On Saturday, the group traveled to Potsdam (city in Berlin's Metropolitan area) where many Prussian palaces can be found. We went to the Sanssouci (French for "without worries"), which was Frederick the Great's summer palace. The King (who was greatly inspired by the French culture) commissioned the palace to be designed in Rococo style with gold embellished ceilings and walls as well as extravagant works of art on the walls.
The palace was open to men only and had three guestrooms (including the famous "Voltaire Room" or "Flower Room" where Voltaire frequently stayed as Frederick's guest). Voltaire's room is a bright yellow room with exotic stucco designs of flowers, plants, and animals, and this room was by far most people's favorite room visited. (Definitely "Google" it to see pictures!)
After the palace tour, we walked through part of the town where everyone noticed the plethora of dog poo piles everywhere. It was like a fecal minefield...who knew Germans could be so unclean! The beautiful pastel colored buildings/apartments made for a scenic walk through the streets; however, I had trouble deciding if I should look up and around at the surrounding architecture or look down at the poo-filled streets. Maybe one day Potsdam will have an Excrementstraße! Anyway, the town was an amazing place to visit and I hope to go back during the Spring when it is warmer and the gardens and vineyards are in bloom.
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