Norge Adventure: April 2013

With continental Europe at our doorstep we have had the opportunity to do some travelling. The summer of 2012 took us to Germany (Perlin, Berlin, Hamburg) and Italy (Pisa, Cinque Terra). In Perlin we got to stay with one of Kim's high school class mates and his family. Perlin is located in the former East Germany. From Perlin we took a side trip to Schwerin to visit the castle. Berlin is one of our new favorite city--so much to do and see; history, art, culture, music, sports, you name it they got it. Our stops included the Victory Tower, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, TV Tower, Berlin Cathedral (aka Berliner Dome), The Reichstag, The KDW Shopping Center, House of World Cultures, Charlottenburg Palace, Bellevue Palace, Jewish Memorial, sights and sounds of the city bus tour, Olympic Stadium, and several embassies. The great weather continued in Hamburg. The revitalized warehouse district houses many theaters, museums, Miniature Wonderland (imagine train sets covering three basketball courts), The Alster Lake area is surrounded by prestigious homes, a university, parks, and food and tourist shops. We stumbled upon the Magnum Ice Cream Lounge and a restaurant that serves potato dishes (you can do more with potatoes than boil, fry, and bake--many other delectable dishes including deserts). Stops in Hamburg included City Hall, Miniatur Wonderland, several churches and parks, and just enjoying the weather.

Rusty and his family

Schwerin Castle

Victory Tower--Berlin

Berlin Wall

One of many bears around Berlin

Berlin Cathedral

The Reichstag--Berlin

Brandenburg Gate--Berlin

In the streets.

Olympic Stadium

Berlin TV Tower

Minatur Wonderland--Hamburg

Boat Tour--Hamburg

Our favorite potato restaurant--Hamburg

Magnum Lounge--Hamburg

Hamburg

Soviet Sub--Hamburg

Canals of Hamburg

The "Dancing Towers"--Hamburg

August took us to Pisa, Italy. The first stop was the Tower, Cathedral, and Baptistry with detour of the greatest gelato we've ever tasted. Day trips included the beach at Viareggio, Cinque Terra, and La Spezia. Viareggio has miles of beaches and the water was clean, clear, and pleasant temperature. Cinque Terra is a UNESCO World Heritage sight consisting of five villages perched in the cliffs along the Mediterranean Sea. The streets are steep and narrow. You may hike between the villages or take a boat taxi. The area is positively gorgeous but not the most kid friendly (i.e. mom and dad wanted to relax while the younger one wanted to do stuff). La Spezia was a city we transferred trains in to get to Cinque Terra but also ended up on a day trip.The scariest/funniest event occurred when we seeking to enter the naval museum but were told by a navy official that this was restricted space. When we told him our plight he kindly directed us to our destination. It was a joy finishing our summer holidays with summer weather (Norway was in the grips of one of the coolest wet summers in recent history).