WWII and Holocaust Summer Journey Gruezi and Teens - Trip Report
 

<b>World War II and Holocaust Journey</b>

<b>Background</b>

First, many thanks to everyone at Fodor’s that helped with this journey through your many contributions on my original planning thread and then later as I needed help with various legs of our trip. I did finally summarize all the books, movies, and suggestions for travel that were shared in the original thread and they are listed there in 3 separate posts. Search under WWII and Holocaust and gruezi and the thread will come up. I don’t know how to use the tiny url and don’t want to mess this up so soon which is why I’m not putting in the link…

For those that didn’t see the original thread, my 17-year-old daughter, who starts her senior year tomorrow, is very interested in history. We spent a few weeks this summer traveling to various WWII sites, memorials, and museums to learn more about this war from the soil and viewpoint of Europe, which is where we are living now (Switzerland) although we are American citizens.

Our trip altogether was about 14 days if we just count the WWII parts… We were able to visit Normandy, London, Berlin, and then the Dachau Concentration Camp that is outside of Munich. That is the order of our travels as well. (Originally we had planned to go to Krakow not London, but my husband had a business trip to London we needed to tag along on en route to home in the US, so we tweaked things a bit. It worked out well in that we were able to learn the perspective of the war from the point-of-view of the British, the French and the Germans. We did very little on Japan and just a bit more on Russia but we did learn quite a bit about the Cold War just by accident.

We did try to break up our travels with other points-of-interest, and with some comic relief along the way, which became more important as the summer went on and my daughter got a bit of “war overload” and some college application anxiety.

I’m not a history buff, never was, and took the bare minimum of history courses in school. I probably learned more this summer than my daughter. My daughter came to some of her own conclusions about war and they were interesting and certainly important for her at a time in her life when she is applying to college and thinking about what she’d like to study and do with her degree someday. She has already said, “the trip turned out to be so different than I expected.”

I can’t recommend this type of travel enough. 14 days of travel is like 6 months of school – or maybe travel is so rich that it can’t even be compared to time in the classroom.

It wasn’t always easy managing the needs and moods of a teenager with an awful lot of other things on her mind. I kept hoping she would be more involved in the planning, but realistically she just had too much else to do. It would have been great for her to read some more history during the course of the summer – even just one of the many books recommended by Fodorite’s, but she just didn’t have the time. Plus, she had spent all of May and June studying for AP exams and SAT IIs etc and so was pretty studied out. I had to accept that this would not be the “perfectly planned” and “seamlessly researched” trip I would have the time to plan and do. There was so much that could have been seen, but only so many days to do it. We had to make brutal cuts to the itinerary.

For Normandy, I just took the older daughter as she finished school first and the 14-year-old is not usually as hardy about long days in museums and such. I wish I had brought her along in retrospect. I think she would have been fascinated and she is doing much better the last couple months with long touring days. She did come to London, Berlin and Dachau. She did great.

The hardest part of the whole trip was fitting it into the busy older teen’s life. Given our reality, what worked best for her was watching various movies about WWII and the holocaust before the various legs of the trip. In fact our whole family, and her boyfriend, all spent our free time in June/July doing this with her. We all watched “Band of Brothers” in its entirety before my daughter and I headed to Normandy. It was a really wonderfully done series and I think we all enjoyed it – if enjoyed is the right word for 4 or 5 nights of watching war on TV… I usually hate this sort of thing but I thought it was very well done and my poor husband being the only Y chromosome holder in the family doesn’t get enough of “guy” movies. He was pretty excited to sit with his women and see the series. He even came home early a few nights so he wouldn’t get behind us.

Over the years, my husband has three times made me watch Schindler’s List and then fallen asleep halfway through! I’d “wake him up to go to bed” crying my eyes out. While we were in Berlin, and left him home alone, he finally watched the whole thing. He never told us if he cried but I bet he did because he’s a softie anyway. My younger daughter usually is too sensitive for this sort of thing, but she learned to leave the room for parts and come back later. So, this trip definitely affected the whole family and we all absorbed a lot over the course of the summer.

We also watched:

The Battle of Britain
Pearl Harbor
Saving Private Ryan
Sophie’s Choice
Hope and Glory

Well, we still have a few others films here we haven’t had time to see yet, and maybe in a couple of months we’ll be up for some more. For now, we need a break from war movies.

Regarding books, both girls and I visited the Anne Frank Zentrum in Berlin 2 weeks ago and saw a wonderfully done movie they show there about the holocaust, Anne, her family and the publishing of the book. Right now, on my older daughter’s bed stand is her battered old copy of Anne’s diary. She is re-reading it. I think I will too. (She’s supposed to be reading Obama’s book “Audacity of Hope” but that got pushed aside…)

I do hope to get her to read “Suite Francaise” because she was very interested in the whole occupation of France and I think for a young woman she will appreciate the point of view of the young French women when the German soldiers arrived.

I’m going to save the list of the many other books and movies suggested for my younger daughter as she gets more interested and for my older daughter who studies US History in school this year.

<b>Next: Normandy Beaches</b>

Gruezi, thanks for the trip report. Looking forward to reading the rest.

Thanks irishface...

I appreciate the encouragement. I've been procrastinating this report, but I do want to write while my thoughts are fresh.

gruezi

Wow, I can relate! Our DD is 17 as well and we went to Normandy last summer. I am taking her back to France next summer for graduation as she wants to delve into it even more after her AP Euro class this year. Like your DD, she is swamped with applications, etc so probably won't be much help in planning, but oh well. So I really look forward to reading all about your trip since it will probably help me plan.

mms,

Thanks for reading... I'm working on the next piece of the report right now.

It's such a fine line between getting them involved in taking advantage of this opportunity to see Europe, while respecting all the pressure they are feeling about schoolwork, testing and getting into college.

I think I was a bit too hard on her this summer in some ways. I really had to accept she can only do so much and she also needs some down time too. Someday, she'll be 48 like me and have all the time in the world to read and travel...Right now it's a luxury for her.

Where will you go in France?

gruezi

<b>Caen Peace Museum</b>

Normandy – June 17 - 21

We took the train from Zurich to Paris (4.5 hours and wonderful to nap and read. We were reading “The Age of Innocence” together for another of my duaghter's school projects.) and spent the first afternoon and night in Paris. This was my excuse to see more of my favorite city and a nice start to our trip. It was the first time I ever was in Paris for gorgeous spring weather and it was heavenly.

We took a nice walk and spent a little time at Napoleon's tomb and then had a nice dinner at an outdoor caf&eacute;. We had some fancy champagne cocktails and toasted the end of the school year and the months of tests, and the beginning of summer.

Early the next morning we took a train and taxi to Caen and the Caen Peace Memorial. The whole trip took about 3 hours I believe. We had gotten train tickets in advance but it is not necessary – plenty of room on the train. We taxied in the interest of time, but there is a bus to the museum.

www.memorial-caen.fr/portail/index.php

The Caen Peace Museum was a bit overwhelming at first. I was relieved we were able to check our luggage there, which was a big concern. The admission price for us was around 31 Euros which I found really steep, and it didn’t include a floor map which I later found was available for an extra charge – I know I wouldn’t have paid any extra for it on principle. We tried to get oriented, and knew we wanted to see the 2 movies shown there as they are often recommended by Fodorite’s and others, so we tried to plan our visit around the times they are shown and also fitting in some lunch.

The museum is very maze-like and there is a lot of reading – printed in French, German and English. Unfortunately, the rooms are not well lit and the English is written in white letters on clear lucite and if you are over 45 it is very hard to read. But, if you can “see” past this, there are a lot of interesting exhibits that comprehensively cover WWII and D-Day. It took us a while to &quot;settle in&quot; to the museum but we adjusted as the afternoon wore on.

There are many artifacts including old mess kits, first aid supplies, tanks etc. etc. The exhibits cover the various fronts of the war from France to England to Russia. If you are patient and have good glasses you can spend hours and hours here. This is where we really learned about the Russians stand against the Nazi’s in Stalingrad.

The film about D-day is excellent. It’s shown on 2 screens and there is no commentary. It is all film of the actual events with visual documentary about the strategic positions of troops and countries each step of the way. It is worth going to the museum just for this film. At the beginning there is a long sweeping aerial shot of the stretches of these beautiful beaches. You see the war pictures a little later and the contrast is shocking.

The museum pays special attention to the French resistance and also does a good documentation of the holocaust, although not as thorough as what we later saw at the Imperial War Museum and what I’m sure is in the Jewish History Museum in Berlin, which we unfortunately did not have time to visit.

We spent about 3+ hours between the WWII exhibits and the D-Day movie.
We had some lunch and then continued on to a temporary exhibit on loan from NY State Museum about 9/11. It was much better done and easier to read as it was in a brightly lit area on the ground floor.

My daughter was a very sensitive 10-year-old on the day of 9/11 and by design never actually saw the news films or any detailed coverage. We knew a family that lost their son that day, so it was very real to us. She was very intrigued by this exhibit and we spent another hour or so there. Again, lots of artifacts including a wall of the posters that were hung to find family members, video, things taken from the wreckage, gifts and notes sent from afar to the various fire precincts in NY.

We never intended to spend time in a 9/11 exhibit in France, but it was a very worthwhile hour or two. She still talks about this part of the exhibit and what it meant to her to see it in France. (Both girls go to international schools and came home on Sept. 11th last year very surprised the day was not even mentioned. In their US schools, there was always a memorial event and most kids wore something to commemorate the day.)

I thought it was important that she understand the full impact of that day on her country as so much of the events that followed are shaped by that fateful day. We talked a lot about this that day, and still are talking about it now.

After the 9/11 exhibit we saw the other movie, “Hope”, which is a pictorial of various wars, atrocities and genocide throughout 20th-21st century history. We didn’t find it hopeful at all, and after a full day of war and holocaust I just had a really good cry. I noticed lots of teary faces leaving the auditorium.

Finally, we went around the back of the museum and downstairs to the Nobel Peace Prize exhibit. It would have been nice to spend some more time here, but by then we were pretty tired. The exhibit was basically in an underground tunnel and a bit creepy that way. And poor Al Gore’s name was misspelled. Still, it was a relief to see something positive like photos of Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. (I’m a nurse and Mother Theresa is one of my all-time heroines.)

My daughter very astutely noted that the whole Nobel Peace exhibit was located where no one would ever find it unless they were really determined to (we were the only ones there). Meanwhile the photos and biographies of the men who plotted and committed the 9/11 attacks were upstairs in the bright sunlight big as day.

(There was also a huge Cold War exhibit but we passed on that one. Later, in Berlin, we would learn a lot about the Cold War.)

<b>Next: On to Bayeux and Normandy Beaches</b>

gruezi,

I am a big history buff, especially WWII, so I am really enjoying this. I have always wanted to visit the D-Day beaches and memorials.

I am looking forward to both you and your daughters thoughts about your visit to Dachau. It was a really moving experince for me. And thank you for the nice comment you left you left at my Dachau photo gallery.

Tom

Like Tom, I am very interested in history, including (especially) the focus of your trip. Great report! I look forward to more.

gruezi--For now we are just planning on Paris, but I hope to do more. We have been twice so far, both times hitting Normandy briefly, and both times we did visit the Museum in Caen. I think it should be a must see before any of the DDay beaches are visited. Our first trip was in early 2001 as a family, and then again last summer (2007). Your reference to your DD and 9/11 made me think back to that day as well for our family. My DH was a career Naval Officer and was away on an exercise...so yes, it is etched in our minds. But I will never forget explaining it to the kids on the way to school.

Gruezi

Enjoying your trip report.

Another big vote for “Suite Francaise” - I felt cheated when I finished reading it, I wanted to know more about the characters and to know that she didn't finish the series because she died in Auschwitz was poignant :-(

Hi Tom, Leely and Alya,

Thanks for reading along!


Hi mms,

I just can never have enough of Paris! In terms of WWII, I highly recommend the Imperial War Museum in London, and the whole city of Berlin if you can ever get to either.

gruezi

<b>Bayeux and Normandy Beaches Tour</b>

It was a long, but highly educational day at the Caen Peace Museum. After, we took the bus back into town and a quick train on to Bayeux. We stayed at the La Bellefontaine just outside of Bayeux town. It was an chateaux with scenic grounds and a pond complete with swans and some brand new “swanlets” or whatever the proper term is for baby swans. The setting was lovely and restful and the main inn was pretty and in keeping with the French countryside. Unfortunately we were put in a modern annex and I must say it was not at all charming, but would be good for families as it was on two levels and could sleep 4. We had booked late and there wasn’t much available in Bayeux and so beggars can’t be choosers. The staff very nicely arranged our dinner reservations. It’s a good 15-minute walk to the center of Bayeux. Probably best to stay right in town if you can, as your little feet might be tired from all the other walking.

[email protected]

We got settled and freshened up and then walked into town and had a wonderful dinner at le Pommier, often touted here on Fodor’s. My daughter enjoyed her favorite escargot. It was a cozy and friendly spot. We drank a bit of wine and regrouped for our tour of the Normandy beaches the next day. I think we were a bit weary and wondering how we’d fare with another full day of “bad news”…So we enjoyed some comforting French dessert to build up our endurance.

We had booked a private ½ day tour through Normandy Sightseeing Tours:

www.normandywebguide.com

The tour guide met us the next morning at 9 am after we had a hearty 12 Euro breakfast at the inn – pleasant, but nothing special.

We expected a scraggly, gruff old military-type man for the tour, but instead had a pretty and charming young French woman. She was delightful and the perfect guide for us. She was open to what we wanted to do with the 4 hours and also had some suggestions for things we shouldn’t miss. She reviewed with us the location of all the beaches and the basics of the strategy and divisions locations on D-Day.

As we drove through picturesque countryside, we talked about all our various travels and living in various countries, her job experiences before she started at D-day tours and some hilarious stories since. (Apparently lots of serious old war buffs want to have dinner with her! She was really cute, smart and fun so it’s understandable.) We discussed what the French today think of Americans, the British, and the Germans, and other such things that we ex-pats in Europe find interesting. Although we were visiting areas of bloodshed and intense battles, the day did not have the heavy feel to it of our visit to the Caen Peace Museum. Perhaps it was the natural beauty all around us that took the edge off.

We were able to pretty leisurely see:

Point du Hoc
Omaha Beach
The American Cemetery
Arromanches

Our guide made various stops along the way at small museums, various memorials etc. We didn’t spend a lot of time in the museums as we had had a pretty full day in Caen.

The Normandy beaches were simply stunning - some thing I had not been prepared for as a water/beach lover. Yes, they are pocked with holes from bombs and you can climb into frighteningly well-built German bunkers, but beyond that you can’t help but be taken by the natural beauty and the fact that nothing has been built on them in all these years. Much of the land we saw that day has been gifted to the US by the French.

The American Cemetery reminded me a bit of Arlington cemetery but with the addition of an incredible ocean view. It’s sheer size, the painstaking care of the grounds, and the endless number of white crosses and Stars of David is something to behold.

My daughter was very interested in seeing the graves of the Ryan boys who are buried there as she had seen the Private Ryan film. I’m not big on cemeteries, and didn’t want to linger, but I think my daughter found this a very touching part of our tour. She spent a lot of time in the chapels and in the small museum. I think seeing all the tombstones gave some sense of the amount of loss, and perhaps she needed to see that to really understand.

The cemetery is a beautiful tribute to those who lost loved ones, and I was glad to see that if a family visited a relative’s grave here, they would feel their loved one had been properly honored.

After that we drove on to see Arromanches and the remains of the wharf buil there. We felt pretty much sated on D-Day and were pleased with our ½ day tour. I know some people do full days, but our eyes were pretty glazed over by then.

One thing I think that is important with this kind of travel is to allow some time for integration. Too much is just too much.

After our tour was complete our guide very kindly took us back into Bayeux and gave us a short tour pointing out some ideas for lunch and dinner. After saying our good-byes and exchanging emails we ate a long, late lunch at a little converted mill on the river. It turned out to be pretty touristy, and not so tasty, but a lovely and soothing setting.

Then, since we were right across the street, we went to see the Bayeux Tapestry. I knew nothing about it, but my daughter had studied it in Art History class last year. We were shuttled into the tapestry room pretty quickly. The tapestry is incredibly long and kept in a darkened exhibit hall. You are given an audio and do make sure you learn how to pause it before you enter, or you’ll be very rushed (the audio is sort of a speed reading of the history of the Battle of Hastings… basically another war story…). There is a bit of push and shove that goes on in there when a large group arrives which is too bad.

The tapestry is just simply amazing to behold especially if you have ever done any needlework. Upstairs is a museum and a wonderful short film about the tapestry. I highly suggest you view the movie before the tapestry, as it will make your experience of the tapestry infinitely better. Unfortunately we didn’t know to do that and we saw the tapestry first.

My daughter left before the film to sit outside in the sun and call her boyfriend. She was definitely done for the day…. This is something I have come to understand about travel with teens. They have the rest of their long lives to see Europe, but every place I visit, I imagine it very well might be the last time and so want to drink everything up and not miss a thing.

We took a quick peek into the rather imposing cathedral in Bayeux. I liked it better from the outside, but art history girl explained why it was actually quite nice inside too…it’s so nice having an expert along;)

I could have strolled the town a bit as it was rather charming but my darling companion was really, really done and was not as charmed as I.

Back to the inn for a little rest, showers, etc and then walk back into town for dinner at le Petit Normand. We had a wonderfully large and delicious 3-course meal for 16 euros each. A nice bargain compared to le Pommier and very tasty too especially a country salad I had for a starter.

We had already reserved in advance at Le Pommier again for our final night since we liked it so much, but we could have easily been happy again at Petit Normand.

At dinner we had a long discussion about our final day and how to spend it. Our lovely French tour guide had highly recommended Mont Ste Michel. Next to us at dinner was an American couple that had just spent the day there. Betwixt and between these recommendations we decided to get up early and take the train to see Mont Ste. Michel. I won’t go on and on here except to say:

I’m glad we went,
It was way too crowded,
Don’t go in the summer,
You will be stuck there all day if you use public transport,
You only really need a few hours,
And finally, I’m still glad we went.

Back “home” again to Bayeux, another lovely dinner at le Pommier where we had a much prettier table, walk back to Bellefontaine and then to bed…Taxi called for pick-up to train for 2 hour ride back to Paris in the morning.

<b>Next: Paris and Homeward</b>

gruezi ~

What a wonderful report. I'm a huge history fan and spent part of my honeymoon in Bayeux and the D-Day beaches.

The beaches are beautiful, aren't they? And yet you can't forget what happened there; with every step I took, I thought of the soldiers on the beach...

Eagerly awaiting more!
Mebe

gruezi, I remember your interesting planning thread and the discussions that took place.

Looks like you had a very interesting time in such a lovely part of the world.

I guess you can get too much war stuff, but your family seem to have dealt with it really well.

Next episode please.

Muck


Muck

Thanks Mebe...

Hi Muck - I remember your help along the way. Glad you are reading this...

Thanks!

gruezi

Next Installment....

<b>More Paris and Back to Zurich</b>

We’d been to Paris together last November, and had done the whirlwind city tour that trip (search “over the moon mother daughter trip to Paris” for my trip report if it’s of interest). This time we opted for a stroll, lunch at Angeline’s and a low-key self-guided tour of the Opera house. If you like Chagall or mosaic, do see this beautiful building. I would love to see a performance here someday just to be in the gorgeous theater.

That evening we wanted dinner some place fun. The women in my husband’s Paris office all said “send them to Costes!!” Well, it did not disappoint. After a few days of war and bunkers, we were so happy to be dressed up and watching the most blatant display of legs and cleavage we’d ever seen, while we sipped champagne and ate like piggies. It was quite the scene, and we had some great laughs and forgot about guns and bombs and just were silly for a few hours. We’ve decided that before we move back to the US, Paris and Costes will be our last stop.

Next day, train back to Zurich and we both finished reading “Age of Innocence” and had a good chat about the shocking ending. Of course, our points-of-view were very different given our ages and experiences. What a great book! My third reading and still love it.

Oh, forgot to say we had breakfast at Laduree and stocked up on croissants for the loved ones we left back home. Some of the goodies didn’t make it all the way to Zurich! Nothing like a good train picnic. Paris…sigh…

<b>Next: London, Imperial War Museum and Cabinet War Rooms.</b>

Thanks again, gruezi for sharing this with others. Your hint about public transportation at Mont St. Michel is well-taken.
In your opinion could one go from Paris to Bayeux to MSM and back in one day using train/bus/taxi??? Merci!

Dear TDudette,

Thanks for reading. It's a pleasure to share, as the writing is helpful in really absorbing and integrating everything we experienced.

Regarding your question...and I hope this is at all helpful...

Paris to Bayeux is almost exactly 2 hours by train with one easy change at Caen. Bayeux is small so easy to get around by taxi or by foot.

From Bayeux to Mont Ste Michel is a bit trickier because you take the train to another city and switch to a bus shuttle. I can't remember the train station name or the exact time it took! But, if I recall, I think you need about another 2 hours for this whole leg of the trip.

Here is what tripadvisor says about travel to MSM:
<i>
&quot;Travel experts in the Mont-St-Michel area generally suggest driving as the best method of reaching the area. People who are traveling from international locations frequently fly in to Paris and spend time there before renting a car and heading from Paris to Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel is located approximately four to five hours driving time west of Paris. Travelers should pay attention to the local weather in the area, as there are times of year when floods cover the major highways and make driving in the area nearly impossible.
Travelers seeking alternative methods of reaching the area can plan to take the train or bus in the area. The train station is located approximately five miles away from Mont St. Michel and the bus is similarly convenient. Information about the high speed train options coming through Paris to Mont St Michel are available online at www.voyages-sncf.com&quot;
</i>

I can't imagine seeing MSM and Bayeux in one day plus heading back to Paris mostly because the trains/buses from MSM to Bayeux run extremely infrequently. Perhaps direct toward Paris there are more possibilities.

As I mentioned, we felt literally stranded after our 2 hour tour of MSM. We didn't see any taxis anywhere although they must exist. We hitchhiked back to town as there was no bus for hours mid-day, and then just hung around for another few hours waiting for a train back to Bayeaux.

People we met in Bayeux did the trip by car and even they said it consumed almost a full day of their trip.

We had not planned to go to MSM until the night before, so perhaps our planning wasn't the best.

Your hotel may be able to make better suggestions on this or a wonderful Fodorite who has been to MSM, may respond to a post.

Did I mention go in the fall to MSM?

Good luck!

gruezi

Thanks, gruezi, we are going Sept. 2. I hear ya about the logistics though. We too hope to see MSM at dusk. Hopefully, I can do a report when we return but may ask you to edit it first!
;)

bookmarking for later..thank you for doing this!

TDudette - You will love Normandy and I think Sept will be a beautiful time to go. Enjoy and do post back.

Yes, MSM would be best in early evening or morning. It's a very spiritual and beautiful spot. The crowds distracted a bit from that but even still you can't help to be in awe.

Hi Dawn - hope you survived camp!! I am trying to get my trip reports in before I go back to work. It's a lot of time to do them so in future I am going to be extra kind to others who take the time to share with all of us. I guess I should finish my Morocco report too...

gruezi

I barely survived... about 40 plus of us (students and counselors) got a bad case of food poisioning. Oh my... back to work??? You better bring me up to speed!

Thanks for posting, gruezi. I have followed your planning with much interest. Looking forward to reading more of what appears to have been an interesting and meaningful trip for you and your children.

It's possible to visit Mont St-Michel from Paris in one day by taking the TGV to Rennes and then the special bus to the Mont. There's just no good way, unfortunately, to add Bayeux to the mix.

Four years ago we took our two children (ages 10 and 7 at the time)to Normandy. For them, it was probably the most fascinating part of our 2-week trip to France and Switzerland. Nothing that's taught in a classroom could have compared with what these kids came away with after our visit. We stayed in Crepon, a small village not too far from Arromanches-les-Bain (Gold Beach), one of the beaches that the British landed on. At the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, my 7-year-old son collected stones and placed them on the headstones of as many Jewish soldiers as he could find (it is a custom in the Jewish religion to leave a stone when visiting a grave to show that someone has been there). It was very touching. We also visited the German cemetery, which in contrast to the very peaceful and beautiful American cemetery, was a dreary, gloomy place. On our drive back to Paris, we stopped at the WWII museum in Caen, which we all enjoyed very much.

Hi Lucy,

Thanks for reading!


Hi Underhill,

Thanks for the train info!


Hi Freberta,

Thanks for sharing your trip. I would have liked to visit the German cemetery as well. I was curious how it compared. We also have found traveling provides opportunities for learning you just can't have in school. I wish I had done more of it when my children were your children's ages.

gruezi

<b>London, Imperial War Museum, Churchill Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum</b>

London June 28 – July 1

This leg of the trip it was the whole family. London was not in the original plan but my husband had to host a business meeting at Wimbledon and couldn’t in good conscience go without his two tennis-partner daughters. So, we had to quick change some summer plans and squeeze this in between our time at home and a visit to granddad in the US (a WWII vet) for his 90th birthday celebration.

We stayed in the beautiful Pelham Hotel in Kensington that was recommended by a number of Fodorite’s. It is situated right across the street from the tube and in a really nice little neighborhood I wish I could have explored further. Our rooms were beautiful – exactly as the website shows them to be. The breakfast was delicious and basically consisted of whatever your heart desired and was served in a cheerful, sleek dining room decorated with pretty contemporary artwork. Service was slow, and very spotty, and a bit unprofessional at times, but the food was so good it was hard to care. Service at the front desk and concierge was similarly “off the mark”, but we were hard-pressed to complain as the intentions were always good - just a matter of people being rather young and probably new to the job.

www.firmdalehotels.com

A history buff friend highly recommended the Imperial War Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms in London as well as the London Walks specialized Blitz tours. We only had a few short days and lost time due to a late flight. We took the tube early Sunday and spent a long morning at the Imperial War Museum. We were all so impressed by what an amazing place this is. Admission to this incredible museum is free, but you will definitely want to leave a donation on your way out.

www.iwm.org.uk/

You could spend a couple of days here. I’ve borrowed some bits from their website as they explain it much better than I.

“The Imperial War Museum is unique in its coverage of conflicts, especially those involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day. It seeks to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and ‘war-time experience’.”

This is a very accurate and humble description of the museum, which incorporates video, photos, artifacts, text, letters, etc. to tell the stories/impact of war.

The exhibits were thoughtfully done with something for every interest. On the ground floor there were torpedoes and fighter planes, tankers and missiles and every kind of large-scale artifact you could imagine. Our younger daughter loved the simulated submarine, as she is the science buff and sailor of the family. Well, it was pretty cool to all of us and we spent a bit of time in there “playing” navy.

Other exhibits we explored included: D-Day, The Blitz, The Battle of Britain, The Homefront, and the other fronts of World War II (every conflict area is represented).

There is a special experiential exhibit, “The Blitz Experience” which recreates the whole bombing of London and how it felt to live there at the time. (We passed on this. We are mostly all a bit claustrophobic. It seemed very popular with others.)

Beyond the permanent exhibits are some temporary ones dealing with other war topics. We tried to stick mostly to WWII just to narrow down things. We saw:

The Children’s War – Detailed exhibit about WWII and how it affected British children especially those who left their families and went to the countryside or abroad to Australia or America. Really heartbreaking, in that some were not recognized by their own families when they returned.

The Holocaust Exhibition – from the web: “the story of the Nazis' persecution of the Jews and other groups before and during the Second World War. Photographs, documents, newspapers, artifacts, posters and film offer stark evidence of persecution and slaughter, collaboration and resistance.” This is an excellent exhibit starting with a history of the Jewish people, moves on to the roots of anti-Semitism, and all the way through the various events of the holocaust. It ends with compelling taped video of holocaust survivors discussing their thoughts on war, forgiveness, how their lives were shaped by the holocaust. Again, more tears from me.

Crimes Against Humanity – From the web, “A specially-commissioned 30-minute film is the central element of this exhibition which examines the theme of genocide and ethnic conflict - looking at some of the common features shared by the horrendous bloodshed in Armenia, Nazi-occupied Europe, Cambodia, East Timor, Bosnia, Rwanda and elsewhere.” This movie is only for 16-year-olds and up, so my husband and daughter went while my other daughter and I were elsewhere in the museum. I think the movie was pretty bleak – similar to the “Hope” movie in Normandy from my daughter’s point-of-view. She said, “I’ve seen enough, and I’m done, and can we leave now?”

I don’t remember when, but somewhere in the midst of all this we stopped in the cafeteria for a break and a hearty lunch. I do remember it was a very nice little spot with some comforting foods and especially nicely done and reasonably priced children’s meals. Both girls enjoyed the kiddie trays (they are small girls and often still order children’s menus) including little sandwiches, milk, grapes, and Kit Kat bars…Okay, the Kit Kat bars were huge and my husband and I stole one from the girls. We needed to keep our blood sugar up…

Early afternoon we pretty much limped out of the museum and headed back toward central London.

I don’t know how we mustered our stamina, but somehow later that day we decided to visit the Cabinet War Rooms so that Monday we could just relax and do some shopping. (The walking tours were voted by both kids but I would still like to do one some time as a good friend has done several through London Walks and says they are quite good. There are a few that specifically cover WWII.)

The Cabinet War Rooms did not have the tragic feel of the IWM. In fact, something about them seemed almost unreal in a sense because they look a bit like a movie set. But, they perfectly re-create the original rooms and where Churchill ate and slept and the decisions were made. Fascinating.

We really rallied in the War Rooms and so having caught a second wind we then continued on to the Churchill museum next door. Oh, I loved this museum about this amazing man! I had no idea he was a rather accomplished painter. I’ve always loved all his famous and witty quotes and you can see them all here along with his art, a video of his state funeral, anecdotes about his sassy wife, etc. etc.

We stayed until the museum closed and they kicked us out (very politely of course!)

It was quite a full day, and there were some cranky family squabbles along the way, but we accomplished so much and I would say the bulk of our “education” about the war occurred in this day. I can’t say enough good things about the IWM. Every student of history should spend time there.

What did I think about WWII at this point? I have 2 very clear thoughts about WWII as it was fought on European soil. I know I’m no expert on any of this but here goes…First, the British were the first and foremost heroes of WWII. I just keep thinking of this tiny island, the air attacks of the Nazi’s, the resolve of this whole nation and the leadership of Churchill that inspired Great Britain to stand strong. I keep hearing Churchill’s voice and words, “We shall never surrender!”... Brings tears to my eyes. Second, the Russians in the horrible and gritty Battle of Stalingrad were really the ones who finally weakened the German army. So ironic, when you go to Berlin and realize the stage for the Cold War was being set as WWII was being wrapped up.

My daughter and I both had the same realization that the American participation and sacrifice in the war was nothing compared to so many other countries, especially in terms of percent of total population. If these kinds of statistics interest you, check this chart:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

Sooooo, what else did we do in London? Saw “Wicked” and “Les Miserable” (I know, what was I thinking with more battles? 14-year-old was studying French Revolution!) And then spent a day at Wimbledon – did get to see Venus and Serena so that was exciting for the tennis players in the family as when they were little the girls often called themselves after these famous players. In the middle of all this, my daughter phoned for her AP test scores and had a small breakdown as she didn’t fare as well as she’d hoped on one of them. She’s a pretty intense kid. Sigh… I kept telling her that she needs to look at the big picture – she’s not living in London during the Blitz or being sent to a concentration camp. “Mom, I know, I know.” She gave herself a 15-minute time out and then said, “I’m not going to ruin Wimbledon for myself!” And, so, back to center court.

We also squeezed in a trip to Harrod’s (too expensive for us to do more than look), some wonderful Indian food albeit with less than friendly service (sorry I can’t remember the name!), and a most elegant and delicious afternoon tea at The Dorchester where the sandwiches and scones just keep coming until you holler, “Uncle!” My husband ate for at least 3, but was never made to feel greedy by our friendly and enthusiastic waiter. There was beautiful harp music and some very interesting people-watching. A diverse, international crowd has tea at the Dorchester. We surreptitiously watched as fully veiled women scooted scones up under their garments. This was just beyond comprehension to my girls….you know about the veils, but no one ever talks about how you eat in public with all that on.

The few days were a wonderful whirlwind and then it was time to head to the US for a few weeks for visits and other obligations. We still hadn’t even finalized plans for Berlin, but that was next on our list. Thanks to those who helped me out at the last minute with ideas and itinerary because I was not my usual pre-planner self. Again, with Berlin there was just too much to see and not enough time.


<b>Next: Berlin</b>

I cannot believe I missed this Gruezi!

Bookmarking to savor later...

Bookmarking to finish later. It is excellent and we're going to Germany in October.

Hi Flygirl and Kristin,

Thanks for stopping by.

Let me know if you need any help planning your trip Kristin. I will post Germany soon. We loved Berlin.

gruezi

Sorry for the long break (if anyone is still reading!) but I've been traveling and also started a new job.

Here is the Berlin report:

<b>Berlin August 4-7</b>

I just have to start by saying that Berlin has found a place in my soul and I know I’ll be back. Kind of like I feel about Paris, but these are two such very different cities. I honestly had no idea what to expect – I had such a busy summer, I barely had time to book the flights and hotel (actually my sweet husband took care of all that) and so never even looked at photos of the city before we went. Although, I am beginning to realize that with travel, sometimes going with no expectations is best.

I also must warn that 4 days is not nearly long enough for this city! I did run the girls ragged, and so we saw a lot, but I don’t think that is the best way to travel. I think a week is a good amount of time for a first trip to Berlin. If you are a history lover than you might need to make it 10 days! Again, I had to work within the fact that one daughter has a short summer, about 40 essays to write, schoolwork to prepare, and a boyfriend who leaves for University in another country in a few weeks. And we still were planning to visit Dachau before the summer ended.

We stayed in Postdammerplatz as we had a special offer on a hotel through my husband. Some here on Fodor’s don’t love this location, but for first-timers with the busy itinerary we had, it worked out quite well for us. The underground to everywhere was right across the street and we could walk to the Brandenburg Tor, The Reichstag, Unter den Linden, the Topography of Terror, Checkpoint Charlie, and plenty of places for eating.

Again, brutal cuts were made to the itinerary. I tried to schedule a variety of activities so it wasn’t all depressing and so that we still covered a lot of the WWII history and didn’t miss the opportunity to learn about the wall and the Cold War as well. Those of you who shared so many great suggestions, I apologize if we didn’t get to them all – we really, really tried!

Cost-wise I found Berlin relatively reasonable especially since most things we visited were free. Only Checkpoint Charlie and The Pergamon Museum charged admission and The Pergamon had ½ price for my 17-year-old and the 14-year-old was free (18 Euros total for 3). Checkpoint Charlie struck us as a bit expensive, but I don’t recall the price and can’t find the receipt.

Here is what we did:

<b>Monday</b>

Our flight was delayed so we were unfortunately in quite later than expected losing much of the day. We walked to Typography of Terror and spent an hour or two there. This is an outdoor exhibit at the physical sight of the actual institutions of the National Socialists. The Secret State Police, the SS leadership and the Reich Security Main Office set up their offices: the administrative headquarters of the Secret State Police and the Gestapo prison were here.

The exhibit is comprehensive and is a combination of photos and historical reading. It was a lot of reading for me, and also for my 14-year-old, but it does present a thorough account of the activities of the Nazis and was a good starting point for our visit to Berlin.

Then, hoping for something more hands-on, we walked on to Checkpoint Charlie and visited the museum there. I found this museum really chaotic and some of it hard to follow but there were many worthwhile artifacts from the Berlin Wall and lots of documentation of attempted escapes. Actual cars that had been fitted to sneak people through the checkpoint were on display. A hot air balloon that 2 families built from scraps and used to escape was there as well. Worth going just to see these things.

We continued our walk up to Franzosischstrasse where we had a contemporary German dinner at Aigner, which was very pretty and the food good, but the service was not very welcoming or helpful. We had been told by our hotel that we didn’t need a reservation, but maybe we should have phoned ahead. By the time we left, the staff had warmed up a bit, but things were frosty for a while.

It was a lovely evening and just dusk so we continued our walk and headed down Unter den Linden for a view of the Brandenburg Tor at night. Very impressive. Then we headed back to Postdammerplatz and were fast asleep seconds after we got into bed.

<b>Tuesday</b>

We were up early, had a big breakfast including some yummy Berliner doughnuts, and hit the underground to head to the House of the Wannsee Conference Memorial and Educational Site. This is a “must see” for the study of the Holocaust I think. This is the actual site were the SS held a conference to discuss the final solution. The building now houses a permanent exhibit called, “The Wannsee Conference and the Genocide of the European Jews.” It is extremely comprehensive. Lots of reading, but my kids did fine and you can’t possibly read everything unless you plan to spend all day so you can pick and choose how much to read in each section. You may want to plan for at least a very long ½ day at this site.

For us, the most chilling part was the number of documents dealing with the issue of “mischlings” or those of partial Jewish blood. Pages and pages of correspondence spent on determining exactly who is really a Jew, and what rights are given to those married to Jews, or the children of one Jewish parent etc. etc. Sickening in its detail and analysis.

The exhibit traces from the beginnings of racism and anti-semitism to the persecution of the Jews in Europe to the Wannsee Conference, the deportations, the ghettos, concentration and death caps.

At the very end of the exhibit are photos and quotes of survivors, their descendants, and the descendants of high-ranking SS. A very real examination of the past, that brought tears to our eyes. My daughter copied some of these quotes to use in her essay she’s writing about this trip. Imagine being the niece of Himmler and having your grade school classmates ask if you’re related to him. Talk about carrying around a pain body.

After we took a little walk outside to sit in the garden, look at the lake and regroup.

I thought it would be nice to spend the afternoon doing something outdoors in a bit of nature and not related to the holocaust as this was a pretty intense morning. We took a bus back to the train station and headed for Potsdam to Sans Souci. I thought a palace built for retreat from worry was just the ticket.

Oh, sometimes I do get it wrong with the teenagers! It was a longer trip than I anticipated, with a few mistakes on the way. I forgot my kids have seen a lot of palaces and castles this past year and it really ate up the whole day. The girls were under-whelmed and I felt our itinerary was so chock-full that perhaps I’d made a bad decision on our use of time. But hindsight is 20/20….The line was very long to go in the palace so we took a walk on the grounds, saw the teahouse, and then headed back to Berlin. It is a very lovely place if you are not with kids who have seen too many European palaces and are a bit tired from reading very sad holocaust history!

How to save the day? Stopped on the way back at KaDeWe for a bit of retail therapy. Way out of our price range but glad we got to see it. And, on the way we got a nice view of the Kaiser-Wilhelm Kirche. I understand there is a good memorial inside, but I was not in the mood for a mutiny from my travel companions, and my little feet were pretty sore anyway, so we looked from afar.

We took the tram back to Postdammerplatz and had a little stroll through the whole Sony Center area en route to our hotel. This would be a fun spot to have a cold drink and just watch the crowds if you have a bit of time.

Back to the hotel to freshen up and then I had a surprise for the girls. I had reserved at Restaurant Kaefer (Kaefer means ladybug) at the Reichstag. They like to dress up a bit so were pleased to get to do that and it was a beautiful clear evening. We walked up to the Reichstag taking time to see the Dieter Appett Socialist Memorial and then were swooshed right up in the elevator to see this incredible dome. I’m still thinking about this wonderful piece of architecture! If you love the Pantheon in Rome, then you will love this clever structure. Gorgeous 360 degree views of the city, but the dome itself is a star too.

We had a wonderful dinner – again I had low expectations (think tourist trap!) and was very pleasantly surprised. The most memorable dishes were small soups from unexpected ingredients – very innovative and delicious. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. One of the girls ordered a warm chocolate cake for dessert and while we waited for it, I went up the dome one more time and then read the history of the Reichstag. I loved that the architects of the new dome intended that light would shine onto Parliament to illuminate their decisions. As we learned more about the history of Berlin, the Berlin Wall, and the reunification, it made me love this building even more. What a wonderful symbol for this re-born city.

Re-birth is a word you think of a lot in Berlin. Here is a city that was completely destroyed. The new city isn’t a replica of the past. It doesn’t look like anywhere else. Yet, it still has character and it still commemorates it’s history – no matter how dark some of it was. You can’t walk 3 blocks in Berlin without coming upon a memorial for some one or some group of persecuted people.

On the way back from dinner we spent a good deal of time at the Memorial for the Killed Jews of Europe. The accompanying museum was closed so we theorized amongst ourselves why the architect designed it as he had. For us, the memorial was a special place of quiet and reverence and gave us time and space to reflect on all that had happened to the Jewish people and all we were learning on this journey through history.

A funny thing…. The lobby of our apartment building has many photos from cities around the world taken by a famous Swiss photographer who I believe is of Jewish descent. Last week I realized I had been passing by a photo of the Killed Jews Memorial every single day for the past 18 months right in my own building. I love that it is there. (Not far from a photo of the WTC which hangs in the hall by our apt door.) I haven’t pointed the Jewish Memorial photo out to the girls yet. I’m waiting for them to discover it.

Then we hopped on a crowded bus and did a turn about lovely Under den Linden before we headed back to our hotel.

And then, after a very full day, on to bed….Before sleep I struggled with the itinerary. Too much to see, what to cut out, how to keep it upbeat and not wear down the companions…

<b>Thursday</b>

Here is what I decided. What makes Berlin unique regarding WWII? The German point of view and the Berlin wall! So I planned for German Resistance Memorial Center, The Memorial of the Berlin Wall and Documentation Center, and if we weren’t too tired, the Anne Frank Zentrum. This meant we wouldn’t have time for the Jewish Museum, which I really had wanted to see, but it gives us a reason to go back to Berlin. Additionally, another Fodorite had mentioned a Kristallnacht memorial which our concierge had gotten me a map to but that too will wait for our next visit.

The German Resistance Memorial Center offered an audio, which was quite good. The center is somewhat like a library or reference area and is built on the site of the execution of some of those who plotted against Hitler. There are some memorials outside in the courtyard where the executions took place. Inside the audio gives an interesting and comprehensive overview of the entire German resistance. For us, the most shocking stories were those of the young students who were killed for distributing anti-nazi literature at their university. There were large pictures of a brother and sister – they were so young. We all thought the museum was worth seeing and that the audio was quite helpful.

From here we took a taxi to the Gedenkstatte Berliner Mauer. I didn’t know what to expect as I hadn’t found a lot of information on this. It’s at present not fully finished, but enough has been done to make it a very meaningful introduction to the story of the Berlin Wall and what it meant to the people divided by it. I highly recommend this memorial and especially the film shown in the documentation center across the way. There is a beautiful memorial chapel on the site where a Catholic Church had been destroyed to erect the wall. Each day, a different victim of the Berlin Wall is memorialized in the chapel at noon. We were too late for that, but we spent some time in the chapel and the girls lit a candle. (They later did the same at Dachau.) I could go on and on about how this memorial has been designed, but instead I just say, if in Berlin do go and see for yourself.

After that, I decided fresh air and a walk were in order. We had some cold drinks and walked toward the Anne Frank Zentrum. On the way, the plan was to stop and see the Memorial at Grosse Hamburgerstrasse. We got a bit lost but eventually found the site where the oldest Jewish cemetery in Berlin once stood until destroyed by the Nazis. The actual memorial later placed here was missing. It seems it’s being renovated or something. The tomb of Moses Mendelssohn is here but the cemetery itself is completely uncared for.

We continued our walk through Hackescher Market and I remembered that Thingorjus had recommended it as a good shopping are for my “snappers” and indeed he was right. Lots of cool shops and they had a nice little break trying on leather jackets and such.

We continued on in this neat little neighborhood in search of Anne Frank Zentrum where I had heard there was a model of the Anne Frank House. I thought my younger daughter would appreciate that. Both girls have read the diary. We were disappointed to find there was not a model of the house, but we were told there was a movie they could show us in English if we liked. The movie was excellent and worth the trip to the museum. The film was designed for students so it really brought the whole war, anti-Semitism, the plight of the Franks and their hiding, and the holocaust down to the level of a student. It was equally good for an adult. Both girls really liked the film. After, we poked around in the exhibits for a bit, and then headed out to see the neighborhood. (There is another museum in this complex that is supposed to be quite good that we didn’t visit – Otto Weidt’s broom factory that employed and protected blind and deaf Jews during WWII.)

Here is where I made another mistake. My older daughter and I had wanted to see the East Side Gallery – a very long painted section of the wall. So I tried to add this in to our afternoon. Big mistake. We got there, everyone was very cranky, the younger daughter said, “I’m not getting off the tram.” Well, she finally did, but then we couldn’t find the wall. Then we found the wall, and it truly was fascinating, but no one cared anymore -including me. There was a lot of finger pointing about whose idea it had been to even see this wall. We voted to make peace with each other at the wall, spend 10 minutes, and call it a day. God was good and an empty cab drove by when we were ready to go and rescued us and our weary bodies. Hurray, our feet were so, so tired and we needed food.

After that, we went out for a long tea. This is something we always love to do and is a bit of a tradition since the girls were little. They ate a ton of scones and had a mountain of clotted cream, amazed and shocked the waiter with how much hot chocolate 2 tiny girls could drink, and then got very silly.

Do you know what they did then? They began to tease their dear mother about her “addiction” to Fodor’s. A little playacting began right in the restaurant. One pretended she was me, sitting at my laptop, tapping furiously away at my keyboard, while the other tried desperately to get my attention.

First the innocent and sweet daughter said, “Hi mom, I’m home from school! Want to hear about my day?….

Actress playing Mom, “mmmmmhmmmm” Tap, tap, tap on the keyboard.

Then the daughter, “Mom, can you help me with my homework?”

Mom, “mmmmmmhmmmmmmm, just a second….” Tap, tap, tappity, tap.

Then, “Mom, I think dinner is burning! Can you come in the kitchen!!”

Mom, “mmmmmmmhmmmmmmm….I’ll be right there…..” Tap, tappity, tap, tap, tap.

Oh, they were merciless, and then giggling hysterically. Well, I guess they needed some comic relief, but seriously do you think this is really what goes on at Gruezi’s home? Okay, don’t answer that question!!!

We had had a very full day and so we decided to have the night in and room service and a movie (a special treat for us as we don’t have TV in Zurich) and an early night to bed. We all packed our bags so we’d be ready to go in the morning. Perfect. Sigh… I have got to stop over scheduling my trips!

And now what did the mother of these ungrateful little teasers have planned for them tomorrow? Well, I certainly agreed we had seen enough of people being tortured and shot by evil men, so I thought we should try something different. I even let them sleep in until 8:30. Aren’t I a nice mom?

<b>Friday – our final morning</b>

Big breakfast, including every sort of doughnut, and then off to the Pergamon Museum to see the Babylon antiquities before we headed home. I knew nothing of them, but the art history student knew all about the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate and was pretty excited to see them in person.

The Pergamon is an amazing museum and you don’t need or want an art history lesson from me, but I just urge you to go see for yourself. You just cannot even believe that this building is full of the most wonderful and huge pieces of antiquity. Audio here just okay in our opinion, but the museum, esp. the main exhibits, is a “must see.”

It was a beautiful day so afterward we strolled along the river a bit and then headed back toward Under den Linden and strolled some more there. We stopped for some ice cream drinks at a caf&eacute;. They were unbelievably refreshing and delicious and our straws were making that empty slurpy sound way too soon.

We had a last sight of Brandenburg Tor, walked back to our hotel, collected our luggage, and headed back to the airport and home.

I praised the girls for how well they held up for four full days of touring. They really were pretty wonderful. I was particularly proud of my younger daughter. (It is already a family joke about how she announced she was not getting off the train for the Wall Gallery. You have to know her because she is normally so sweet.) I can’t believe how much I learned in 4 days and what a wonderful experience for them as well. We said good-bye to Berlin, but as our cab passed by the Reichstag I was already plotting my return. Soon I hope…

One final observation about Berlin, there really and truly is history on every block and the history is very accessible, well documented, and mostly free.

<b> Next:
Dachau Concentration Camp – Our final piece of this journey</b>

Gruezi,
Thank you this is so so good !!

I have always longed to visit Berlin, and look deeply into the war from a German perspective, unfortunately my history hating wife has always blocked it.

I will soon go alone....I haven't told her yet lol :-)

I will use this great thread as a basis for my trip.
Keep it coming
Muck

Dear Muck,

Thanks for reading this. I know it's long and probably boring sometimes.

You must tell your wife to talk to me!! No one was more of a history hater than I!!!

I only came to appreciate history through my daughter. I never liked history in school, and I honestly have a huge void in that area of my education. I was more of a science and literature student and did whatever I could to opt out of a history class. History today is taught so differently and I envy the education my children are getting. Both have loved social studies and history.

Berlin is an amazing place, as were all the travels we took this summer. Perhaps a teaser trip to Europe to get her interested is a good idea beforehand?

What does your wife enjoy? You can tie into her interests so easily in any of these places. If she loves water and scenery go to Normandy. If she likes needlework she will love the Bayeux Tapestry. Architecture and art - go to Berlin. Just about anything, go to London. The Churchill museum is great if she loves great writing or painting - his pithy quotes are timeless, and his wonderful paintings are just a testimony to this diverse and amazing man. She doesn't need to care about history at all to enjoy these things.

You could be sneaky and start in Amsterdam - no woman will not be taken in by the Anne Frank House. (I visited this last year without my family.) From there you could start with the resistance movement and then she will be hooked.

WWII and the Holocaust and then the Cold War is a good place to start with your wife as she at least knows something about that period and who cannot help but care about the human side of this history? The stories are certainly not dry like the history books of my youth. Even a history hater like me was completely taken in. The movies we watched early on are what inspired our family. They humanize history for those of us who don't do well with history books.

I am so very appreciative to have opened up this part of my curiosity at this point in my life (I'm 48).

If you can inspire your wife, I think you will ultimately do a lot more travel. You know, my husband loves golf and I hate it. We have compromised over the years. We went to a golf resort in Provence. He golfed, I went to art museums and we both had a great time and ate wonderful meals together. He did go to a few museums with me and enjoyed them after his golf fix. I bet you could work out something with your wife, and if you are gentle and patient enough you might even convert her...

gruezi

If you could bear it, there is a very good and fairly recent German film based on the records the arrest, trial and execution of the Scholls (the brother and sister Gruezi mentioned), which is certainly available to rent on DVD in the UK, so I assume so elsewhere. The English title is, I think, &quot;Sophie Scholl - the Final Days&quot;.

Patrick,

Thanks for your suggestion. I will find the movie. Someone probably mentioned it in the original thread I wrote asking for movie and book suggestions, but at the time we didn't get it and I think now we'd be up for another film.

Interesting you mentioned it now, because my daughter has written her college application essay on this trip and she says in the essay that of everything she saw this summer she was most profoundly influenced by the German Resistance Museum and the story of the Scholls.

She has decided she'd like to pursue a major in Peace and Justice along with History which is ultimately what came out of the trip for her...

gruezi

Gruezi...


don't know why and how I missed this report....now that I found it, I must tell you it is an excellent detailed report, chock full of great information for people traveling to Normandy, Berlin, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to tap,tap,tap!!I was wondering why you hadn't written a report, after many of us had corresponded to your original post when planning the trip.... So happy it went so meaningfully well for your DD's, DH and yourself..new twist on the old saying...&quot;the family that learns together, stays together!&quot;

Keep on travelin' and truckin'..

stu tower

Hi Gruezi,
Your spot on, however...
I have dragged the poor girl around Normandy so many times I can't remember, we have been in bunkers,casemates, tunnels, gun emplacements, pegasus bridge, museums as well as the Anne Frank house the imperial war museum etc etc etc etc etc.....the list is endless. This is probably why she hates history lol :-)

When I went to Prague on a Heidrich research tour I took my daughter for the trip but left her doing her hair and having a lie in whilst I toured the assassins routes and the methodist church.

She is just like her mother and whilst I cannot understand why anyone could prefer going shopping to history, I guess we are all different and I have to respect that.
I took her to Terezine and she really wasn't interested ok she was only 16 then.

So in order to see exactly what I want to see its probably better I go alone lol. Unless of course I can tag along with your family as you seem to have a great time ;-)

Keep writing

Thanks

Muck

Gruezi, thanks for another great report. You are blessed with wonderful traveling companions in your daughters. (However, I know that their behavior does not com out of thin air by luck; it comes from hard work on the part of parents and good examples from their parents.)

Hi Stu,

I'm so glad you found my report. I had hoped you would see it as you were so helpful and supportive during the planning. It's taken me a while, but I was determined to complete it and putting words on paper really helped me process everything we did. Thanks for reading and I'll post Dachau in the next few days.

Mucky,

I travel alone a lot and sometimes I really prefer it. I love travel with the girls or with my husband. Everyone together is too much. But when it's for something that really interests me, I'm pretty happy to go alone so I can see and do just what I want. You will enjoy Berlin alone I think but there is plenty of shopping there if you bring your wife and daughter!

Irish,

Thanks for reading and for your very kind words. We do try our best, but also we know we are pretty lucky to have nice kids...


Thanks all!

gruezi

Very interesting trip report. I have seen many of the places you visited over the years, but not all.

How fortunate you are to live in Europe! Traveling there with teens is much easier if you break it up (as you were able to do) rather than go at it like gangbusters for two or three weeks straight!