Germany

When we left Amsterdam, we cruised overnight to the Kiel Canal in Germany. Its entrance is off the Elbe River. It's a shortcut to the Baltic sea cutting off about a day in travel time. Otherwise you have to travel around Denmark. As we sailed the canal many locals came out to wave and cheer us on. Upon leaving the canal, we traveled overnight on the Baltic to the port of Warnemunde, Germany. There we boaded a bus for nearly a 3 hour ride to Berlin. We had not been to Berlin (both east and west) since January 1986, a couple of years before the Berlin wall fell. The city has experienced a huge amount of change since then. And it was loaded with tourists. While we were rushed, we did see many of the same places that had been in place 32 years ago. But it is a very vibrant city these days.