After a long drive to Berlin I met up with our guests on the tour over dinner, at our first of many nice restaurants. Very excited to finally meet Diane, Tandy, Ben and Steve. Yes… a small group. Which turned out to be so nice!
Because this was our first time, we were a bit anxious about how things would turn out to be for our guests. Well, without being too proud, we can safely say: this was an amazing tour. Full of highlights, full of great cycling and just everything we could have wished for. Thomas: you did a great job designing this tour with and for us!
Cycling along the Wannsee and in Berlin
The first day of our Tour I had to get up pretty early to bring the bikes to the location where we would start cycling. Close to the Wannsee, and Potsdam. Guests joined our two guides Thomas and Jeroen on the subway and train. They cycled along the Wannsee and we met for lunch at a beautiful location where our table outside waited for us. Crossing with a ferry, seeing the beautiful baroque palaces of the Emperers of Germany… all in one day.
Next day, a sunny Sunday, we crossed Berlin’s inner city on a bike. Which sounds to a nightmare if you have never experienced biking in our cities. Even to me though this was really something else. Never ever seen a more quiet city. Almost no traffic…..unbelievable. Our guide Jeroen is a local, and his guiding was nothing less than perfect. Welcome to our team Jeroen! Looking forward to many great tours with you!
Oranienburg and guided tour in Dresden
Third day again started outside of Berlin, in Oranienburg. Countryside and beautiful estate for lunch, and a dinner at a lake, because we wanted to swim…yes…pretty hot this day! Had a very fashionable Aperol Spritz. Without the alcohol though, because I was the van driver. Dont’t worry, I got a real one at the last night! Fourth day guides went with guests to shop or to bike some more. They got on the train to Dresden and I picked them up at the station. Dinner in the restaurant below the hotel, started outside, but dark clouds turned out to be aiming in our direction so we had our main course inside.
Next day Heidi showed us her Dresden on foot. What an amazing reconstruction has been done there. Using thousands of stones and assembling them again to rebuild churches and palaces. We had to get some Kaffee und Kuchen (Coffee and Cake) to get over this. Biking along the Elbe River, cruising back on a Dampfradschiff…an old steamship withturning wheels. B E A U T I F U L…..
Exquisite Porcelain of Meissen and Bamberg
Next day seeing the Porcelain of Meissen was quite astonishing as well…especially how expensive and exquisite this is. On our drive to Bamberg we had an extra hidden gem up our sleeves: a visit to a kind of Cold War museum, where they show how it was like to live in a divided Germany after the War until 1989. In a little country village that was literally divided by a wall. Great old army museum with both Russian as well as American cars, signs etc. Dinner at the local Gasthouse was a delight. Arriving in Bamberg at 9.00 pm to turn in a great room for some well deserves sleep.
Last day in Bamberg: again a nice local guide to show us around. Some went biking afterwards from Koenigstein to Bamberg. Last dinner was with only two of our guests because the others had already started on the second part of their trip. But what a great way to say goodbye to this tour.
Loved it. Every minute of it. Thank you Diane, Tandy, Ben, Steve, Jeroen and Thomas. I will never forget this first time hotel trip. I know: the IRIS is great and it’s very very very nice to unpack only once. But I must say: Hotels are not that bad either…the changes went smooth and it made our trip even look longer! And as a ship is bound to the water options on itineraries are beautiful but limited. Adding on with these hotel tours is liberating and just another pearl on our chain of great tours.
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