The Park

The Park At Potsdam
Once in the heritage book.

In Berlin, a local tourist guide; Marchita Rudolf took us to the much talked about park at Postdam; half an hour outside Berlin. Marjita speaks English well and was informative.

She said it was a common effort to bring tourists to the Sans Souci Palace of King Frederich, the great Prussian King. The King apparently loved this summer palace grounds and was attached to the place.

Outside the palace are great spans of park grounds and coupled with the chilly winds; the atmosphere was touristy indeed. This feature reminded me of the song ... you are sixteen going on seventeen... as the girl and boy danced round it.

The once beautiful linden trees in their dry season; we were told they were beautifully green in the good days when the sun was up and the rain was here.

Marchita told us the story of this windmill. Apparently the palace authorities wanted it to be removed but the brave farmer fought his way through the German court and lo and behold; he got scot free and so today it is still standing tall and has become a legend. So you do get your rights when you fight for it.

This summer palace of King Frederich the great was his favourite place of rest and play. No other palace did he love more than this that he requested his body to be buried when he died. It was rightfully done in the palace grounds.

Marchita told us that the king loved to walk into the palace through these doors accompanied by the streaks of sun shine.

The palace was of rococo architecture and took decades (1620 -88) to finish by 5 renown architects of the day.

The park surrounding it was vast; hundreds of acres and were the homes of vineyards.

The group shot in front of the palace fronting the park.

Jumping for joy; light and easy.

The first signs of growth coming to life...the vineyard.

Surrounding the park too stood 'huts' that house 'gods' and 'goddesses' and you wonder why they are under shade. Marchita related that they were shaded from rain and snow and the huts will be removed during the warmer months of spring and summer.

This special feature was to keep rain water and for recycling; Germany is foremost in this green effort and people are taught and trained from young of the awareness of recycling.

The park is enormous and took us quite a while to stroll through.

The Linden trees are at its lowest ebb; all arid and brown. Otherwise it would have been a perfect arch of shade.

On the way out we noticed the first signs of life on the ground; she told us it was the tulip plant finding its way out of hibernation. That's life; we have hope when things seem hopeless at times.

Of Parks at Potsdam.