Journey #22538

Journey Coordinator
Jackie Herriman

Pre-home stay touring – 5/10 to 5/14 in Berlin
Home Stay Week #1 – 5/14 to 5/21 with FF of Lübeck
Home Stay Week #2 – 5/21 to 5/28 with FF of Hamburg

This journey brought together 4 Ambassadors from FF NE Ohio and 4 from FF SW Florida. It was WONDERFUL to journey again after 2-1/2 years of COVID!! We so greatly appreciate the warm hospitality and friendship of members from both FF of Lübeck and FF of Hamburg and sincerely thank our home, dinner and day hosts for such memorable experiences.

There is no better way to learn about a country, region, city, history, culture and daily life than to live with welcoming hosts. Here are just a FEW of the highlights of things that we saw and did…

Berlin – the very thought-provoking Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe	Berlin – Reichstag building which houses the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany’s parliament	Berlin – one of the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall that separated East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989
Berlin – The Brandenburg Gate, built in the 18th century by Frederick William II	Berlin – in the Pergamon Museum, collections from Ishtar Gate of Babylon from 6th century BC	Pottsdam – Sansoussi Palace built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace
Lubeck – we received a warm welcome from our hosts at the Lubeck train station followed by a Welcome gathering with delicious cakes!	Lubeck – the 13th century Gothic church, Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church).	Lubeck – Ambassadors and Hosts enjoyed visiting the ‘Living History Project”, giving unique experiences to youth
Lubeck Travemunde – Ambassadors aboard the Passat, a German four-masted steel barque and one of the last surviving windjammers	Lubeck – Holstentor, city gate built in 1464 marking off the western boundary of the old center of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck	Lubeck – Police Museum where we learned about relations and security between East and West Germany from 1945 to 1990. Lubeck was JUST on the western side of the boarder.
Hamburg – Ambassadors and Hosts visiting Beatles-Platz in the St. Pauli quarter. This is where after Liverpool, ‘Beatlemania’ began.	Hamburg – Council Chamber, Senate meeting room of City Hall	Hamburg Blankenese – a unique and beautiful residential community on the Elbe River
Hamburg – The impressive Elbphilharmonie Hamburg concert hall towers above the Elbe and Hafen City.	Hamburg – the third largest container shipping port in Europe, Hamburg is big, busy, impressive and growing!	Hamburg – St. Michael’s Lutheran Church where Friendship Force was recognized and welcomed during the Noon service

FF NE Ohio is happy that we will host FF of Hamburg on a reciprocal journey in 2023!!