Two days in Berlin

Chris and Laura graciously invited us to take a trip with them to Berlin.  We left Monday AM, and took a slightly backroad route across the mountainous border.  The views were spectacular, as the mountain peaks had just received some icy snow, and the trees and signposts were covered in brilliant sparkling white!  It was so pristine it looked like an alien landscape.  Sorry, we didn't stop to take photos.

We tried to do a mix of kid-friendly sightseeing and grown-up sightseeing.  Berlin is one of those European cities with a history dating back 2000 years, but I tend to remember only the events around WWII and the years following.  I think we chose the two coldest days of this entire winter for this trip, so walking around outside was not pleasant. We definitely need to go back when it is warmer!  Here are a few photos.

The Brandenburg Gate

Enjoying dinner in...

Chris and Laura stayed in a two-bedroom apartment in the Circus Hotel,

and we enjoyed a private room in the Circus Hostel across the street.

Elliot was on "bed rest" for a sore hip - I don't think this is what the doctor envisioned.

Kid sightseeing...

Grown-up sightseeing, although Owen appreciated it too. 

This is the Ishtar Gate, from Babylon (dates from 604 to 562 BC), located in the Pergamon museum.

Kid (?) sightseeing again.. 

Hall of mirrors in the Science Museum - a kid-friendly place with all hands-on displays

The infamous Checkpoint Charlie.  Seen from the car window because it was soo cold!!

 

And for car enthusiasts, here is a Bugati Veyron - the most expensive car in the world at $1.6 million.  Top speed of 267 MPH.  Owen likes it!  However, I preferred the Bentley convertible on display next to it.

By the way, this was not in a museum but in a large VW dealership window!!

 

Elliot turns 2

Photos are on, but...

OK - we finally got some photos on, but we had to split the post in two, and we got them in the wrong order.  Scroll down to part 1, then part 2, to see what we intended :-)

If you can't buy a castle PT #2

After leaving the castle, we checked out the buildings on the street below. Hmm....That third one from the right looks kind of interesting - wonder what it is??

A small office (and yes, that's Chris)

some beds...

a kitchen......

the front hall.....

yes - it's a hostel!

Our new adventure begins soon. Tom and I will be managing this small (15 bed) hostel for the next season. We will keep our flat in Prague, but we are looking forward to spending a lot of time in this beautiful little town.

If you can't buy a castle PT # 1

You
go visit one, of course! This one is in Loket, a small town

west of Prague near the German border.

Note the open air ampitheater with the castle as a backdrop.

The Prague Symphony plays here in the summer.

The steps going up to the castle....

Part of the village square....

Now on to the next post.....

Frustration!

We have been trying since Sunday to create a new post, but for some reason we are having difficulty adding text to the photos, and getting the white space removed from in between the photos. Every time I try, my computer seizes up and I have to exit the program.

Watch this space - I'm determined to get these on!