FUN-travel: Berlin to Warnemünde – Princess Baltic Cruise Day 1
July 26, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Berlin to Warnemünde – Princess Baltic Cruise Day 1
Day 20 – Sunday, July 20 – Berlin to Warnemünde – Princess Baltic Cruise Day 1 – blue skies – 80’s
What I LIKE
- 8:00 – wake up to more Via
- 11:45 – check out
- Don’t pay any internet charges
- 12:00 – ordered taxi big enough to handle bags
- 12:20 – arrive Tegel Airport
- 12:30 – unload bags
- 12:40 – locate Princess Cruise contact
- 12:45 – head to Hertz to haggle price
- – have to argue/plead/put more grief into it!
- 1:00 – finally get them to take $160 off!
- 1:05 – lunch @ Starbucks – 2 iced lattes & 2 sandwiches – 1 club 1 chicken cheese pretzel = $17 Euro
- 2:00 – Princess rep meet up
- 2:05 – load bags
- 2:20 – depart
- 4:10 – bus stops for break
- 5:15 – arrive port Warnemünde
- Very organized quick check in
- – Royal Princess is new ship – June 2103
- – ship had itinerary & time that fit our schedule
- 7:30 – safety drill
- 8:15 – dinner @ anytime dining room
- – no assigned seating or time
FUN-food – Caesar salads (too much dressing for me) – red, white & kidney bean cassoulet, Thai grilled shrimp w/rice – OMG! Better than anything we ate on the Uniworld River Cruise – Paso Robles, Ancient Peaks 2011 Merlot – VG! Have to pay additional charge of $5 because it is “priced higher than package.”
Berlin Wall
- 8:45 – buy our wine & cappuccino “packages”
- Jigger our waiter from Philippines VG too!
- Midnight night night
VG = Very Good
What I DON’T LIKE
- Foot cramps during night
- No wifi @ airport Starbucks – Really!
- Scenery on road pretty boring
- Huge ship! Prefer smaller
- Lose 1 hr – clock change
FUN-fact – Princess charges for everything. But to ease the pain of that they sell “packages” that have been discounted. For Example: You get a punch card for 15 specialty coffees or gelatos for $29 and save 25%. All packages are subject to a 15% tip. The wine package allows you to buy 7, 10 or 12 bottles and save an average of 20 to 30%.
FUN-travel: Berlin, Germany – Full Day
July 26, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Berlin, Germany – Full Day
Day 19 – Saturday, July 19 – Berlin, Germany – full day – blue skies – 80’s
What I LIKE
- 7:30 – wake up to Via coffee
- Slept good – (back only slightly stiff)
- Go down to lobby for better internet
- (doesn’t work there either)
- Front desk calls Ibahn to fix
- 9:00 – internet works
- 9:45 – walk to Check Point Charlie
- 10:10 – get on city tour bus
- 11:00 – stop @ Brandenburg Gate
- – French & German festival being set up
- – Reichstag – parliament building nearby
- – Tiergarten – huge park = 2.2 sq kms
- 11:30 – Starbucks break – baguette sandwich & iced lattes = $13 Euro
- Kaiser-Wilheim bldg –bombed & never rebuilt
- Quays & canals connect Oder & Spree Rivers
- 2:00 – back to Check Point Charlie
- Section of Berlin Wall is there
- Ready for lunch – only Italian near by
- Walk back up to Gendarmen-mkt for lunch
- Find wine shop – Planet Wein – get 2 nice bottles of South African for ship – Ernie Els blend Big Easy & Cathedral Cellar Pinotage = $34 Euro
- 2:30 – lunch
Check Point Charlie
FUN-food – Augustiner: Brau München – veal sausages on mashed potatoes w/grilled onions & sauerkraut – 2 beers = $17 Euro
- 3:30 – back for room R & R
- 6:00 – happy hour in room – beer from Poland & duty free whiskey
- 7:30 – eat@ hotel Mediterranean sidewalk café
- –caprese & chicken Caesar salads w/side mushrooms & spinach – French Cab = $60 Euro
- 11:00 – ready for bed
Brandenburg Gate
What I DON’T LIKE
- Internet not working 100%
- Hotel cappuccino – machine & not hot = $4
- 9:20 – internet goes out again
- Too many cranes in Berlin! Spoils view
- Festival ruins view of Brandenburg gate
- 3 calls from Ibahn can’t fix internet
FUN-fact – Berlin symbolizes the link between the Old Germany and the New Germany.
Not so FF – 77% of Berlin was destroyed in WW2.
Reichstag
FUN-travel: Berlin to Kraków, Poland
July 22, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Berlin to Kraków, Poland
Day 16 – Wednesday, July 16 – Berlin to Kraków, Poland – blue skies w/white cottony clouds –70’s
What I LIKE
- 7:00 – wake up
- Pretty good sleep
- 8:15 – shuttle to airport for Hertz
Kraków
- ATM right by door & Starbuck’s just inside!
- Good hot capp & food to go $15 Euro
- Hertz is very close & car is ready curbside
- – has navigation system – we brought ours too
- drive back to hotel – load bags
- 9:50 – take off
- 11:25 – nice policeman @ Check Point Charlie shows us how radio works for Ipod
- 11:45 – stop for toilet – exit has gas & BBQ restaurant
- – kielbasa & potatoes, 2 cokes – YUM! = $8 US
- 12:15 – head out & road is finally smooth
- 4:45 – arrive hotel & GPS has us driving in restricted zone – pedestrian only
- Went to TA – (trip advisor) for hotel in Kraków
- Chose Wentzl for # of reasons
- – #1 – main square location & elevator
- – #2 – large rooms & valet parking
- But have to say….
- – Robert the doorman was highlight!
- – truly an ambassador!
- – came out to car (with umbrellas) due to light rain
- – informed us being in forbidden car zone
- – moved car – unloads luggage & moves to secure parking
- Main Square is so adorable! – very European
- Rain stops & take nice stroll
Kraków
FUN-food – Dinner @ Ristorante Da Pietro – sidewalk café – happy hour 2 beers – then caprese salad, spicy pepperoni pizza & nice 2011 Cape of Good Hope Pinotage = $65
- 8:00 – back to hotel
- Ask for wine glass for room – response is “red or white?”
- 2 beautiful big glasses arrive by Robert
Kraków
What I DON’T LIKE
- Can’t figure out nav system & manual in German
- 11:20 – Check Point Charlie – freeway road block
- – all cars exited & searched
- – have to show ID & registration
- – I am not kidding!
- 11:30 – enter Poland & road is in horrible condition
- 4:00 – light rain starts
- Room has no AC – controls on wall do nothing but blow hot air!
- We had to fly 2 hrs & then drive 6 hrs to see a “cute city”
FUN-fact – The scenery on the autobahn is pretty flat with everything from thick forests to corn fields on both sides and a sprinkling of small towns and farms. As we get closer to Krakow rolling hills are more common.
FUN-travel: St. Petersburg to Berlin
July 19, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: St. Petersburg to Berlin
Day 15 – Tuesday, July 15 – St. Petersburg to Berlin, Germany – blue skies w/some light clouds – high 70’s
Catherine’s Palace
Madonna & Child – Leonardo Da Vinci – Hermitage
What I LIKE
- 1:30 – depart for airport
- Ready to leave Russia
- 1:50 – arrive
- 2:45 – ticket counter check in
- – no baggage Nazi’s
- – don’t get hit for being over 23 kilos
- 3:00 – lady can’t figure out price to charge for extra bag
- – don’t get hit for $15 Euro
- 3:10 – passport control
- 3:20 – security screening – liquids no problem
- 3:35 – arrive gate A21
- – very long walk
- 4:15 – board – plane not full
- – move to exit row for legroom
- 4:35 – take off (fairly on time)
- 4:40 – on time landing
- Get 2 hrs back
- 2nd in line for customs & breeze thru
- 5:25 – all bags make it
- Airport info desk calls for free shuttle pick up
- – Mercure hotel next to airport
- Staying here to get car in morning & drive to Poland
- Fast & free internet
- Save 15% on food & drink if sign up for loyalty program
- 7:10 – chef has special pasta menu
- – highly recommend ordering from that
- – all fresh made & very tasty
- Triangle pasta w/cheese/pesto/sundried tomatoes & salmon salad w/pasta & tomatoes = $30 Euro Bordeaux $37.50 Euro
- 10:00 pm – tired!
What I DON’T LIKE
- Have to go thru security just to enter airport
- Check in doesn’t start until 2:20
- Had to prepay extra bag fee 48 hrs prior
- Costs $70 Euro + $15
- 2:45 – can’t pay @ check in counter
- – have to go to another counter – then come back with receipt
- No jet way again & hot bus jammed full – on both ends!
- Bags take forever
- Need a Euro to get trolley for bags
- Have to walk to Terminal A to get shuttle
- Inadvertently made reservation for 1 person
- – they charged $20 Euro more for 2nd person
- Room has one pillow, one duvet & 1 towel
- – REALLY! have never seen such a thing
- 2 bottles of wine not available – finally order the Bordeaux
The Kremlin
Not so FUN-fact – The Mercure is a transit hotel and overpriced in our opinion. They claim 4 stars – no amenities to speak of. Free coffee is from 5 to 6 in the morning. Machine cappuccino is $3 Euro