Road trips, mountain walks and holidays

This was the second day of our trip from Riga to London. On the first day, we were travelling by Ecolines coach from Riga to Warsaw and after midnight we continued our trip to Berlin. In the morning, around 5 am, just before crossing the German border, the bus stopped at a gas station and the passengers had an opportunity to leave the bus for at least 15 minutes and stretch their legs. We arrived at Berlin’s Am Funkturm on Masurenallee coach station almost according to the schedule. Quite a few other passengers also got off. After a short break, the bus went on to Braunschweig with its final destination in Stuttgart. Berlin After getting off the bus, we headed to the nearest underground station Kaiserdamm (only 300 metres walk to the station) to get to Berlin Central Railway Station. The underground single journey costs 3 euros and the boarding pass must be stamped before boarding. On the way, to the Berlin Zoo, we had to change from the U to the S line. Exiting the underground stati...

Sun, flowers, and spring The next morning, after the usual grey April day in Riga, we were awakened by the rays of the sun – our break in Germany had begun exceptionally well! From the window we had a fantastic view towards vineyards and all kinds of flowering shrubs and trees; we felt like on a real spring holiday! We planned to visit Baden–Baden and at the end of our trip visit Mainau Island. To enjoy these fantastic changes, immediately after breakfast we went for a walk around the town and without realizing it, reached the next town. The Easter morning service had just ended, the clock was approaching noon, and the local Germans were slowly gathering for family lunches at local pubs. Great tradition – in most cases, at least three generations of people gathered around the tables. Before moving on to Mainau Island in Germany, after visiting the thermal pools and sauna complex in Baden-Baden, we walked around the city, which has both its unique charm and something special, such as th...

We arrived at Baden-Baden Airport late in the evening to start enjoying our short break in Germany. A taxi took us to the Gasthaus Linde (address: Yburgstraße 79, 76534 Baden-Baden); it is located in one of the towns around Baden-Baden called Steinbach. We were greeted by the owner of the guest house; he knew about our late arrival and offered to postpone check-in until the next morning, so we went to relax immediately after arrival. Baden – Baden A short break in Germany would not be complete without special attractions. Baden-Baden is an international thermal spa town in the southwestern part of Germany, in the federal land of Baden-Württemberg, in the Karlsruhe region. The city and its surroundings have historically been a very prosperous region of Germany; people have been going there since ancient times to relax and enjoy thermal waters, drinks and nature. We recognised it by paying for taxis and meals at local restaurants and observing the locals. Prices in thermal spas on the o...