The LutherLand tour returned to the U.S. while the three of us: my sister Margo and her husband, Ken, and I stayed in Berlin one more day. Because we didn’t want to pay 7 euros to enter Berlin Cathedral as tourists, we decided to attend the service inside, gaining us free admission. I whispered to Margo, “I am positive this is Lutheran” when she asked me if the church was Catholic or Protestant. That was because the congregation sat for the whole service, including the hymns and the liturgy, and only stood for the Creed. The choir and organist were excellent, and the organist improvised brilliantly on the opening and closing hymns.

The interior was absolutely dazzling but we were not allowed to take photos, so I found this picture on the Internet.

We then took the Hidden Berlin walking tour which lasted almost five hours! Our guide, Forest, was from New  Mexico  and had lived in Berlin for five years. He had a master’s degree in German history and was extremely knowledgeable. Among the highlights were the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, remnants of the Berlin Wall and Hitler’s bunker. And according to Margo’s phone we walked 9.14 miles! Talk about sore legs!

Tomorrow we return to the U.S., but I’ll stay on the East Coast for about ten days before returning home.