Berlin + 2

Our second day out in Berlin was a busy one. We started off of course by devouring a large European breakfast. After filling up on a primarily carb filled meal, we headed out to the city center. Although we are not really interested in all of the major site seeing areas, Berlin was an exception. We walked down the streets remembering what they are by name association, and arrived at the Brandenburg Tor. This was the gate that divided east and west Berlin. This gate has been around since the 1700's, has been rebuilt and revamped numerous times and had it's statue that rests on top stolen by Napoleon. After walking through the gate to the west side of Berlin, we wandered past some of the older buildings such as the parliament building and city hall. We had a few site seeing goals today, one of which was the holocaust memorial. Not exactly sure what the memorial was, we were surprised to find about a hundred yards of various sized, concrete blocks. These blocks ranged in sizes from two feet high to towering well above our heads. When you entered the memorial, the blocks served as a maze and you would have to keep a watchful eye around the corners. After taking a few pictures we moved on to another must see of Berlin (at least for us), the Bauhaus Archive. The Bauhaus archive housed a variety of different Bauhaus era designs and literature and whatnot. We were supper excited, and were looking for bragging rights for when we see our designer friends back home. When we arrived at the door, there was a sign saying that the archive was closed until July. Unfortunately we couldn't see the archive, but their gift shop was open, so at least we get to say that we stepped inside. After our disappointing Bauhaus archive visit, we made our way to a large park. We were surprised to see that it was Christopher street day, which was the largest gay festival in Berlin. We were surrounded by great food stands where Kristen and I bought a half meter German Bratwurst. We continued down the street and came upon a parade that consisted of open top buses packed with people dancing to loud, booming electronic music. After taking a few interesting pictures, we made our way to museum island. Here we saw the Berliner Dom, which is the Berlin Cathedral. It was an amazing cathedral with details in every corner, and a giant dome in the middle. Upon exiting the cathedral, we realized just how much we walked and how exhausted we were, so we decided to make our way back to the hotel. We capped off our night with a nice Italian dinner in Alexander plaza and a couple bottles of German beers for our way back to the hotel.

Berlin + 1

Friday in Berlin. This morning, unfortunately, we had to check out of the Circus Hostel and move to another Hotel, the Circus was all booked up, so we packed up and headed out with our luggage. We didn't go far though, there was a laundry mat right down the street and we decided to treat ourselves to a real cleaning. Up until now we had been washing a few items every night in our hotel room sinks and hanging them up on a makeshift clotheslines. The process works pretty well and it has enabled us to pack super light, that being said, we were still really excited about giving our clothes a deeper cleaning. The German laundry mat turned out to be quite an experience. A short man greeted us as we entered with a quick, "Hallo," and immediately began rattling off advice in very choppy English. He kept pointing at the machines and saying, "Small Machines," then pointing at himself and saying, "Information." We may not have had the easiest time communicating with him, but he was very kind and REALLY wanted to help. You would think, how hard could it be, but the machines were ran by a much larger machine served as a payment counter, detergent dispenser, yes, just like a soda fountain, and a timer. The "Information" man also would only let Evan near the machines and kept telling me I should sit because Evan was a gentleman, it was quite entertaining. It was a pretty unique experience that left us with not only some laughs but a fresh wardrobe.
After we really packed our clean clothes we headed south towards our new Hotel. Luckily, we arrived at a pretty nice place, we booked without knowing too much about it, though we aren't too picky. All we need is clean room and even get excited if there is a bathroom in the room, which there was. Since we had spent much of our daily budget on laundry, we decide to go to a grocery store for supper. Again, we got to have an whole new experience, well kinda of. The store that we went to resembled Aldi's, which we were familiar with, but nothing in English was to be found. Which was actually pretty fun. We spent some time deciphering if we were picking out tuna salad, chicken salad or even Herring salad. After the guessing game we heading back to our hotel to enjoy our cheap little feast and spent some time attending to some work we have from back home.
(One picture we are posting for today shows you just how little we are traveling around with for these 5 weeks. The bags house all of our clothes, a laptop, our camera, sketchbooks, toiletries and evan extra pair of shoes for each of us. People keep commenting on how little we are managing with and I think it makes us kinda proud.)

Berlin

Even though it was tough to part with Stockholm we had to move on. The next country on our list was Berlin, Germany. Before getting there we had a grueling schedule of train rides. The first train was an overnight train from Stockholm to Copenhagen (10 hr.), which was in normal seats because we were too late to reserve a couchette. We got to Copenhagen in the morning and the next train in line was Hamburg, Germany (5 hr.). While on the way to Germany, the train had to board a ferry. This massive ferry boat housed not only our train, but also a variety of 18 wheelers and vehicles. The ride across the water took about a half hour. After a couple more hours on the train we were in Hamburg, and despite my best efforts I could not find Mozier. Our last train from Hamburg to Berlin was up next (2 hr.). We lucked out on this one, getting a whole cabin to ourselves where we stretched out and relaxed, but I think we deserved it.
We arrived into Berlin with no place to stay. Things kind of worked out for us in Stockholm, so we thought we were on a roll, we thought wrong. The layout of Berlin is very confusing and not foreigner friendly. After a half hour or so of trying to decipher the map and bus routes, we tried our luck at riding our first bus. We boarded and were moving down the road. The fourth stop was where we were to exit, and we were kind of second guessing ourselves when we walked off of the bus. The part of town we were left at probably wasn't that dangerous, but I definitely know the reason they didn't show it on the map that we bought. We made it to the hotel that we had written down, and it wasn't a looker. We decided against it and made our way down the outskirts of east Berlin.
It may have been the fact that we had just gotten off of an 18 hr. or so day of travel, or just that we were in such a massive city, but it felt like we walked forever before we found a hotel that had vacancy. The place we finally found was a hostel named the circus. It was listed in our travel book, and had nothing but good reviews. I don't think either of us expected such a cool place, but it was just that. It was unfortunate that there were no more open spots for the rest of our time in Berlin. When we finally got settled in and showered, we walked across the street to a nice little mexican restaurant where Kristen and I enjoyed the largest plate of fresh mexican food we have ever seen. Long story short, if you visit Berlin, visit the circus.

Stockholm + 1

We headed out this Wednesday morning without much of a plan. The weather that greeted us was just as beautiful as the day before and our only goal was to enjoy it. The day before we had walked through much of the "Old Town" island, though we found ourselves drawn to it again today. There many islands that compose Stockholm, but we mainly stayed on three of them. The "Main" island is where the train station was, along with lots of retail stores and an abundance of restaurants. The island our hotel was own was south of the "Main" island and we called it "Southtown." This island again had a lot of restaurants and shops but they seemed more local and a bit less touristy. The "Old Town" island is situated directly between the "Main" and "Southtown" islands. The draw this island has had a lot to do with it cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and classic charm. So we spent some time just wondering down the streets the size of alleys. From there we ventured over to a comfy spot on the "Main" island along the edge and just sat out in the sun watching the boats putter around as we dangled our feet over the water. We traveled to a few other small islands and checked out everything from the area's amusement park (Tivoli) to musicians along the street. That night we left on another night train and it was sad for both of us to go. Stockholm was an easy place to get around, everyone was patient and polite, and the city always seemed alive with color and magnificent views. Even though it was quite a bit out of our way on this trip, we are glad we headed this far north, it was worth it.

Lots of New Entries. Enjoy!

It has been a while since we have had a chance to get on the internet to upload entries. Here are our past five days of travel.

Stockholm

Today in Stockholm we awoke to yet another delicious breakfast, it must be a European thing. After filling up we made our way around town. First on our to do list was to get to the train station and reserve a night train after our last grueling train experience. After getting squared away with our train situation we made our way to the streets. We walked the streets taking pictures and just enjoying the amazing views. We walked up on a group of Swedish soldiers playing some really good music at the changing of the guards ceremony. We just had a pretty relaxing afternoon. After heading back in for a small rest and a couple things to take care of, we made our way out for dinner and delicious pistachio ice cream.

Denmark

We arrived to Denmark after an overnight train ride. The ride wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be. We did share a six bed room with three other men. One man was a talkative, small man who complained about Kristen putting on fake perfume. The man on the top didn't say one word. The last man came in and was full of life, talking to both Kristen and I. He was very excited, so much though that he kept spitting in my face when he talked, it was great. The excited man left our room in the middle of the night. After all of the excitement we quickly fell asleep. When we awoke we walked about the train, ate and whatnot with the time we had before we got to our stop, which was in Copenhagen, Denmark.

When we arrived in Copenhagen, we walked around town to see what it had to offer. We wandered aimlessly and came across a funny sign exhibit, it was pretty interesting. The exhibit featured funny signs from around the world. We checked them out and had a bite to eat near by.

After seeing everything, we hopped on our next train. This was a day train to Stockholm which was five hours. It wasn't the most pleasant ride in the world, so we will now be requesting only night trains or short train rides.

We got to Stockholm later in the evening, and were temporarily homeless. We walked around until we found a hotel which was at about ten at night. In Stockholm this time of year the sun really doesn't go down, so thankfully we had enough light to find somewhere to stay. We finally got to a shower and a bed and all was well.

Germany + 2

We owe so much thanks to Emelie, Johanna, Jason, and all of her family for all of their hospitality and kindness over the past weekend. Sunday morning we left Velbert for Cologne (Koln), Germany. We were back on our own again. We were only in the Koln for the day and spent it touring the town center. Even though it was Sunday and most of the shops were closed there were tents with food and beer spread out across the town square. Music was playing, lots of kids skating, and random groups of dancers. The most impressive part of our day was the cathedral in Koln. It is this massive gothic structure that towers over all of the buildings around. Words really can't describe the inside of the massive church, which is said to house the remains of the 3 wise men. It was an overwhelming experience.

Germany +1 (Dusseldorf)

After an event filled evening with Emelie's family, we decided that Dusseldorf would be our next destination in Germany. So Saturday, after a fantastic breakfast and some mini golf at a neighboring park, we decided to hit the road with Emelie, Jason, and Johanna.

When arriving in Dusseldorf we relied on Jason for a tour guide. He had previously lived and worked there, so he knew his way around the block. He brought us to a traditional German restaurant to have some traditional food and beer. Jason, who also attended SIUC spoke fluent German, along with Emelie and Johanna, so deciphering the menu items was not a problem.

After a filling dinner we made our way towards the city center. There was a hot balloon festival going on and the streets were packed with people drinking and yelling soccer chants. We ordered some beers and Jason explained to us that in Germany it is seven years bad luck in bed to drink your beer before you cheers with your friends and say "Prost" (cheers in German). While standing next to the street a woman presumably a bride to be, was clad in what looked like only toilet paper walked up to different groups of drunk men. These men would rip a piece off and then she would move to the next group. She did this until she came to the group directly across from us who ripped the entire thing off.

After drinking a few and waiting for 10:30 to roll around we walked down to the Rhine river and prepared for the hot air balloon light show. The river bank across from us housed probably 20 or more balloons which started to light up in sequence. It was a really cool event and I am glad that we were a part of it.

After the light display we made our way back to the vehicle. It was a great night and a great time with some great hosts. So thanks again Jason, Emilie, and Johanna!

Germany

Friday morning had Evan and I riding our first train in our travels. All went well and Emelie, the girl I used to work with, took us back to her home in Velbert, Germany. There we celebrated, Midsummer, along with her family and and a few friends. They are native to Sweden so we had a feast filled with various Midsummer Swedish traditions. We ate a variety of dishes of veggies, breads, cheese, and fish. The meal was accompanied by songs that the entire family joined in on...Evan and I tried our best to keep up. Keep up not only on the songs but on the shots of vodka that they passed around to cheers to at the end of each tune. The amazing dinner was finished with strawberries and cream. After the dinner we (all of the ladies) danced and sang around the maypole, the centerpiece of Midsummer celebrations, then played a German card game that even we could understand.
The afternoon and night flew by, but is was a great time. It doesn't get much better than dining outside, laughing and cheering, all while being submerged in two new cultures. Throughout the night the German and Swedish language was used just as often as English and I could have listened to it, even without understanding, for days-it was enchanting!!

Amsterdam - 3 (conclusion)

We left this morning (Friday) for Essen, Germany. There we will be meeting up with a previous coworker of Kristen's. Her family lives in Velbert, Germany and they are celebrating the longest day of the year, a Swedish tradition, where they invited us to join in the festivities.

Even though we will be back to Amsterdam to end our trip it was hard to leave. The people were nice and helpful, it was very culturally interesting and a good choice for our first destination.

We also want to share with you some more photos that we have taken over the past few days. Enjoy.

**Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Amsterdam + 2

Hello Everyone,
After another hearty hotel breakfast this morning combined with a few cups of coffee and hot tea we set out for another packed day in Amsterdam. Today was a day to line out future parts of our trip so we set out for Grand Central Station which is the train station here in downtown Amsterdam. We needed to find out how to validate our rail passes so we can continue on to western Germany tomorrow. We must have sabotaged ourselves by thinking that most people in public service here would know good English. The workers at the train station had very poor English and it was hard to understand the who's, what's and when's of the railpass situation. The worker explained to us (roughly) that we have a train to catch at 12:30 and one connecting train before we hit our destination. After both of us nodded, pretending that we knew what he was saying, we took our information, and hopefully all goes well.
Our walk today also took us through the famous "Red Light District". I could smell the hepatitis in the air. In all seriousness though, it is a fairly clean area that is regulated by the government. The first prostitute we encountered resembled a portly, man-like, mannequin with giant breasts, sitting in a window, so needless to say it we made it a quick walk.
Next on the list of things to scratch off was renting bicycles. We were a bit nervous about this considering that everyone here is a seasoned professional, and we were unsure how they would tolerate "newbies". We pushed our nerves aside and made our way down very narrow streets towards the park. The winding roads in the garden filled park treated us quite well, there were no vehicles allowed, so it was pretty casual and let us get used to riding. When we reached the end of the road for the park we decided to try our luck on the streets. First things first, I'm not sure if they had better bikes or what the deal was, but we were passed numerous times by women half our size and twice our age like it was nothing. We stuck to our guns though and pressed on. We weaved in and out of traffic, through populated streets, back through the park and were back to our hotel. All in all, it was a fantastic time and I am glad we rented them.
After a long bike ride and rest we headed back out for dinner. We wandered through the eatery streets and found a nice little Italian place. When our pizza came it wasn't sliced, so we were unsure if this was a joke on Americans or if this was customary, either way we were to hungry to care. We couldn't finish the first part of the trip without visiting a coffee shop so that is where we ended our night. Check back for more later!

Update!

Sorry for any troubles anyone had with posting comments. This should be fixed, so feel free to comment on anything. Come back later today for a new post.

Amsterdam + 1

6/17/09 Wednesday
Hallo all!
We awoke this morning to a hearty breakfast of sliced meats and cheeses, an array of breads, jams, juices and eggs, and even some familiar cereal. This was a big help in the start of our day, neither of us are adjusted to the time here just yet. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep (I knew that the nap yesterday was a bad idea, but I couldn't resist.) Well, as breakfast came to an end, we headed out on foot across town to look for a new power adapter. The desk clerk at the hotel showed us where an electronics supply store was and that was our first destination. After our purchase we didn't have any set plans so we decided to look around the part of town we had to hurry through yesterday because of the rain. Taking our time and taking in all of the sites and sounds, we looked at architecture, boats, a flower market, a flea market of sorts, cats in windows, statues and such. All while keeping a mindful eye trying staying out of the way of the bustling traffic, which was about 70% bicycles. I still can't get over how many people not only commute on bike, but on how they do it. Some while chatting to the cyclist next to them. Some with a baby on a seat up front and another child in back. Some people are even holding an empty bike along side of them as they weave in and out of traffic.
After a half a day's worth of gawking we headed back to the Hotel Acro to charge the computer and such. Because of our large breakfast we just had a snack for lunch and then head to yet another unseen part of town to find dinner. We ate outside at this little cafe and had some unique salads, mine was covered in honey and goat cheese, YUM! Last night (tues. night) we ate outside also and got to have some schitchzel and a lamb dish. Dinner has been nice both nights everything is served at a laid back pace so you never seem in a hurry.Which is perfect because it never did get really dark last night-the sun doesn't set till after ten and is up by five.
Overall the last two days have seemed surreal....and we have so much left to see and do. We will keep you posted!

Amsterdam

Hi Everyone, we made it across the pond. Our flight from STL to Philly was a bit rough, mostly because the plane was so small. We had a slight delay in Pilly due to weather and were worried that we were going to miss our connecting flight into Amsterdam. When we got to Philly we also had to take a shuttle which we just made. We ran through the airport and made the flight just in time. The flight wasn't bad. The seats were fairly comfy for airplane seats, we had a delicious airplane pasta dinner and slept for a while before got into Amsterdam. When we arrived we really didn't know how to get out of the airport so we lugged everything around until we figured out finally that we needed be downstairs. We got downstairs and bought two train tickets to downtown Amsterdam. When we arrived in downtown it was starting to sprinkle then progressed to a fairly large downpour. We forgot an umbrella so we were getting soaked. We decided to stop into a cafe, which was home to the tamest cat ever, and have some lunch. We then headed down the street when the rain stopped and made our way to what we thought was the train station. To our surprise it was the complete opposite from where we wanted to go, but it worked out because our hotel was two streets down. We have a pretty nice hotel (small but nice) and we are about to take a short cat nap to get ready for this evening. Talk to you all later.

Hey Everyone

This is the start of our travel blog. We plan on taking numerous photos and posting them along with our various experiences. Check back frequently for updates.