Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free.

JFK

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Ronald Reagan

When it is 80 degrees, It can be  difficult to get into “the Christmas Spirit” here In the Valley of the Sun. So, what to do? Go to Germany’s many Christmas markets, drink bier and mulled wine, eat plenty of brats, shop and stroll through the beautiful markets in the crisp temperatures.

We covered a lot of ground in just eight days…Berlin, Dresden, Weimar, Nurnberg, Augsburg, and Munich.

The markets were nothing short of magnificent!! We were able to bring back many Christmas treasures/gifts.

 Seeing what is left of “The Wall” in Berlin put us in a reflective mood. The Berlin Wall was erected in the night of August 13, 1961. . There were 3 more generations built thru 1975 that were more resistant to breakthroughs.

Official demolition of the Berlin Wall began in the summer of 1990. Over 5,000 escaped over the wall in the 30 year span of the wall. 

We felt a sense of sadness while attending the Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin. 

On  December 19 2016, a truck was deliberately driven into it leaving 12 people dead and 56 others injured. 

Large blocks of concrete are now in place, in order to prevent a reoccurrence. 

We also went to the location where Hitler operated in his underground bunker. 

We took the opportunity to visit the Olympic village in Munich,  where in the summer of 1972 the Black September terrorists  killed 11 Israeli Olympic athletes. I vividly remember watching this tragic event on television while living in Reno. 

The historic atrocities were sobering, however, all in all it was a merry, joyous and fun trip. The German people were very kind and wonderful to us.  I am not able to give more details as I am in the process of reloading for a week long trip to Mexico, leaving Thursday.