Seeing Anew: Friday, 25 May 2018: Worlitz Palace, Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace

Friday, May 25, 2018

Friday, 25 May 2018: Worlitz Palace, Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace

Today we disembarked our ship and went by bus to Worlitz Palace.

Wörlitz Palace

There we took a gondola ride through the palace's English Gardens, the first of their kind in continental Europe. The rhododendron were in bloom, and the natural layout of English gardens (as opposed to the formal, symmetrical Italianate style) made it a very peaceful place.

Gondola ride through the English Gardens at Wörlitz Palace

I'm glad Dan didn't tell me what he was photographing at the time he took this photo! I probably would have jumped up and tipped the whole gondola over, with everyone in it!

A Hitchhiker!

Cable ferry at Wörlitz Palace

Then we drove to Potsdam and had lunch in a cafe near the marketplace. After lunch, we went to Sanssouci Palace, an opulent palace built by Frederick the Great of Prussia.

Sanssouci Palace, home of Frederick the Great

Sanssouci Palace (interior)

We saw his grave, decorated with potatoes, which visitors leave in remembrance of how he brought the potato and tomato to Europe.

Potatoes on the grave of Frederick the Great, who introduced potatoes to Europe!

From there we drove to Berlin and checked into the Grand Hyatt near Potsdamer Platz. After freshening up, we met some HelloTalk friends for a walk and then supper at a Bier Garten, where we had Berlin's favorite Wurst, Currywurst and a raspberry Berliner Weisse. Berliner Weisse is a wheat beer that is traditionally served in the summer. It is either red (flavored with raspberries) or bright green (flavored with Sweet Woodruff). We walked to the Brandenburg Gate, right near the American Embassy, then to the Reichstag, and finally had a glimpse of the Chancellor's home in Berlin, which they affectionately called the Washing Machine. The big white cube did look like a washing machine!