Elegant Elbe: Day 15
Day 15: Sunday, November 12, 2023 - Berlin, Germany
The day's statistics:
- Weather: upper 40s to upper 50s, rainy and overcast
- Steps: 1,168 Linda; 14,123 Steve
- Miles traveled (approximately): 359
Breakfast was egg benedict and omelet for us again.
We only had one cup of coffee due to our morning plans.
Our Viking scheduled excursions were over. Quite a few of the travelers had already left, but this portion of the trip was considered
the extension. Sometimes there are excursions scheduled - like our time in Poland where we had six - but, obviously not always.
However, we were going to do something REALLY exciting today: visit the Hamburg Miniatur Wunderland, the worlds largest model train
layout. We bought our tickets months ago, schedule our visit for 3:00 this afternoon - the entries are rigidly timed so as to not
have too many visitors on sight at one time due to space limitations.
We also purchased our train tickets to get to Hamburg months prior. We were originally trying to get the Hamburg Extension offered by
Viking, but it was continuously sold out. Then we had the great idea of just doing a train trip - at only €75.60 for both of us,
round trip. Since the Hamburg extension was more expensive than the Berlin one, by the tune of $250 per person, we saved almost $200
by doing what we did.
We were going to visit some sights - chosen while we were on the trip and closer to the time we were going to visit Wunderland -
in Hamburg, but due to Linda's injury and wheelchair, we improvised. Or at least tried to.
We woke, had breakfast, and then headed out to the tram stop a couple blocks away and across the street from the Potsdamerplatz.
We needed to catch the M41 or the M85. While we approached the stop, we saw the M85 pulling away - so we missed it by just a
minute. We only had to wait 12 minutes for the M41. There looked to be an artificial toboggan run hill set-up - probably getting
ready for when the Christmas Market opened.
The bahnhof (local train / subway station) across the street had mobile Berlin wall sections on display in front.
It was chilly, and relatively early - and the streets were still pretty quiet. We boarded - there was only one other passenger
on the bus - and hung on for our quick trip to the Berlin Train station. There were no other stops and we went straight to the
station. We were dropped off, crossed the street, and entered the station.
While we did seem to have some time before the train - our tickets were for 8:38 and it was 8:05 - rather than try to decifer the train
toteboard and our tickets, we asked Customer Service where we needed to go. He sent us downstairs to platform 8. We got to the platform
and patiently waited for the train.
The train arrived on time, we boarded, and took a selfie while we waited to pull out.
Based on their actions, it appeared these two were a couple. But they weren't interacting much - perhaps it was too early for them.
We were on the ICE train, and it is a highspeed line. We were traveling at 160 KPH (100 MPH), so capturing the countryside - there was
a fair amount of farmland, at least in this corridor - had challenges. I started with using my phone for photos, since it was already
out and handy, but needed to control the shutter better so I switched to the camera.
I eventually just stopped trying to get an views because at that speed, there is almost no way to get anything of value - especially
without knowing where we were or what we might see.
We arrived in Hamburg at about 10:15. We got off the train, took the elevator to the first floor, and started to follow the signs to
the buses and trams.
The Wunderland website told use we needed the Lne 6, stopping at "Speicherstadt - Auf dem Sande". It was "that way", we stepped outside
and it was still raining. We made it to a stop and waited under the covering for the ride. Across the street was a theater.
It was four or so stops - to the end-of-the-line - and we were within a good stone's throw of the museum, located in the warehouse district.
We got off the bus and started to walk across the cobblestone to the entrance.
The museum was actually on the second floor, and there were stairs and an elevator. Being with someone who actually needed to use a
wheelchair and the elevator, I noticed a large quantity of people that didn't appear to "need it", but did anyway.
We made our way up to the ticket counter and told the gentleman working the counter about the situation and change in schedule, and asked
if would could possibly change the entry time of our tickets, as it was not even 11:00 and we had four hours to wait.
He said that he didn't have an opening now, but did at 1:45 if that was OK. It was better than 3:00, so we said sure.
Then we asked where the cafeteria was but were told that one had to be inside to get to the cafeteria. Were there any other options?
Yes, there was a café around the corner we could go to.
So, we had an earlier entry time, but it was too early for lunch. We went to the lobby on the first floor to discuss our options. While we
discussed, I stepped outside to get a couple pictures of the area so we wouldn't have to worry about it later.
I returned after just a few minutes. We decided to head over to the café for lunch anyway, even though it was only 11:30.
When we arrived, there was a line. Yay, a line! There is a reason the turnover is low and slow - they encourage loitering.
We waited for nearly a half hour. Then we were finally seated.
Someone likes to take my picture. My hair, at just under four weeks growth, is really getting out of hand...
We reviewed the menu - it was breakfast on one side, and mostly coffee and coffee related beverages on the other. But we found some soup.
Linda had the vegan tomato soup, and I had the goulash soup. We also each ordered an coffee Americano, which also came with a tiny little
cookie of some sort, and a little piece of biscotti.
We asked our server about desserts, and that we didn't see them on the menu. He said they are in the fridge by the entrance, and
we just pick whatever one we want and order it.
We decided to order and share a slice of cheesecake. And two more cups of coffee.
We dragged the meal out - to an hour. Then headed back to the Wunderland. We went upstairs and hung out in the corridor
for few more minutes because we were still early. We looked at some brochures, and this area map.
When we arrived for the second time, we were told by the young lady that we overpaid for one ticket due to Linda's wheelchair. We
said thanks, but this was a new, unexpected, temporary situation. She also said we were too early - but we explained the situation
and then she noticed the ticket time was updated in the system. We were still a couple minutes early, but they let us in anyway.
There was a LOT going on here. This was a spectacle like we had never seen before. This wasn't just a layout, but it was all
thoroughly detailed with moving parts - people, cars, trains, scenery items. We spent over three hours viewing.
When we stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor, we first came upon the master control room. Based on a couple of the perspectives
on the monitors in the control room, it was evident that some (if not all) of the trains had small video cameras on them.
I wheeled Linda as close as I could where I could. Most of the time it was fine, but there were a couple spots
where she couldn't see much because of where it was - like deep within the layout - or there was just too much of a crowd.
Here is our collection of photos - Linda's cell phone and mostly my camera (the difference should be obvious based on persective, though
she did hand me her phone for a couple pictures to send or post) - in no particular order, but just counter-clockwise from the elevator.
There were cities / regions / landmarks that included Hamburg, Berlin, Switzerland, Venice, Tuscany, Rome, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and
more. There were also things going on like a football game (aka soccer - we were in Europe afterall), circus, carnival, zoo, wild west
show, [at least] two concerts, a stage performer, a dragon, an ice hockey game, and much, much more.
There was a lot moving too - trains, vehicles, and people, as well as a lot of stationary things. And every 15 minutes, the lights
would go down and it would be "night time" - and the vehicles and buildings lit up.
With 1,490 square meters (sixteen thousand square feet) of layout, it would be nearly impossible to capture everything with a few
pictures, even a few hundred pictures.
Some of the pictures are in "pairs": the first picture is a wide shot and the second has an interesting or humorous detail. Most
of these items are zooms from their larger partner, so they may not be quite as crisp or clear as the whole. If I noticed these
hidden gems when origianlly walking through the layout, I'd've taken better pictures of them.
While included in the above, since they can be so easily overlooked, here are a few of the more
humorous elements that I found - there may obviously be more.
Red Bulls playing against polar bears, in a Red Bull® sponsored ice hockey game, with penguin refs.
The Millenium Falcon at the airport.
The flasher.
Aliens on tour.
The nuns watching a bearly clothed Archangel Michael (?) doing yardwork.
Monks working on the Popemobile.
In addition to all the photos, I took over 100 short videos of things that move, with the highlights compiled here.
We decided to try to see if we could switch our ticket from the 8:40 to 5:30.
After our three-plus hours at Miniatur Wunderland, we got back on the bus to go to the train station. I wheeled Linda to the stop, the bus
arrived shortly thereafter, and we got on. The driver said that this was actually the end of the line. Oh... But we could stay on, he'd be
back in a few minutes - maybe he had sympathy for Linda's condition. Great. A couple minutes later he returned. He pulled ahead 50 meters
(150 feet), turned left, another 10 meters (30 feet), and stopped at the real bus stop - which was actually a tiny bit closer to the Wunderland.
We made four or so stops and not before long, we were back at the train station.
We entered, and tried to find a customer service desk. We eventually did - and learned that because we had super-saver tickets, they
could not be changed without paying a fee. And the fee was more than the cost of the original tickets. So we said no thanks.
So now we had almost three hours to kill. At this point, knowing we wouldn't be back in Berlin until late, we should have dinner. And
since we weren't familiar with this area (yes, there are mobile apps to help with this problem) and Linda's mobility, we decided to see
what was available in the station - it was a rather large station, afterall.
There were three levels to the station, and most, if not all, of the restaurants were on the second and third floors.
There was even a food court, but some of those locations would have necessitated not sitting, or sitting at a hightop table.
We saw a sign on one of the windows indicating a special that the location,
Schweinske, had to offer, and decided to give it a try.
We were seated and waited for the waiter to bring a menu. When the waiter dropped off some bread, we asked about the menu. He said the menu
was available by scanning a QR code. So we did, decided what we wanted, and eventually placed our order.
The bread was served with mayo and ketchup.
In order to maximize our German indulgence, we ordered two different entreés, and swapped dished after eating some.
Linda started with the pork sandwich topped with slaw. I had the special of schnitzel topped with currywirst and cheese, fries, and a side
salad. And we got a half carafe of Reisling white wine.
This was another restaurant where people aren't hurried out the door. Plus, since this restaurant is in the train station, they must know
and expect some travelers would need and or want to linger while they wait for their train. And since most would order something, as long
as there is no long line, I'm sure they don't mind. Plus it is likely to cause repeat customers. Linda saw people over my shoulder that
were hanging out with one guy working on his laptop, and another woman playing cards.
We dragged our meal out to an hour. Then we headed out - but still had an hour and a half before the train, so we strolled around the station.
We looked in and or went into a number of stores - one being an apparel store where I was able to buy a new hat.
We walked around all three levels of the station.
One of the stores was a store similar to Kohl's, or a small Wal*Mart. While some complain about products being locked up in the US, it is
something that is done in Germany too.
Having access to open air, pigeons get in. Some of them were actually all around the food court, not even caring there were
humans about. But here are some in a more open areas.
We visited a pharmacy, a Lego® Store, a Teddy Bear and other stuffed animal store, and a book store. We wasted enough time that
we finally had to head to the platform for our ride.
Wait, what's that time in the white box?!!? Then we also heard on the loudspeaker: our 8:34 departure was now 8:54.
No biggie. We just continued to hang out with the slowly growing crowd of passengers.
What was that announcement? It's now delayed an hour?!!? Oh great... Well, we have no where to go. After that announcement, some people
actually left the platform and returned later. The delay was significant enough that the next train was able to arrive and depart before ours
even showed up. And quite a few passengers that we thought were going to be on our train got on this one.
Then the next train showed up before ours did. And more passengers got on while more showed up for ours.
But at this point, they stopped updating the toteboard. While we waited, I started talking to a random guy sitting on the bench next to me.
He said this is actually common. He also said he and his family go to Miniatur Wunderland once a year.
Being stationary for so long, sort of outside, in the late fall, we started getting cold. Good thing I had a new hat to wear.
Finally, finally, our train arrived when the previous one pulled out - it may have even had to wait to pull in until the other
one pulled out.
We wheeled up to the queue, and people were just letting us go ahead of them. That was nice of them. Then a soldier asked
if he could help and even though we said we were OK, he gave Linda a hand anyway. We made our way to seats and waited.
Then a group of three let us know that we were in their seats. Apparently some seats can actually be reserved. Because we had the
super savers, we didn't get reserve seats. As one pointed to the little display on the aisle side of the seat, they said we could
sit an any seat that doesn't have a name on it. OK then, thanks. They were very polite about it too. So we said, "like those?"
pointing to the two outside seats across the aisle from where we were. "Yes." We got up, took one step over, sat down, and said
"Guten nocht" to our new seat mates. They greeted us and went back to their reading, before taking naps.
It was dark and there was nothing really to see outside. Linda and I had some quiet conversation so as to not disturb our seatmates.
And we played on our phones. Eventually we were getting really thrusty - we hadn't had anything to drink for over three hours at this
point. So I headed to the bar car, and requested a bottle of still water. They handed me one and when I took out the card to pay, they
said not to worry about it - I wasn't going to push the issue, but it was probably to help compensate for the delay.
We eventually arrived in Berlin at 11:43. We made our way up to the main floor, and found the exit. There was almost no one else in
station, and those that were, were on line at a coffee shop which was the only store that we could see that was open.
Fortunately, we determined before we left that the buses run 24x7. Off hours, the buses run less frequently - like once every
half hour rather than every ten minutes on peak.
We headed out and noticed a bus - an M41 - pulling up. We made a run for it because we knew the next one was going to be a while.
OK, I made a run for it and Linda enjoyed the roll. We got on at the same stop we arrived more than 12 hours (12 hours) earlier.
The driver drove ahead 100 meters (300 feet), made a buttonhook right turn, went ahead another 33 meters (100 feet) or so, and stopped.
"End of the line." Wait, what? You couldn't tell us that before we got on? "So where is the stop for this line?" He pointed to the bus
33 meters (100 feet) ahead of his. "Thanks." We got off this bus and walked to the next. The door was closed. We knocked on it and the
driver pointed to the bus stop yet another 33 meters (100 feet) ahead of where we were. We strolled up to the stop and in just a couple
minutes, the bus we had just knocked on the door arrived.
We only had four or so stops and we were back in familiar territory at the Potsdamerplatz. We got off and headed the three or so blocks
back to the hotel.
By just a little after midnight, we were back in our room. Technically, this was the next day as it was after midnight,
but for simplicity, I'll just finish here on this day.
We should have wrapped Linda's leg - had we thought of it - before we left. When we got to the room, with Linda sitting
for essentially sixteen or more hours straight, her lower leg was blue-ish. So even though we were tired, she spent fifteen
minutes with her leg raised and iced. It didn't take long before the normal color returned.
It was now time to wash up, and go to bed.