Livin’ the Dream

Germany:  Relax time.  ehem.  riiiight.  Since we got to Deutchland we’ve continued our pattern of nonstop travel.  First to Berlin to see the World Cup live, then Hildesheim, then Goslar, then Gottingen and tomorrow Kassel.  Can someone please just tie us down so we stop travelling?

Berlin:  Our brief day trip into Berlin was jam packed but totally awesome.  The city has essentially been converted into one big World Cup party.  Our high speed train zipped us into the city mid morning among throngs of Tunisian and Ukrainian fans.  Our priority before the soccer match was the famous Parliament building.  An architectural gem, this building has serious history to it including mysteriously catching fire shortly after Hitler’s Nazi party won a majority in Parliament.  The observation deck recounts the importance of the place and yields exceptional views out over Berlin while parliamentary functions take place below with the aid of sunlight strategically directed in from a cylindrical set of mirrors above.  Very very cool and a great German history lesson.  Our World Cup match was an experience.  Soccer fans here are serious and we were super lucky to have somehow gotten tix.  Even though the outcome of the game decided who would move on to the next round,  the game itself was a little disappointing as well to put it bluntly, both teams sucked.  But we saw goal and got to yell and scream like crazy and pretend we were rooting for Ukraine all along so it was fun.

Dellisgen:  For those who dont know, this is where Jenny’s grandparents live.  A small countryside village about 40 mins by train from Hanover.  It’s a gorgeous place with tons of special meaning and memories.  Oma and Opa are as cute as a high school couple on prom night and the farms and forests right outside radiate tranquility.  Well at least until the thunder storms come in over the hill.  Somehow in between massive meals, mitte schlafts (afternoon naps), and coffee and cake we managed to get out and shop in Hildesheim which is the nearest “big” city to walk around a store shop.  Slightly disappointed that no Bose sounds speaker systems deals were to be found even though the factory is located 3 km away.  Another day trip to Goslar in the Harz mountains was especially rewarding.  Local craftsman sell unique and interesting glasswork in this picturesque city untouched from the World War II once famous for its lucrative mining industry.  And right now we’re in Gottingen, Germany’s college town and the place where Jenny studied abroad 3 years ago.  We both love it here and were fortunate to come in time for Phillip, a family friends graduation which was super fun and completely unlike anything you might see in the States. So with World Cup soccer one just about every night, great beer to drink and no real place to be, lets just say we’ve been having a great time in case our lack of communication wasnt evident of that.

Korcula: while we had initially intended to go to Hvar last minute after consulting our Lonely planet we changed our plans and went to Korcula instead. Although one of the largest islands in Croatia the town of Kocula is small and quaint. A walled city it retains its italien charm as it belonged to Venice’s trading empire. Without a hotel reservation we decided that we would take a private room from one of the many locals who crowd you when you get of the boat. Steve ever proud of his bargaining abilities agreed to take charge of this task. Within 20 seconds he had been suckered in by a cute little old lady who didn’t speak a word of english, and he took her first asking price with out even attempting to bargain. I guess Steve has a weak spot but luckily for us we landed perhaps the best private room in Korcula apart from the fact that you couldn’t stand up in the shower. Check out the view from our  room!

We had a wonderful time wandering around the town (it only takes 10 mins to circle the city), lounging at the beach, and swimming off the city walls. It was a wonderful relaxing few days.

Dubrovnik: is an odd place. In the end I simply didn’t know what to make of it. Although completely destroyed during the war you would never know it by wandering around the city. It seems as though a veil of silence has settled over the year of violence as if in advance of the onlslaught of cruise ships the ulgy history of this place has been diligently swept under the table. In the end it was simply eire. I suppose we were just tried but the city did not live up to the hype, it was not as beautiful as Rhodes, the beaches weren’t as nice as on the islands, and the tourists were overwhelming. While we did find ways to entertain ourselves (mainly by watching the world cup) It simply felt like a countdown until we could catch our flight to Germany. I don’t know if that is more a reflection on us or on the place.

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Istanbul: Though it may be hard to believe we actually met compatriots in Istanbul. What i mean is that we met fellow American travelers and they were cool, liberal, and had travelled alot more than us. In fact we met one ... [Continue reading this entry]