We've been back from Europe for a month and certain people are screaming for a new blog entry. Katrin just finished two weeks of overnights and is taking a nap; maybe she'll find time to add to this later in the week.

Paris was a lot of fun. The weather was sub-optimal, as Katrin would say, but it wasn't the height of tourist season - it was nice to have the place to ourselves.

We hit all the usual museums and whatnot, then went to Versailles on the last day. The sun came out and we had a nice time walking around.

The catacombs weren't in our tour guide - the maps didn't even extend that far! Who decided that wasn't interesting enough to include? 

Berlin was one of the most interesting places we've visited. Large parts of the city have been redeveloped since the reunification in 1990, so there are lots of cool new buildings for those of us interested in that sort of thing. My parents haven't been yet - I think Dad would find the architecture very interesting.

We stayed in the former east with Katrin's cousin Ute. The formerly drab (and universally gray) buildings are being restored and repainted, and it's a very young, vibrant place. Flamingos are optional.

The differences between the former east and west are striking; that was one of the interesting aspects of the city.

Of course the reason for our whole visit was (the other) Dr. Saile's birthday. We had a fun time staying with Katrin's parents, and went to a couple of birthday parties, which included music, great food, and all sorts of interesting people. Most of the personal speeches and toasts were in German, so I missed a lot, but a great time was had by all.

Labels: germany, travel