Took the train down to Potsdam today. We wanted to see Sans souci and around the town. S bahn trains in Berlin are not running so we had to catch a regional and we managed in time to just catch the one going to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof. Then hubby saw that it also went to Potsdam Sans souci Park so we stayed on it until we got there.
Off the train at the park and had to walk almost a kilometer to get to the New Palace. Since that was on our list of things to see, we went there first. A nice young man was at the gate to the park and explained that the park was free but they would like a donation to help in its upkeep. I don't mind doing that so we gave a few Euros and got a map. We asked where the Sans Souci palace was and he explained it was 2 kilometers into the park, back the way we had traveled by the train. Definitely going to do New Palace first.
Across from New Palace was a lot of construction on some very old buildings. Discovered that these buildings now house the Potsdam University and they were servants quarters and the kitchen for the Palace at one time. very nice looking servant quarters on the outside.
We pay our price to get inside and it is an audio guide. The audio guides are quite nice. You can go at your own pace, look longer in some rooms, usually have additional buttons to punch if you want more information. We've been quite happy with the audio guides.
New Palace had a new twist for visitors! As we were ready to enter the first room, we were asked to put on these huge slippers over our shoes. It makes sense to save the floors but the entire visit, you couldn't walk at more than a shuffle or the slippers would fall off your feet. What a riot. My slippers were misshapen so my heels kept sliding sideways off the back end. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle though the rooms and some of the rooms are quite large. Our legs got a good workout shuffling through the palace.
The best room was the grotto. Usually palace owners had placed grottoes outside in the garden. Frederick the Great decided he wanted a grotto inside the palace so he built this huge room with many of the walls decorated in sea shells. He had sea serpents and monsters coming down the walls and swimming up the walls. It was just incredibly ornate and gaudy and impressive. The fountains in the room were not running and I think that would have made the effect quite interesting.
Finally we are finished with the palace and not a minute too soon as our shuffling calves are quite tired. We walk around to the back of the palace and head for Sans Souci (this is spelled Sanscoussi in one of the guides. I've seen it other ways as well). It is a 2 kilometer walk through the park which is quickly taking on fall colors. There are plenty of people around so we don't think anything about the date or time.
Once at the palace we climb up the 6 or 7 long flights of stairs, walk around to the front entrance and Drat and Dangnation!!! It's MONDAY, the dreaded day of all travelers and tourists! Museums are closed. Palaces are closed. Everything is blinkin closed!
Nothing to do but head into town and see if there is anything we want to see there that might be open. Nope, head back to Berlin, any museums open, Nope. Wandered over to Checkpoint Charlie because our tour had passed by too quickly for photos, although all the fixtures there are just reproductions now for the tourists, but there is a wall there that gives photos and explanations of various things and people that happened during the Cold War/Berlin Wall years.
Ah well, we have enjoyed Berlin a lot and managed to see some things we wanted and will have to come back for others. When isn't that the case?
Off the train at the park and had to walk almost a kilometer to get to the New Palace. Since that was on our list of things to see, we went there first. A nice young man was at the gate to the park and explained that the park was free but they would like a donation to help in its upkeep. I don't mind doing that so we gave a few Euros and got a map. We asked where the Sans Souci palace was and he explained it was 2 kilometers into the park, back the way we had traveled by the train. Definitely going to do New Palace first.
Across from New Palace was a lot of construction on some very old buildings. Discovered that these buildings now house the Potsdam University and they were servants quarters and the kitchen for the Palace at one time. very nice looking servant quarters on the outside.
We pay our price to get inside and it is an audio guide. The audio guides are quite nice. You can go at your own pace, look longer in some rooms, usually have additional buttons to punch if you want more information. We've been quite happy with the audio guides.
New Palace had a new twist for visitors! As we were ready to enter the first room, we were asked to put on these huge slippers over our shoes. It makes sense to save the floors but the entire visit, you couldn't walk at more than a shuffle or the slippers would fall off your feet. What a riot. My slippers were misshapen so my heels kept sliding sideways off the back end. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle though the rooms and some of the rooms are quite large. Our legs got a good workout shuffling through the palace.
The best room was the grotto. Usually palace owners had placed grottoes outside in the garden. Frederick the Great decided he wanted a grotto inside the palace so he built this huge room with many of the walls decorated in sea shells. He had sea serpents and monsters coming down the walls and swimming up the walls. It was just incredibly ornate and gaudy and impressive. The fountains in the room were not running and I think that would have made the effect quite interesting.
Finally we are finished with the palace and not a minute too soon as our shuffling calves are quite tired. We walk around to the back of the palace and head for Sans Souci (this is spelled Sanscoussi in one of the guides. I've seen it other ways as well). It is a 2 kilometer walk through the park which is quickly taking on fall colors. There are plenty of people around so we don't think anything about the date or time.
Once at the palace we climb up the 6 or 7 long flights of stairs, walk around to the front entrance and Drat and Dangnation!!! It's MONDAY, the dreaded day of all travelers and tourists! Museums are closed. Palaces are closed. Everything is blinkin closed!
Nothing to do but head into town and see if there is anything we want to see there that might be open. Nope, head back to Berlin, any museums open, Nope. Wandered over to Checkpoint Charlie because our tour had passed by too quickly for photos, although all the fixtures there are just reproductions now for the tourists, but there is a wall there that gives photos and explanations of various things and people that happened during the Cold War/Berlin Wall years.
Ah well, we have enjoyed Berlin a lot and managed to see some things we wanted and will have to come back for others. When isn't that the case?
No comments:
Post a Comment