We had a nice 5 day weekend in Berlin recently, even if it was another rainy trip. We explored most of it on foot and sometimes via U-bahn (subway) because Berlin is just huge (apparently 5 x the size of Paris) But it’s an incredibly vibrant and artistic city undergoing constant change. We were lucky enough to end up renting an apartment in ‘east’ Berlin in a lovely neighborhood called Prenzlauer Berg, which oddly has the highest birthrate in DE. It was filled with young hipster couples all of whom seemed to have a toddler, or a dog. We noticed Berlin is very dog-friendly–not surprising given that it’s so cosmopolitan compared to our “provincial” Schwabia. It was really nice to be in a big city again–a place you can get a civilized brunch!–we can’t wait to go back, so much more to see.

In June we took a quick weekend trip down to Venice along with Curt’s sister, Jill, and niece, Maia. We had a great time exploring the endless alleys and canals-especially once the unseasonal rain stopped, the sun came out and we finally got to take our long-awaited Gondola ride. Così divertimento! And the best part: Maia claims Venice (and Europe in general) is MUCH better than Disneyland back home. Success! It was an epic drive (7.5 hours) but one of the most scenic you can make in this area–down through the Bavarian/Austrian alps and into the Trentino and Veneto regions. The changing scenery along the way is just amazing: Cliff-clinging Schlosses in the north and Castellos hugged by hilly vineyards in the south. We also got our second glimpse of the Dolomites in Italy which are so dramatic; Definitely a lot more to be discovered in that region with some Italian boarding this winter!