Last breakfast at the hotel was delicious. We are sorry and sad to leave. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Prague.

We checked out of the magnificent Maximilian, thanked the staff and took a taxi the short distance to the Prague main train station. Always, the trains of Europe fascinate us – ever since my first trip in 1971 and Carol's first trip in 1978. We love to read the destinations as we walk between platforms – Moscow, Vienna, Hamburg, Linz, Warsaw, Krakow, Dresden. Unlike in the US, the European trains still hold a dominant role in getting you from one place to another.

The train pulled out of Prague, capital of Bohemia, exactly on time at 11:18am, and wound slowly north, passing small Czech towns and farms and many beautiful rivers and streams, lots of wooded areas and picture-postcard settings. It is overcast but warm.

We arrived at the Czech border town of Decin at 1:00pm. We are sad to be leaving the mystical, magical and historical Czech Republic, but before us lie Germany and France.

Crossing into Germany, the train continued north along the Elbe River. Very hilly and picturesque countryside. First stop was Bad Schandau. Eventually we entered Dresden, a large German industrial city that was firebombed by the Allies in WWI.

Stopped for a few minutes at Berlin Schoenfeld Flughafen (airport). Finally at 4:30pm the train slowed to a stop at Berlin 's Ostbanhof Station, where we hopped off, having spent a relaxing afternoon watching the Czech and the German countryside flow by. We stowed our luggage into a locker, and discovered out that we needed to relocate ourselves to Alexanderplatz, a lively stop beneath a massive communications tower. We immediately ducked into a tourist information center and told the young German fellow that we have 5 hours in Berlin (our train to Paris leaves at 9:30) and want to see the main sights and asked what he would suggest as a plan of action. He suggested that we buy the day transportation pass and take the #200 bus through East Berlin. We saw quite a bit from the bus, then jumped off at the zoo and changed to the #100 bus. We then jumped off at the stop for the Reichstag, Bundestag and Brandenburg Gate. Walking to the Brandenberg Gate we saw a memorial to the many people, young and old, who died trying to cross from East Berlin to West Berlin and freedom. At the historic gate, there was a display outlining its history. It was here that East met West and here where the wall came tumbling down. It was emotional for us, as it was for many others. We walked back to the bus stop and marveled at the massive size of the Bundestag. Then back to Alexanderplatz and back to Ostbanhof, where we enjoyed unbelievably delicious riesencurrywurst and sauerkraut and Berliner Kinol Beer. Boy, did that hit the spot and oh so German. We are so glad to have been here even if for a few hours. Traveling like this – taking chances – is not for the weak of heart, but worth every second.

As we sat enjoying our Germanic feast and reflecting on the day's events, I decided to call brother Jim (my first trip to Europe was with Jim in 1971) to get an update on Cassidy – his daughter, my niece – who has just landed a role in the HBO series “Entourage”. According to Jim, it sounds like her career is starting off like a rocket. She is incredibly talented and we wish her the best of luck. We have a hunch she will be a star – she has been entertaining us since she was quite small. You go, girl.

We watched the ingress and egress of people at Berlin 's Ostbanhof until 9:25 when the overnight train to Paris arrived and we boarded. We found our tiny but cozy overnight compartment and settled in for a 12-hour train ride through Germany, Belgium and France. A typical David and Carol adventure.

On August 13, 1961 East Germany created what came to be known as The Wall. There were many deaths as people tried to flee East Germany for the freedom of the west. Border guards were ordered to shoot on sight at any East Berliners attempting to flee.

President John Kennedy visited on June 26, 1963 and helped raise morale. In 1970 the Soviet Union showed a willingness for renegotiation. In the 1980s it became clear that East Berlin and the Soviet Union in particular, were in decline. Unrest continued. In Prague, a student named Jan Pavlach committed suicide by burning himself to death in order to further draw the world's attention to the Soviet oppression. This led to the “Velvet Revolution” and on Nov. 9, 1989 the Wall was torn down. Unity came into effect on Oct. 3, 1990. Berlin once again is truly the capital of Germany.

We were in Berlin 60 years to the day that Hitler committed suicide in his bunker under the Reich Chancellory.

The train pulled out of Berlin at 9:30pm and Carol and I settled in to explore our little cabin. The bunks were surprisingly comfortable and we toasted this adventure with a half bottle of wine. We drifted off to sleep and the hypnotic motion of the train acted as a sedative.

Pedometer reading for today - 7.25 miles

Next Day