On Friday, we drove through Prague to Berlin. We got there around 3:00 and found our Hotel (aletto Jugendhotels). It was a Hostel/Hotel that was very nice! It had bunk beds for the boys and a really nice breakfast included. After unloading our stuff, we went to the underground train station and rode a few stops into the center of the city.
We walked down the street, had some ice cream and looked at "crap stands" (Hayden absolutely loves these), and then took pictures with Darth Vader in front of the Brandenburg Gate. We walked through the gate and then walked on the line of bricks in the street that is the line of the old wall, until we reached the Holocaust Memorial. This was one of the best memorials I have ever seen. The ground undulates, the pillars undulate, it is mazelike, and it felt a little disorienting, yet peaceful.
Next, we stopped for dinner at a little cafe. Brian got to eat his first serving of currywurst (many others to follow - he would eat it for every meal if he could). We then walked toward the hotel, stopping at the Gendarmenmarkt and Check Point Charlie.
In the morning, we took the boys to the Legoland Discovery Center. It was a good half day adventure. We saw a mini-land of Berlin made entirely of Legos, rode several rides, and got to make test cars. We also got special souvenir bricks and one on a keychain that we had engraved with "Sapp" and "Berlin" for a Christmas Ornament.
After that, we went to Duncan Donuts (these are all over Berlin) and had a donut to help us walk to lunch. We walked around a bit more and then went to lunch at Curry 36, a small stand near our hotel - but EXTREMELY popular. The line was all the way down the sidewalk! It was good - turns out that it is pretty famous. Funny - on the LonelyPlanet web page, it is rated as #1 of 795 things to do in Berlin and #2 of 11791 restaurants in Europe.
After lunch, we bought tickets to ride the City Circle Sightseeing Tour. We got on at the Jewish Museum and the bus was packed! We had to stand until we got to another stop. After trading busses, we got to have seats and headsets. And, as it got closer to evening and there weren't many tourists still riding, we were able to ride on the top in the beautiful weather and not have the sun so hot! We ended up doing the circle almost 2 times. It was a nice way for us to see the city, hear a little about the history, and the boys have a break from walking (and we were able to buy the discounted 1/2 day tickets).
We found a restaurant called Cancun for dinner. It was really good (not to mention a good break from currywurst)!! Authentic Mexican food, not EasternEuropean-"Mexican". Even had some Margaritas - Brian had frozen, I ordered mine "on the rocks" but it came warm - I guess Ice isn't big in Germany either. It'll be nice to have a fridge with an ice maker again!!
Overnight, the Easter Bunny came to our hotel room and there were Kinder Eggs and Lego Mini Figures for the boys. After breakfast, we drove around the city a little more - had to see the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his son out the window, an old giant pile of rubble from the war, and the wall! Then we headed toward home.
For lunch, we stopped in Dresden which is just before crossing the border into the Czech Republic. We could eat and use Euros to pay - a big plus! The Czechs are still not on the Euro.
Dresden was beautiful. The city was mostly destroyed in the war and has recently been rebuilt. We really liked this town and will definitely go back. For lunch, we even ate at a Vietnamese restaurant that was excellent!
Then we drove through Prague and home. Saw some hail and rain - dang Brian for jinxing it - he kept saying all weekend, "I can't remember the last time it rained in Bratislava."
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