Hugh Calvert's Grave

We had the incredible privilege today to visit the grave of Hugh Calvert (Great Uncle) with a little detour to the town of Kassel on the way from Berlin to Amsterdam. We finally found the small but very well kept Niederzwehren Commonwealth War Graves sight in the middle of the countryside surrounded by wheat fields. Nancy had done a lot of research about Hugh who was only 21 when he died in a German camp in 1917 (from influenza) after being wounded and captured. The girls made wreaths with dried wild flowers from all over Europe and Nancy’s wrote a poem that we left for him.

2015 Gap Year #13

We finished off Switzerland with a few days in Lauterbrunnen enjoying some more amazing hikes and scenery around the unforgettable Swiss Alps. Back into Germany and visited the Mercedes Museum at Stuttgart on the way to the historic German town of Rothenburg. We then spent a few nights on the Rhine River in a castle turned youth hostel in the town of Bacharach. Then following the footsteps of Martin Luther through the middle of Germany and the town of Wittenberg. Just spent the last few days here in Berlin taking in museums, parks and our favorite, the zoo.

Discovering Salamanders high in the Swiss Alps

A walk in the clouds high above Lauterbrunnen

Never too old (or cloudy) for a playground

Staubback falls in the Lauterbrunnen valley - enjoyed watching the base jumpers going off the top of these cliffs

Swiss cows and goats with their noisy but pleasant bells

Looking up from the Lauterbrunnen valley - walked along this ridge the following day

Bunnies!!!!!!!!!!

The Swiss village of Wengen

High over the Lauterbrunnen Valley at Mannlichen (2227m)

Looking up to the highest point in Europe - Jungfrau (4185m)

Heidi material

A poesy of wild flowers

Mercedes Museum

Mercedes Museum

Rothenburg

Russell hanging out with a friend while the women hit the Christmas shop (window shopping only)

In the Christmas shop

Lots of fresh fruit in season (as well as some bakery special)

The walls of Rothenburg

The Charms of Rothenburg

Hanging out with the roses

The same place 11 years ago

Chance meeting with some good friends from Melbourne in the middle of Germany (what a breakfast!)

View from our room in the Burg Stahleck Youth Hostel over the Rhine River

Burg Stahleck Youth Hostel

Visit to the Rheinfels Castle at St Goar - unique guillotine urinal

Feeling a little worn out after exploring the underground passages at Rheinfels Castle

"Ok, about that pocket money Dad".

Found this fun little spot in the forest

Our Grand Scenic crossing the Rhine on a ferry

No cooking facilities at the youth hostel so had to resort to cheap Kebab's 3 nights in a row - torture!

Visiting Burg Eltz in the Mosel Valley

The forest walk to Burg Eltz

The 3.5km long barefoot walk in Bad Sobernheim

Starts in the mud pit

Muddy feet at the barefoot walk

Chess champs - finding lots of opportunities to have a game

Wittenberg - home of Martin Luther, lots of construction and preparations for 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017

The altar painting by Lucas Cranach in St Mary's church where Luther preached over 2000 times

St Mary's Church

Pulpit that Luther preached in

Wendy getting a little too carried away with Luther (literally)

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

Memorial to Jewish Holocaust victims

Bouncing around downtown Berlin

Sausage on the run

Lamborghini at the VW Group showroom in Berlin

Part of the Babylonian Ishtar Gate by none other than Nebuchadnezzar II from 575BC (Pergamon Museum)

The Processional Way from Babylon

Squirrel hunting in Tiergarten Park (the best city park we've seen in Europe)

Rose gardens and Tiergarten Park

Never too old for a playground

More amazing history at one of the few remaining sections of the Berlin Wall

Fassbender & Rausch chocolate shop - taking down the Berlin wall one bite at a time

Fassbender & Rausch - A380 chocolate model and our very small bags of chocolates

Check-point Charlie

Family snap in Tiergarten Park

 

The hippo's at the Berlin Zoo

Happy Polar Bear having some lunch

Keeping dreaming fat-boy

And again, never too old for a playground