Regine and her family actually live in a part of Bremen called Vegesack.  It’s a nice town on the Weser River but several years ago it was incorporated into Bremen.   The two Steves, Lizzy and I took the 23 minute train ride into Bremen center so this indicates how big the greater Bremen area is.  Local trains are usually the older and slower ones but our train was sleek and fast with seating on two levels.  We bought the tickets,  2.90 EU each way, in a machine at the station.  The conductor on the train very nicely let us know we were supposed to validate the tickets before getting on the train.  This is done in a little blue machine.


The ramparts used to make this windmill were from part of the old enclosed town.

  Spring is in full bloom and there are flowers everywhere.

 Much of the old town is traffic free and easily walked.  This statue built in 1404 is of Roland, Charlemagne’s nephew,

  The nearby Schnoor district is a “village” of narrow streets and old fishermen’s cottages that are now tourist shops and restaurants.

And here is the famous statue of the town musicians from Grimm’s fairly tale.

Even the train stations in Europe are in beautiful old structures.