Still blogging about my adventures, and plain jane stuff at The Daily Ramen.

Nice Fr

We haven't left our hostel yet, but from the train we saw the Mediterranean Sea. I'm very excited about exploring the city and swimming! Cost of living's down from Switzerland, and with using the Euro on top of that, I feel like everythings dirt cheap! The hostel is nice, but lots of singles mingling, so it's interesting in the evenings! I feel horrible not being able to get on here more and update everyone, but will do so more here in the mornings while everyones still in bed and it's easy to use a computer.

 

Yesterday was a full day of travel with one of our trains being cancelled; we took the bus from Geneve to Lyon. Bern was beautiful; cobble streets and overhangs. We spent most of our time enjoying the river though! Very refreshing (and chilly). Built bonfires and sat down there in the evenings.

 

love you all! two weeks til we're home!

Bern, CH

We are once again in a new city! We'll be in Bern until Thursday, then we take the train to Nice, FR for about five days. Bern is a very old, very interesting place with cobblestone streets and large open squares. We hope to go swimming tonight and have a bonfire to roast bratwursts for dinner (did I mention we got hooked on Currywursts in Berlin?) The rest of our time here will be spent wondering the city. Plan to upload pictures at some point hopefully. If not they'll be added when we get home!

Love you all!

Our Father's Day Gifts

We just wanted to give our dad's a sneak peak at the gift we picked up for them... It's got a philips head/flat head screw driver, bottle opener, fire extinguisher, nail clippers, remote car door key, digital clock/thermometer, can opener, file, USP storage drive, and a 2 inch long knife.


Can't wait to give it to you... too bad we won't be able to eat for the rest of the trip. That's ok though, it's a really cool swiss army knife.

Interlaken, Switzerland

Just an update that we arrived in Switzerland about five hours ago. It's been a rainy/cloudy evening, but from what we've caught glimpses of the mountains are beautiful. Snow capped giants surround the little town we're staying in. The hotel we are at is owned by a younger couple who speaks English very well. Decorated in lots of pink and retro things. pretty cool. Free internet 24/7, so we can get and send emails while we're here.

Love you all

Berlin

Like I said before, our hosts here are great. All along the way we have stayed with amazing people, and it's definitely been a God thing, because we haven't had one problem yet (although I can't speak for our hosts- hopefully they feel the same way!) But with Libby and Theo, our Berlin hosts, it has been extra special; they are actually Berlin natives unlike our other hosts who have all been missionaries from America. It has been so exciting to see Berlin through the excitement and pride that they both have when the guide us around.

The city itself has been fun. You see the phases of history in the architecture as you move through the streets. Buildings are modern, with zig-zag architecture and chaotic floor plans like the Jewish museum, grandiose with flourishes and sandstone exteriors like the national history museum and surrounding buildings, streamlined with straight lines and 90° angles, and so many other styles that I can't describe with my limited knowledge of architecture and terms.

The Jewish museum was one of my favorite stops: their collection and the presentation of it was incredible. I really appreciated how factual everything was presented, without being watered down with opinion, pity, or bias. There was an honesty and insight into the Jewish peoples lives and history that really brought the scope of what the Jewish community had experienced into focus.

Yesterday Libby took us on a whirlwind tour of spots we had not yet visited. Along the way she stopped at the Berlin wall, and we were able to walk along and see the art that has been created over the years. I really cannot fully grasp the division that had been in place for so long, but I think I can catch glimpses of the footprint that was left so long ago.

I find it both intriguing and heart wrenching that so many people here still carry the guilt for what happened so long ago, and I wonder if and when they will be able to forgive themselves for the atrocities that happened so long ago... It's not so heavy that you constantly feel it clouding everyones daily lives, but you definately notice it.

We made it to Berlin safely. Our host here is a really nice woman, we lucked out. I'll update more soon hopefully!

ps German keyboards are killer to type on!