The Park of Palaces in Potsdam

Palace Sanssouci - it's yellow!

Today we jumped into the car and headed about 45 minutes south to Potsdam. Our destination was Park Sanssouci -- and the bunch of palaces located there.

It was incredibly easy drive down. And once on the freeway we could have been anywhere! For a minute, we could imagine we were on 78 heading west to PA. The city of Potsdam, which is quite historic in its own right, looked charming on the drive through. We even spotted a farmer's market. I could imagine spending a long weekend here someday.

So Park Sanssouci is named after Schloss Sanssouci -- a summer palace built by Frederick the Great in the early part of the 1700s. It was built on vineyard and is at the top of a hill, with great views around the manicured park. It's only one story high, but it's long and ornately decorated. And yellow!

The girls enjoying the view of Sanssouci

The grounds of the park are wonderful. There long avenues of wooded park, and then there's a well-tended garden or statue to remind you you're in a very royal place. Leah found a stick, and was making rainbows, Ss and circles in the gravel paths that connected all the buildings. Alice just ran, and ran, and ran.

The Orangerie

The second palace we walked to was the Orangerie. It was built to house all the guests who would come visit in the summer and party, including Fredrick's sister who was married to Tsar Nicholas I. The palace had a very tropical feel with palm trees and lighter brick. It also had two greenhouse wings, to winter those palm trees and other tropical plants.

It was also on a hillside with a maze of fountains and statues. In fact, the entire park was full of fountains at every turn. Had I known that, I would have packed a towel and a change of clothes for Alice -- as she was mesmerized and near-falling in several times. Even her barbie was in danger of going for a swim.

Neues Palais

The final palace we looked it (and we missed a few, to give you an idea of how BIG this park is) was the Neues Palais. It was my favorite. Pink brick, columns and a green dome. Very Baroque and feminine! More than 200 rooms, according to the guide book. I'll take it!

It was chilly today, with an even cooler breeze. I think it's definitely fall!

Getting Ready to Celebrate

Boy, did I pick a bad day to forget my camera!

Leah's favorite part of this trip is traveling by subway, so we took the elevated train (S-Bahn) a few blocks from the Reichstag -- Berlin's current parlimentary building. Forgetting, of course, that Germany is getting geared up to commemorate 20-years of reunification (called Tag der Deutschen Einheit).

The Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate (a block south) both had large stages setup in front of them. The square in front of the Reichstag -- where I had planned to free Alice for a little exercise -- was taken up by the stage, VIP seating area, tech crews and the lawn was barricaded, ready for the masses to watch the concerts planned. The long tree-lined avenue through the Teirgarten leading up to the Brandenburg gate was lined by food vendors, gaming booths, carnival rides and a tall ferris wheel on the opposite end. All getting ready for massive crowds this weekend.

We passed under Brandenburg Gate to the Unter Den Linden side. That small square is usually closed off to traffic and full of crowds taking photos. Today, we spotted a bear, two WW2 soldiers -- one German, one American -- a Native American cheif (why?) and a Star Wars Storm Trooper. And a news crew filming it all. Yup, definitely a party atmosphere.

We'll return this weekend to celebrate, and take pictures, too.

We Become Mall Rats

Leah needs pajamas and Alice needs a warmer coat -- so we're off to the Alexis mall in Alexanderplatz!

Observations at a Berlin mall: much the same as any other mall. Mall rats, high school kids trying to look cool, moms pushing around strollers, that odd businessman walking aimlessly. The shops are similar, just named odd things -- like the teen clothing store called 1982. Who wants to shop from that year? Yuck. Even the food court is basically the same -- and food court pizza tastes like cardboard here, too. But a bit more expensive.

Half the mission was accomplished. We found a coat for Alice, though she hates it -- she despises all outerwear. We also found two non-Barbie Barbies with super long hair for $5euro each. Score! Later, Alice pushed her Barbie on a swing at the playground. "Not too high, Barbie!"

My some divine providence we live near a Spanish tapas place called Tapas y Mas. At 5, it's basically empty, so I took the kids there for dinner tonight. Tortilla for them, Serrano ham, Manchego cheese and shrimp in garlic/olive oil for me. If it weren't for a tantrum and Alice trying to escape out the door (three times), it would have been heaven. Oh, and booze. Everything would have been better with a glass of Sangria.

Which brings me to the Motto of the Day: Everything is better with a glass of Sangria.

What Are You Saying?

We have a TV and it has only two English channels -- BBC World and CNN World (snores!). However, we turn it on for the cartoons, because some things are just universal. Like watching an Italian opera, you get the gist of it.

However, every ten minutes or so, one of us asks: "WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?!"

It goes a little like this: A car vrooms past on screen. German dialog commences between a character that looks like a hot dog, dressed in 1970s disco garb, and a plucky school boy. Laughter.

Leah looks back at me, "WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?"

I haven't a clue.

Conversations With a 4-Year-Old

Scene: Ext. On Boardwalk by Berliner Dom. (Morning)

It's a blustery morning as the intrepid mother and her two children make their way to Museum Island for a little sightseeing. The boardwalk area lends itself to some running about, so the mother unlocks the kids and let's them lose to expend some energy. After 20 minutes, Leah plants herself on a bench. 

Leah: "Hey Mom! I think I see an ice cream stand over there!"

Mom: "No ice cream, Leah. It's 9:30 in the morning!" 

(No surprise, the pursuit of ice cream has been Leah's main vocation on this trip.)

Leah: "Uh! Oh Mom"
(Why does she always say no?!")

End Scene. 

Fade Out.

Today's Long Drive Around and Hanging With Germans

I'm starting to feel some travel fatigue. Can one sightsee for too many days? I'm guessing this is a common thing among intrepid adventurers like myself. Especially for those traveling with young kids with no apparent end to their energy.

Anyway, today I wanted to check out the "biggest department store in Europe!" or the KaDeWe, for short. I got it into my head that driving would be more fun, as I may have several bags when leaving and it's a much more comfortable ride than the train. That, and Dave stole the last 5 euros from my wallet this morning.

The drive over was fine but the destination wasn't. The department store is in the middle of all this commercial hubbub, which included a lot of pedestrians. There was also a massive amount of construction -- this being Berlin, I shouldn't have been surprised. And when the parking lot (which the website promised was conveniently located) didn't make itself known, and Alice was slowly falling asleep in the back, I decided that the train was a much saner approach. So I reset the navigation system to send us home. (Is walking around a department store really worth all the trouble of navigating hundreds of pedestrians and surly construction workers?)

Besides, here I was about to benefit from motorized narcolepsy -- a charming trait passed down to the kids from their dad -- so who was I to fight it?

It was a nice scenic drive home. But, deciding that wasn't enough, I pointed the Benz toward an outlying neighborhood called Prenzlauer Berg -- roughly the "Brooklyn of Berlin," meaning the place with all the hip little shops and cafes. I tooled around while the kids snoozed (finally, a naptime I didn't have to fight for!) and decided it was worth a return visit.

Sometimes, it's nice to be a tourist from the comfort of inside a car. No?

In the afternoon, we returned to our favorite sandy park for well-earned playtime. The newsworthy part of our playground trip is I got into an conversation with three girls from the nearby school. They must have been 10-years-old. They spoke the barest amount of English and one girl spoke Spanish. So between the three languages we managed to share some information. One girl called Alice and Leah "So Sweet!" and could say "Ohmigod, Ohmigod!" (Hilarious.) The other girl had a cousin who works at Dave's company. And the third girl has a cousin who plays soccer professionally. Finally, some German interaction! I was starting to feel a bit isolated.

They shouted to some of their classmates that we were American. And as the last boy was running back to school he shouted at me, "What kind of ice cream is your favorite?" -- maybe the only sentence in English he knew. It made me laugh.

Forgot My iPod

I forgot my iPod -- after all my meticulous packing and lists, we left without it. I realized in the car on the way to the airport. I guess, there are worst things I could have forgotten.

But I love music. I NEED music. So, daily I miss my little iPod. Music soothes the savage beasts -- which includes my kiddos. We are a music family.

We've been making mixes for Leah since she was about 1-year-old and would scream in the car on the way to school in the morning. It started because a Coconut Records song ("West Coast") would calm her down. So, every few months, we make a new one for her. According to Leah, some songs are "tricky songs" and some are "turkey songs" but some don't fall into either category. We have yet to figure out a pattern.

In honor of my little green iPod, here's the playlist from Leah's (and Alice's) current car mix:

"Wilco (the Song)" Wilco (dubbed the "Coco" song by Alice)
"The Captain" Guster
"Closer to Fine" Indigo Girls (called, "The Two Girls Song)
"If I Had Eyed" Jack Johnson (or "The Eyes Song" -- this is a "tricky" song)
"Don't Let Me Down" The Beatles
"Cousins" Vampire Weekend (though Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is an old favorite)
"Here Comes Your Man" Pixies
"Heart Like a Kick Drum" Avett Brothers (the latest addition)

Rock on and enjoy!

Brrrrrr in Berlin

A&L on the
"boardwalk" by the Dom

As promised, I bundled up the tykes and headed out the door for a long walk. The destination was Museum Island, which I skirted when we visited the Berliner Dom last week. (Which Leah remembered: "We've been in that church, Mommy!)

The little island, located in the Spree River, is a cluster of neo-classical buildings built in the 18th century. They house a vast number of ancient treasures. For example, the Pergamon has an enormous mosaic Babylon gate. Heck, the world's oldest coins are in the Bode. And the whole neighborhood is an architectural work of art, with all the stone and bridges connecting it to the mainland.

The Pergamon

On a side note: Cobblestone streets are not ideal for the World's Heaviest Stroller, though the kiddos enjoyed the way their voices vibrated as they sang songs at the top of their lungs. I'm sure the neighbors love that.

The Bode

The weather is getting colder, more fall-like. It was probably in the 50s today. And very gray, which they tell me is a characteristic of Germany. Gray.

At a toy store, I bought the kids little umbrellas, because I'm an awesome Mom -- and it looked like it could rain at any minute.

We met a 4-year-old in the grocery store this afternoon, named Anna, who told us what umbrella was in German. She's learning English in her kindergarten class and was fascinated by Leah's gabbing.

Tips for Visiting Berlin

1. Almost all of Berlin's historic buildings have been bombed, rebuilt, reused and renovated. Even statues have been relocated, given new perches, gotten facelifts. Find a guide book that will atleast give you the basic lowdown, it makes seeing them all the more interesting.

2. Bikers are everywhere. They will run you over. Be vigilant.

3. There are not a ton of playground. You have to seek them out.

4. Lunch is the major meal. Business people don't normally eat at their desks (like me), so restaurants get crowded around noon.

5. This is an incredibly walk-able city. Wide sidewalks. The tourist destinations are close together. No major hills. Lots of cafes for quick breaks, and a diversity of cuisine for full meals.

6. A lot of Germans know English. So, if you're kind and say "Sorry? I don't understand." They'll help you out if you can -- especially in the tourist areas.

Go visit Berlin. It's an affordable city with lots to do and see.

Rain Delay

Another rainy day, this one more steady, so the girls and I decided to take a day off from sight-seeing and stay in. I won't bore you with the details; we cleaned up, did laundry, watched Dora, colored pictures to jazz up the walls and so on.

We did venture out for a market run, I frequent a grocery store called Kaiser, which is across the street. And I had to buy laundry tokens from the office manager, who has the personality of a cactus. She corrected my pronunciation of "five" in German three times, and not in a friendly way.

I've been promised better weather for tomorrow, so I'm planned a very long walk to make up for the day. Hope your weather was better!

Runners, Rain and Dinosaurs!

Berlin Marathon, out our window

We woke today to the sound of rain. Lots of it. It started last night, and looks like it will continue through the day. With the prospect of picking an indoor venue, I dove into the tour books ... until ... I heard a commotion coming from outside.

Here's what we saw...

The Berlin Marathon, which they were setting up for last night (and of course, we forgot about) went right past our window. It was amazing to see all those people. The stream went on for almost an hour, probably longer but we picked a location and started on our way.

But, of course, we had to stop downstairs to get a good look of the action -- and some pictures.

Funny story: While we were on our corner watching the runners, we started talking to a mom and her son. The son was yelling "Go U.S.A.!" Not only were they from the States, they live in Paramus, New Jersey and were there cheering on her husband, who was running the marathon. It's a small world, after all.

Outside of the museum

We picked the Natural History Museum (Museum fur Naturkunde), because it was indoors and probably kid-friendly. Boy, was it ever! Kids were lining the place like wallpaper, yelling and running around pointing at the stuffed animals and insects. It was a parent's paradise -- nothing to break and few non-families looking down their noses at wild kids.

The dinosaurs were very cool

The museum's claim to fame is that it houses the world's largest original dinosaur skeleton at 12 meters (that's 39 feet, for you non-metric folk) tall. Leah was pretty impressed, though she kept wanting to see the "real" dinosaurs.

The museum was historic in itself, it opened it's doors in 1889 and has an extensive collection -- not that Leah and Alice cared. They did enjoy seeing animals up close, and pointing out all the gross stuff.

We took the long way home, cheering some marathon runners along the way -- while passing by sets of loud drummers who were also encouraging them on. It was exciting to be by all the action. And since we were on foot, having the streets closed was a bonus in this usually busy city.