Skip to main content

Berlin


Sam had a school break the last week of May and we did not plan to do anything since we just did Croatia. We decided at the last minute to go to Berlin, testing my ability for quick planning which is not my usual style (I prefer over-planning and done far in advance!).  This city works well for us because there is a lot to do (especially for kids), good food and a lot of history.  


Sam and I went on Tuesday and Ryan came late Thursday due to work. I have not yet traveled just with Sam in Europe.  He has definitely learned how to handle my lack of confidence in navigating.  He refused to get on the train from the airport to downtown Berlin.  Actually we paid for the train, got on the train and then he insisted we get off because he sensed my uncertainty if we were on the right train (I was in fact uncertain).  Taxi for us! 

The first couple days were kid-focused and we left the history activities until Ryan got there. We did the Berlin Zoo and Legoland and hit the hotel swimming pool. 





After Ryan arrived we went hard on history.  But first a food tour which turned out to be full of varied and international foods such as vegan pastries, tacos, currywurst and kebab.  All of which Sam tried and liked (and also ice cream which he obviously liked).





We went to the DDR Museum which shows life in the former East Germany (known in German as the Deutsche Demokratische Republik or DDR) in an interactive way.  My favorite was Sam trying to figure out how to use a rotary phone.



We did a Berlin History Walking Tour which covered a lot of history up and through the fall of the The Berlin Wall.

Checkpoint Charlie (KFC is perfectly located next to this historical location!):


Some of The Berlin Wall that is left:


Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe:


On the last day Ryan went to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. Since Sam is too young for that, he and I went to Tiergarten Park next to our hotel so he could see the Beethoven-Haydn-Mozart Memorial. He is currently obsessed with Beethoven which is slightly different than my Red Hot Chili Peppers obsession.  







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Broken Bones & Dutch Healthcare

  It seems inevitable that we would have a medical emergency while living here resulting in a test of the Dutch healthcare system. The image above accurately reflects the perception and often reality of the healthcare here. We have been lucky so far with getting the care we need by 1) being prepared with medical records from the US to prove our case, 2) researching and advocating for ourselves and 3) annoying the huisart (primary care doctor) enough that she gives us what we want so we stop asking. 😝 During recess at school, Sam fell while playing a game with his friends and another friend fell on top of him. I was told that he initially wanted to keep playing but the teachers had him go to the nurse, who then sent him back to class. His teacher reached out to me since it seemed like he was in pain and I picked him up.  I spoke to the nurse when I picked him up who said he seemed fine and to monitor him. Fast forward to us realizing he was not fine. We called the huisart (a r...
1 comment
Read more

Morocco

For Sam's February school break we went to Morocco.  We were looking for warmth and also ready to explore beyond Europe. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency (amazing resort) in Taghazout, a small fishing village that is south of Marrakesh and north of Agadir.  More Morocco photos here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/eATCUb6Cc4rRoyLYA February 17:  As per usual we opted for a flight that was not ideal so we could save money.  It was a later flight with a connection through Casablanca, arriving in Agadir airport close to midnight.   Sam slept on the car ride from the airport to the hotel but perked up when we found out we had been upgraded to a room with an ocean view (thanks to friend Jasper!!).  This kid continues in his quest for only the finer things. Very elaborate towel and curtain art! View from our balcony at night: View from our balcony during the day: February 18:  Today was dedicated to nothing except explo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Milan

  (Feb 14 - 17)  The plan for the February school break was to ski in northern Italy for a few days.  With Sam's collarbone injury (see separate blog entry ) we had to pivot.  We had already booked flights to Milan so decided to spend a weekend there.  Ryan and I had been before but not Sam.  More Milan photos here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/J6rzoDWXCcatyKvg8 We did our typical food tour on our first day in Milan which included Roman-style pizza. Compared to Neapolitan pizza (Napoli), which we usually have in Italy, it is thinner and crispier and has a wider variety of toppings. We had it topped with potatoes.  We discovered Rosso frizzante wine which is a lightly sparkling Barbera wine.  There was also a delicious traditional risotto for Milan.   Barbera + bubbles + thin, crispy pizza + risotto resulted in a very good tour.  Roman-style pizza with potatoes Risotto Milanese On Sunday we toured the  Duomo di Milano  inclu...
Post a Comment
Read more