Crazy German Travels

I just made it back to Marburg. (I accidentally wrote Oregon first-->apparently around Inga, I must feel at home in Oregon! haha. Or maybe it has just been long day.) Berlin was amazing...I am really attracted to the city. It has such a unique blend of old and new...and it's history is pretty intriguing. I could spend a month there visiting museums and exploring it all. We also spent less than 24 hours up in the town of Zinnowitz, on the island of Usedom, where I met Suse's family and got to visit the Baltic Sea. (Which surprised me was warmer than the Pacific Ocean! The air temperature was the same as the water...15*C I think?)

Monday-Wednesday was Fulbright orientation. I feel like I have all of the details of my program now and feel like there is much less pressure on us that I had expected. They stressed the importance of traveling through Europe and community activities. The project is of course important, but there is quite a bit of flexibility...and it is not the only focus. Which makes me happy.

Inga and I will take off on Friday for Münnerstadt to spend a couple of days with my family. And Sunday, I will finally make my way to Würzburg!

BERLIN [Day 1]
An "empty" building where people come and go


Our Berlin tradition: Sushi at Kitano (and caipis)...where Sushi macht glücklich! (Sushi makes happiness!)


Ok..I couldn't resist having a drink on the way to go dancing. It's so crazy to me that people can have alcohol on the streets out in public here, and it's totally normal. Here we are on the U-bahn. haha.


Dancing the night away



BERLIN [Day 2]

The world clock (Weltzeituhr)


Fernsehturm...which is cool that you can see pretty much wherever you are in Berlin






A church


Museum


Alexander von Humboldt...at the Humboldt Universitaet


Suse at her Univeristy library (As a non-student, I was not allowed in. We needed to find a bank. It turned out it was right across the street!)


Brandenburger Tor (Next time I want to come here at night when it is lit up!)


The brand new American Embassy...now right next to the Brandenburger Tor


Reflection of the German "Capital" in the American Embassy.


Looking through the Brandenburger Tor...what was the former East Germany


Reichstagsgebaeude (~German Capital)


We went on a little boat ride "am Spree". Here is the Bode museum...and...what else, but the Fernsehturm?


Another church




Government Building


Train station. Built for the 2006 World Cup. Supposively looks like a currywurst. :)


How Germans imagine they are on the beach...and that it's warm ;)


We went up to inside the Fernsehrturm at night...beautiful!


There we are too!


Kind of looks like a UFO here, huh?


S-Bahn at night


USEDOM [Day 3]
Suse and her little sister, Neele


Still waiting on the toothfairy to make her rounds...


A few blocks away, out on the pier, or "Seebrücke"


Suse and her childhood friend, Netti








Yay...Germany DOES have a beach!


When I have a doggie, I need to take him to the doggie beach!!


Crazy wooden statues


I <3 beaches.


Really interesting building...which is now boarded up. It was the "cultural center" of the town when Germany was divided, as this was East Germany.


Auf dem Spielplatz...at the playground with Neele


Faces in the crazy mirrors


On our way up...


...and back down together!


Another walk to the beach before dinner
















AND...here are some "new" photos I got from Suse during her visit to Oregon in May!

Portland at night from the Portland City grill...sooo beautiful.


Graduation day, of course.


Grad night..walking out by the river in Portland


Downtown Portland


Aw with the girls. I miss these times in Portland. :(


Onto "Boxes"


Ricky!!!


At the Portland Saturday Market, the day before leaving for Peru


Randomly ending up at the Obama rally to see him speak