East Germany and Berlin to see Rachel with Tracy and Simon. Part one birdwatching in Angermunde and Wahrenberg

All set for our holiday and before we met Tracy and Simon off the plane at Berlin Schonenfeld airport in the afternoon, we had picnic lunch in a park with Rachel.

Just off the sleeper train to meet Rachel at  Berlin Ostkreuz station with very Germanic tower in the background.  

That afternoon we met Tracy and Simon, collected the hire car thaat Tracy had arranged and drove North to Angermunde. This part of the holiday, i.e. the following 8 days were a surprise for Julian and I, because Tracy had planned them and it was our job to plan the Berlin bit.  Rachel was able to join us and she slayed in a nearby Air B&B and we picked her up each morning.

Our accommodation was in an old Water Tower, beautifully solid and restored and I wish I had taken some photos.  This was forgotten in the excitement of meeting and travelling and discussing our birdwatching trips.

First morning 5.30am start birdwatching walk in the woods near Angermunde

Even just one early morning took it out of us and we realised that we could not keep going from crack of dawn to dusk, which was at about 10pm, especially having consumed few drinks the evening before.

Swimming in natural clear lake near Angermunde

Beach at the lake

Eating supper in the sun by the lift at the back of the Wasserturn

Restored water tower (Wasserturn)  We had central floors below owners accommodation.

Typical East German church at Angermunde

After 4 days in the Watertower we moved to Wahrenberg near Wittenberge (not Wittenburg where Martin Luther nailed his thesis to the church door))

We stayed in a lovely old house Air B&B called the 'Kulturhaus'.  This was a big rambing old building with two large barns surrounding a central grassy courtyard with gardens to the side and rear and an active Storks nest with babies on the room of one of the barns!

Tracy and me in the garden of Kulturhouse

Simon learing at Tracy and you can just make out the Stork's nest on the chimney in the background

Tracy and Simon looking for birds at an old mill and education centre near Angermunde

Lunch at a lake  This was at Linus on the way to Wahrburg and where we saw the Penduline Tit's nest.

Courtyard Wahrenberg

Kulturehouse Wahrenberg  Only one bathroom!  We found another toilet which made things easier!

Here we are packing up at the Kulturhaus which we decided was very lovely despite some ambiguities and plain inaccuracies in the description on the part of the owner.