river Elbe.
It rises in northern Czech Republic, then passing Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg. Its total length is 680 miles (1,094km).
The Elbe's major tributaries include the Vltava, Saale, Havel, Mulde, Schwarze Elster and Ohre rivers.
The Elbe River basin, comprising the Elbe and its tributaries, has a catchment area of 57,247 sq miles (148,268 square kilometres), the fourth largest in Europe. The basin spans four countries, with its largest parts in Germany and the Czech Republic. Much smaller parts lie in Austria and Poland. The basin is inhabited by 24.5 million people.

Our host told us about the big flood in 2002. The river flows really fast, but I can't imagine that this beautiful river can do something like this!








Yours
Günther

Once again we've been to Dessau. Today we visited the fruit tree orchards and a vineyard which also belongs to the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm.

A lion welcomed us warmly. He and his brother belong to the lion gate.


Another gate. It's the knights gate. Isn't it romantic?



These are the vineyards.


This little cute building is the vineyard castle.



From the castle we had a viewshaft to Kühnau Lake, but there were too many mosquitos so we didn't go there. Can you see the water?


Günther

Hello Mommy,

look what I saw today!


As you remember Fiete failed last time at driving lesson. So he got another chance! And he did it really good.





Then Alex invited us to a tour in his car.



We found a nice place for a picnic.


And guess what... we ALL got our driver's license! Alex handed it out to us and Crawfish gave all of us a bottle of wine. Alex and Crawfish drank the rest of the bottles.





Yours
Günther