Thursday, 10 October. We were up at 5:00 and put our luggage out before 5:30. Then we went down, checked out and had a small early bird breakfast because it was too early for the buffet. People were leaving in small groups, depending on their flight's departure time. Our nonstop flight to Newark was scheduled for 9:35. Our GCT shuttle left at 6:30 and we were at the airport by 7:00.

When we went to the counter to check in, we learned that our flight would not depart until 1:30, a four hour delay. We each received a 12 euro ($16) voucher to have lunch. We read for a while and explored the airport looking for the best place to eat. At most of the regular restaurants, our 12 euro voucher wouldn't even buy a bowl of soup. The Burger King was more reasonable, but we found a cafeteria where the prices obviously were set to fit the vouchers. At 11:00 we used one voucher to get two sandwiches, and the other to get two large pieces of cake and a bottle of water (No water fountains in the airport). Each item was priced under six euros, and they even gave us a couple of chocolate squares as change. (No cash change is allowed on a voucher.)

By the time we finished, a line had formed to check in. We finally got through security and into the waiting room about noon. It was another hour before we boarded and 1:45 before our plane finally pulled away from the gate.

The flight was uneventful. A meal was served at 3:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. EST), then a snack at 3:15 p.m. EST. We arrived at Newark Liberty Airport at 4:45, not quite four hours late. After going through immigration and customs, we found a long line for taxis. You had to go through an extra step before you got in line if you wanted to use a credit card, so we didn’t bother. Even so, we didn't get out of the airport until 5:30. We got to our son Larry's house in Glen Ridge at 6:00. The cab drive was very nice. Fortunately I still had enough cash left to give him a decent tip. After that, Jane and I had about $15 left between us.

Mina made us a nice dinner and we enjoyed a relaxing evening with her and Larry. When we went to bed near 11:00 that night, we had been up for 24 hours.

Friday, 11 October. We enjoyed a quiet day, mostly washing clothes, repacking our suitcases and catching up on email. A friend and neighbor of Larry and Mina invited us all over for dinner that evening, and we had a most enjoyable time.

Saturday, 12 October. After a big breakfast with Larry and Mina, we left about 9:00 a.m. We were stopping to visit our son Kevin and his family on the way home. They live in Eldersburg, MD, west of Baltimore. We arrived there about 1:00. Of course, our grandchildren Brendon, 22, and Jennifer, 12, were there, too. We had a very nice visit.

Sunday, 13 October. After breakfast, we went to an unusual Sunday service with Kevin's family. We spent the morning visiting and left for home in the early afternoon. We got home after 4:00 and were very glad to be there.

Observations. Saxony, the area where we spent most of the trip, including the entire cruise, had been in East Germany (GDR) until 1990. It has had 23 years to catch up, but it still has a very different, more relaxed feel than West Germany (FRG). Although it undoubtedly was aggravated by missing 45 years of the rapid development seen in the west, I think this difference probably predates World War II.

Saxony was once a very important part of Europe, as we learned on our trip. But I couldn't help noticing that most of its historical power and prestige was centuries ago and arose primarily from the role of its ruler as an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. The importance of that role suffered a steady decline and disappeared entirely by 1806 when the electoral system was formally abolished. An already diminished Saxony then managed to choose the losing side in the Napoleonic Wars (1807-13) and in the Austro-Prussian War (1866). Even before Prussia became the dominant German power, Saxony had become a minor entity.

Saxony is great for tourists because it has so many old castles, palaces, and half-timbered houses. It’s like going back in time. However, as was explained to us in regard to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a “well-preserved medieval old town,” the reason those old buildings and narrow cobblestone streets are so well preserved is that the town became an insignificant backwater. It was ‘frozen in time” because there was little or no development or progress. I think that observation also applies to Saxony. Then being in East Germany for decades, when so much progress was being made in the west, just put it that much further behind.

Also interesting, the speakers we had during the trip who recounted their experiences, first under Russian occupation, then as citizens of the GDR, were surprisingly content with their memories. They were accepting; they showed no bitterness or resentment (except regarding the mass rapes when the Russians first arrived). That may actually be a good thing, but it was surprising to many in our group. Perhaps such acceptance is a product of years under communism. But it reflects satisfaction with the status quo, something that does not favor progress.

As for the tour itself, we had an exceptionally congenial group. Having a smaller group (87 instead of 140 as on most river ships) probably helped. The entire ship's crew, including the Captain and officers, was great. The food on the ship was outstanding. The itinerary was good; there were ample interesting things to see at every stop. We would prefer to be on the ship for the entire trip, but that would cut out Prague and Berlin, both highlights of the trip. But even seeing them on a land tour, the time in each of those cities was far too little to see much. Luckily we had seen both of them thoroughly before. It would be a better trip, though, if GCT would add a day on each end to spend in those cities, making it a 14-day trip.

All in all, though, it was a wonderful trip. We learned a lot and are very glad that we took it.