Day 2 - Potsdam and Magdeburg

After breakfast in the hotel, we boarded buses to take us to the ship which is docked at Magdeburg.  On the way we stopped in Potsdam, the city on the outskirts of Berlin, in which Stalin, Churchill and Truman met to determine the fate of defeated Nazi Germany.  After arriving, we toured the Sanssouci Palace, built by Frederick the Great -- a magnificent rococo edifice surrounded by beautiful gardens.  "Sans souci" means "without worry" and Frederick wanted a beautiful place to relax with his circle of friends, away from the stress of governing.

After lunch at a bakery/deli in Potsdam, we visited the Cecilienhof Palace, the site of the meetings between the Allied victors to determine how the defeated Germany was to be divided.  Our guide was able to give a thoroughly concise overview of the perspectives that the three powers -- Russia, England and the United States -- brought to the table.  We heard some details which I had not heard of before, including the effect of the just-developed atomic bomb on the US attitude toward its allies.

We then moved on to Magdeburg to board our ship, the Viking Schumann. While the rain had held off for our Potsdam visit, it returned as we approached Magdeburg.  But the Viking team met us with umbrellas, welcomed us aboard and brought in our luggage.  Now we are settled in our cabin, well fed, and ready for tomorrow's adventure.  Stay tuned...