With James in Europe for work, and a spare weekend at the end of the trip, we did the only logical thing.....we went to Berlin!
After dropping our bags at Marc and Elise's flat, we headed out for a Friday of exploring and doing the "touristy" things. Elise gave a quick tutorial of the U-bahn and bus system, handed us our day transport tickets, and off we went! As we got into the U-bahn to head to the main part of the city, I got distracted by the line heading to the Olympic Stadium. I am a sucker for all things Olympic, and there was a certain draw to the place where Jessie Owens made his mark. So off we headed, and were not disappointed. As we approached the stadium, there was a indescribable pull to witness the ghosts of history. Sitting on the stairs in a now modern stadium, you could almost here to pageantry of the propaganda that was the public face of the Nazi regime in 1936. The mask that was shown to the world, obscuring what would become the tragedy underneath.
I could have spent the day, seeped in the aura of the landmark, but it was off to see how the Berlin of the past and the Berlin of the now merged together. We hopped a bus into the city, and once in site of the Brandenburg gate, we hopped back off, and started a procession down the street towards the border of east and west. A beautiful park lining the street beckoned to us, and we wandered along the footpaths, the city disappearing around us. Both of us were simply amazed by the openness of the city. European cities are not typically noted for being spacious, yet Berlin has a wonderful feeling of a comfortable suburb. We finally passed under the Brandenburg gate, with all of its majesty. From the peace of the park, to the liveliness of the plaza, it was impossible not to fall in love with this city.
As the afternoon drew later, we headed off to join our hosts for dinner at a traditional German bier garden. By luck, we passed a piece of the Berlin wall, standing alone at a corner, a stark reminder of the past in an unexpected place. We are glad we got our touring out of the way, because the rest of the weekend was a wonderful glimpse into the everyday life of Marc and Elise, and their two wonderful kids: Liam (3) and Sasmira (13 mths). Dinner in the bier garden was really an outdoor dining area in the middle of a huge park. The evening passed quickly as Liam led us all in games of chase until it was time to head home, put the kids to bed, and let the adults catch up.
Our next two days continued as the Tessier's made us feel part of their family. We headed off with Marc, Liam and Sasmira to the local pool, where Liam showed us his awesome swimming and splashing skills! Liam speaks French, English and German, but anytime I tried to practice my french with him, he would giggle, shake his head, and answer me back in English. Oh well, I guess I was not fluent enough for him :).
During the weekend, James and I had the honor of introducing the entire group to our shared (obsession) hobby of geocaching. It was fun to watch both of the kids find their first "treasures", and even Marc seemed excited about it. Especially since one of the caches we found was right outside Marc's office!! After getting caught in a sudden downpour, we called it a night and headed back to the apartment. Once there, I was deemed worthy of the bedtime routine, and Liam insisted I read one of his french story books to him. I much appreciated the correction of my accent and pronunciation (with the giggles and head shaking, of course!). After the kids were in bed, James and I enjoyed another evening of chatter, and shared culinary skills as we made Pad Thai under the watchful eyes of Marc and Elise.
The next morning we said our goodbyes after a leisurely brunch. It was a wonderful, if too quick, weekend in a new city with the most perfect hosts. We can't wait to go back!!
I could have spent the day, seeped in the aura of the landmark, but it was off to see how the Berlin of the past and the Berlin of the now merged together. We hopped a bus into the city, and once in site of the Brandenburg gate, we hopped back off, and started a procession down the street towards the border of east and west. A beautiful park lining the street beckoned to us, and we wandered along the footpaths, the city disappearing around us. Both of us were simply amazed by the openness of the city. European cities are not typically noted for being spacious, yet Berlin has a wonderful feeling of a comfortable suburb. We finally passed under the Brandenburg gate, with all of its majesty. From the peace of the park, to the liveliness of the plaza, it was impossible not to fall in love with this city.
Our next two days continued as the Tessier's made us feel part of their family. We headed off with Marc, Liam and Sasmira to the local pool, where Liam showed us his awesome swimming and splashing skills! Liam speaks French, English and German, but anytime I tried to practice my french with him, he would giggle, shake his head, and answer me back in English. Oh well, I guess I was not fluent enough for him :).
During the weekend, James and I had the honor of introducing the entire group to our shared (obsession) hobby of geocaching. It was fun to watch both of the kids find their first "treasures", and even Marc seemed excited about it. Especially since one of the caches we found was right outside Marc's office!! After getting caught in a sudden downpour, we called it a night and headed back to the apartment. Once there, I was deemed worthy of the bedtime routine, and Liam insisted I read one of his french story books to him. I much appreciated the correction of my accent and pronunciation (with the giggles and head shaking, of course!). After the kids were in bed, James and I enjoyed another evening of chatter, and shared culinary skills as we made Pad Thai under the watchful eyes of Marc and Elise.
The next morning we said our goodbyes after a leisurely brunch. It was a wonderful, if too quick, weekend in a new city with the most perfect hosts. We can't wait to go back!!
