Caption This! #3

I'm adding my own caption as well...

AWESOME DAY :)

Das Wetter

Das Wetter- the weather

I don't get it. No matter how many times I try, I just can't figure it out. I'm talking about das Wetter. Growing up in Connecticut, I know all about the 4 seasons and how strange they can be, but this is baffling. Jack and I have determined that there are 3 levels of das Wetter in Berlin; awesome, medium, and absolutely sucky. We have not officially developed qualifications for these levels, but here is an idea:

Awesome Day: Sunny

Medium Day: Grey

Absolutely Sucky Day: Everything else

When we first moved here, we found that most days were awesome...sunny, not too cold, blue sky...we understood why Germans love to be outside. Since the fall, we have encountered medium and absolutely sucky days, with perhaps one awesome day to spice things up. We have been warned (numerous times and by numerous people) that Berlin winters are absolutely sucky, but so far, we've been lucky. In the words of the Starks on Game of Thrones, "Winter is coming."

The medium days are the most strange. Yesterday, for example, the temperature wasn't too cold, and there were grey clouds within the already grey sky. Most days, it's just endless grey and there are no clouds. Amongst the grey concrete buildings and the stone expressions of Berliners on the street, it gets somewhat depressing. But yesterday, there were grey, poofy clouds that you could physically see, even in the sea of grey, and it almost made us consider the day awesome. 

Currently, there is a grey sky but you can kinda see some sun, but it was sprinkling earlier. It's not freezing, but it's just a few degrees colder than comfortably cold. I really don'y get it! 

Give me a High Five #3: Weihnachtsmärkte

It's almost Christmas! I can't believe it's almost here. Germany has been preparing for Christmas for so long, with their Weihnachtsmärkte and their decorations, that it just seems like we were going to endlessly wait for the holiday to arrive. In honor of Christmas, here are the top 5 Weihnachtsmärkte that we have visited in Berlin. We have not gone to all of them, so I am sure that there are other great ones to see, but these are the best out of the ones that we have seen. Merry Christmas everyone! Fröhliche Weihnachten!

1. Berliner Weihnachtszeit
This Weihnachtsmarkt was near Alexanderplatz, but not the Alexanderplatz markt. Here, they had an ice skating rink, many yummy flavors of almonds, and a Pflaumen (plum) dough ball that Susan loved so much.  This market had a good variety of crafts and food, and is where I bought some very warm gloves :) They also had real smoked Salmon that smelled amazing.

Smoking Salmon

2. Potsdam Weihnachtsmarkt
Very cute! The street never seemed to end of stands selling everything from Indian silks, hot chocolate, German Christmas twirly carousel things, Polish Sausages, and other homemade goods. I bought some wool socks, which kept my feet warm. The other bonus, was that there were tons of stores and cafes on the same street, so we could step inside a cafe when it was cold, or step into the Tamaris store to look at pretty shoes.

Polish Sausage guy

3. Potsdamer Platz Weihnachtsmarkt
Really good dried fruit. Susan stocked up on dried dates. There is also a sledding hill, stage for curling, and it's next to the best ice cream place (that I have found so far) in the whole city!

Sledding Hill

4. Schloss Charlottenburg Weihnachtsmärkte
It was very cold the evening that I went with Jack, but they have the Schloss lit up with pretty colors.

5. Lucia Weihnachtsmarkt at Kulturbrauerei
This market is pretty cool because it offers fur coats and heaters to keep yourself warm. Unfortunately, there was no room where the coats were to try them on, but they looked pretty warm. This markt also had the cutest Glühwein mugs, which were in the shape of boots that had little Christmas mice and dolls on it. We kept that one!

Honorable Mentions:
The Nostalgic Weihnachtsmarkt at Opernpalais

Opernpalais also had pretty lights

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Weihnachtsmarkt

And a bonus:

-1. Gendarmenmarkt (yes, there is a negative sign before this one)
This markt was actually the biggest disappointment, but I'm writing about it because the experience was interesting. The markt at Gendarmenmarkt is probably the most famous one in the city, and even costs a euro to go. However, what they don't tell you, is that you have to waddle like a penguin throughout the whole market because it's so crowded that you cannot move or walk. If you get separated from your party, you better have a meeting space, because there is no where to stand aside and wait, nor can you catch up. They put a huge performing stage smack dab in the middle of the markt, where way too loud, mediocre singing is taking place. Why they put the stage in the middle, where all of the waddling penguin traffic is taking place, I don't know. We were in and out in 5-10 minutes. However, they did have samples of homemade Applechips which were pretty tasty, and it was also aesthetically pleasing.

"Paris is always a good idea" - Audrey Hepburn

My friend, Susan, and I visited Paris for a whirlwind 3 days. I went expecting just to go on another trip. I left in awe, in bewilderment, and in love. I never felt this way about a city before. At the risk of sounding cliche and, dare I say, corny, Paris was magical. I really don't know how else to describe it. There were so many moments when I felt complete and utter joy with whatever we were seeing, doing, or eating. I cannot even begin to express the happiness, beauty, and wonderment that we experienced. Instead, I have put together a mini photo diary of our short time in Paris. Unfortunately, part of my complete and utter joy was spent in the Musee d'Orsay and l'Orangerie, both of which do not allow you to take pictures. To see some of our other experiences, click on the picture of Notre Dame. Enjoy!

Paris

Day One	Day Two	Day Three
Notre Dame Versailles	Musee d’Orsay l’Orangerie Walking around Paris	Galeries Lafayette Avenue des Champs Elysees Arc de Triumph Eiffel Tower Notre Dame at Sunset Paris at Night

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

Our Christmas Tree

I made the star myself, thank you :)

 And some pictures from our walk along the Ku'Damm:

 

Give me a High Five #2: Heimweh

das Heim = home

weh = sick

as ding = thing, die Dinge = things

This has been a very hard week. Perhaps it's because it's the holidays and all I want to do is crawl on the couch with my head in my Mutti's lap as she scratches my head and watches her current USA tv show (Royal Pains? Covert Affairs? Which is it now, Mutti?). Perhaps it's the Christmas lights that I see everywhere and I keep thinking that I'll be going home soon to spend time with family, friends, and chex mix. Perhaps it's because one of my closest friends is coming to visit in T minus 2 days (as long as the weather cooperates). Whatever it is, this week has been one of the worst weeks as far as Heimweh. Sad Kitty is not working. KaDeWe is not working. I. Miss. Home. Where is home? No idea...CT? DC? USA? Whatever it is, it is missed. Some things seem silly, some are serious. Here are the five (plus a few extra) things that I am Heimweh for:

1. Family and Friends. I love you all. I wish I could just text you or call you without having to worry about a time zone. I miss seeing you, some of you regularly, some of you only a few times a year. Some of you, I used to talk to constantly, but since being here, have only talked to you once...maybe twice. You know who you are. I still think about you all the time and wonder what you are up to.
2. My kitchen gadgets/spices. Silly, but I have a fantastic spice and kitchen gadget collection at home, and here, there are the basics. Don't get me wrong! Manuel (our subletter) has basically everything one needs to do your basic cooking and baking. I miss my crock-pot and immersion blender like you wouldn't believe. I miss my lemon squeezer and am tired of doing it by hand and getting my fingers all sticky. I miss my 3 variations of cinnamon because one variation is clearly not enough. I miss my omelet pan that never seems to work and instead of omelets, turns into scrambled eggs.
3. Familiarity. I'm tired of walking into something as simple as a Kino and not knowing what to expect. I haven't had my hair cut since July because I'm petrified of a- not knowing how to explain what I want, b- not knowing if I should tip, and c- getting a bad haircut because I can't figure out how to explain what I want. Most of my familiarity issues are due to not knowing enough German.
4. NFL. Yes, I watch the Pats (still don't know how they won this past week!), but football is usually always on in the background so that through osmosis, I know what's happening with most teams, not just mine. Jack asked if I thought that this was the year that the Pats would win the superbowl. I didn't know how to answer because I have no clue how everyone else is doing. Reading stats are different than actually watching them.
5. Teaching. Who knew? I was ready for taking a year off to pursue other hobbies, but in reality, I love teaching children, even with all of the crap that goes with it. 
6. US food, and no I don't mean burgers and crisco. I mean little silly things, like vanilla extract, pumpkin, peppermint, brown sugar, cilantro, black beans...these basic things, believe it or not, are extremely hard to find, and when you do, are crazy expensive. These are things that I use all the time and I can't get (easily or cheap) here! No, I am not a flexible person, and adapting to German ways is a very tough thing for me to do.
7. The smells. It smells...different...here. I can't explain it. It just doesn't smell like home.

Sorry for the Debbie-downer post. I needed to vent. 

The good news is that Susan will be here soon (yay!!!) and I know that seeing her will help me feel a bit better :)

Weihnachtsmärkte: An Introduction to the First of Many

After babysitting this evening, Jack and I high-tailed it to the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) at the Schloss Charlottenburg. The US does not know how to do Weihnachtsmärkte like Germany does, and while I can't speak for the rest of the country, Berlin knows how to have a Weihnachtsmarkt. They are in every major neighborhood and then some. Each markt has their own neighborhood feel, even though they basically sell the same things. Foods include wursts, Flammkuchen, and potato goodies. Gifts include jewelry, handmade crafts, and warm fuzzy items. Think of it like a fairground and Christmas had lots of babies together, and you'll begin to have an idea of what Weihnachtsmärkte are like.

Of course, there is Glühwein. Glühwein, if you don't know already, is a hot and spiced wine that you can order "plain" or with shots of brandy/amaretto/rum/juices/etc... Each markt also has their own Glühwein mugs. You buy the Glühwein and the pfand (deposit charge), which you get returned to you when/if you return the mug. Or, since each markt has their own mug, you can collect the mug and just not get your 2 euro pfand back.

While people are obsessed with Glühwein, I'm not a huge fan (gasp! I know). Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, but it's too sweet. After a few sips, it starts to taste like warm Juicy Juice, and I don't want anymore. However, it's so freakin' cold out that I keep drinking it just to keep my hands and body warm. In 3 days and some hours, my good friend, Susan, is coming to visit, and we will be attending viele (many) Weihnachtsmärkte. Perhaps the Weihnachtsmarkt at Schloss Charlottenburg is different than the other Glühweins at the other Weihnachtsmärkte? I shall have to try again and see :)

It was friggin' cold this evening, so my pictures are out of focus and not that great due to my huge gloves. When Susan comes, better ones will be taken of viele Weihnachtsmärkte.

Entrance to Schloss Charlottenburg

Enjoying Glühwein

Enjoying warmth from Glühwein

Live and Learn #4: Das Kino

Das Kino = the cinema

This past weekend, Jack and I saw Catching Fire at das Kino. There are a few theaters that play the Original Version of films (aka, in English!), and we were happy to find a time to see the 2nd installment of the Hunger Games Series.
       *Side Note: The movie is flipping amazing. It aligns closely with the book. Go see it. I don't care if you haven't read the books. Rent The Hunger Games, and then immediately go to your local theater and see Catching Fire. Read this blog after. I mean it! Go!

Now that you've seen the movie, I can tell you about das Kino in Berlin. Going to a Kino seems like a very simple procedure. In America, you go to the theater, buy the tickets, and get your yummy theater goodies. You then hand your ticket to the guy who rips it, enter the theater, peruse around for a seat, and climb over a family or two to get the exact center seat. You then pass the popcorn, soda and raisinettes to your friend/family member/significant other to hold onto while you take off the many layers that you're wearing because it is cold outside. You then sit down in the seat that seems to squeak every time you move and take the yummy theater goodies while your friend/family member/significant other does the same thing. Then, you realize that you're cold, because even though it's winter and not even 40 degrees outside, the theater blazes the air conditioning. So, you pass the yummy theater goodies back to your friend/family member/significant other so that you can put back on your jacket. The process is repeated by your friend/family member/significant other. Finally, the previews start, you become a movie critic and evaluate the previews, and then watch your feature presentation.

Simple right? It's a little different here in Berlin. I shall explain:

In Berlin, you go to the Kino, buy the tickets, and choose if you want to sit in the front, middle, or back. Yes, there is a price difference. No, there is no sign that tells you this. Yes, prices are more expensive in Berlin than in the US, which is a shocker, since US movie ticket prices are so expensive! We chose the middle seats. While we did not buy yummy theater goodies, there are your typical yummy theater goodies in the typical monster sizes. You can also purchase wine and beer! You then go into the theater to your designated seats, which are not quite La-Z boy chair quality, but close. Oh my, are they comfortable, and plush, and spacious! You have room both in the seat and the aisle to move around. The theater is a comfortable temperature, so no need to add and take off layers continuously throughout the movie. Then, the lights go down and there are ads, which you think would continue into the previews and then the movie, but no. The ads are for the food that you can buy at the concession stand. After the ads play, the lights come back on and you are given an extra 5 minutes to buy food. Then, the lights go down again, more ads play, a few previews come on, and your movie begins. If the movie is longer than 2 hours and is playing after 3ish, they add an intermission. When the movie ends, the lights do not come back on until after all of the credits, and most people stay to read them. I thought that my Mutti was the only one who reads the credits, but apparently, she's not! Jack and I immediately stood up to leave when the credits started, but sat back down again when we realized that we were the only ones. Overall, a great experience at das Kino. While expensive, those seats are worth it!

And the winner is....(drumroll please!)

Our train tickets and hotel reservations are officially booked for Dresden!!! Bro, we will be celebrating your birthday there and will drink to your big 2-4!

Thank you all who voted in the poll, even though the poll function did not work. Neuschwanstein Castle will be another adventure later in the year when it is warmer and we can enjoy the hiking.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we wish a very happy holiday to everyone! Jack and I will be celebrating with some fellow American friends, with some Thanksgiving foods, lentils, and chapati :)

Dresden: Source

Ich lese Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte

lese = I read
die Weihnachts = Christmas
das Geschichte = story
der Roman (hehe...Roman...) = novel

This weekend after my yoga class, I met Jack at Dussman's. Dussman's is one of the most wonderful places in Berlin; it's a bookstore. But not just any bookstore. Their English section is bigger than many bookstores in America, and there are floors and floors of (German) books, calendars, music, movies, and journals, games, other language books, and all of those fun little knickknacks that you find at the cash register that you would have never thought to buy unless it was staring right in front of you. Really...who needs a holographic bookmark when it's sole purpose is to mark your place when the book is CLOSED and you can't see it?

Anywho, so I met Jack and Dussman's because I was on a quest; a quest to get a real book to read auf Deutsch. None of those little kiddie 99 cent 2"x 2" books that are about a hen who learned to fly with an umbrella and wind (though I am proud that I read that thing!). No, I wanted to get one of my favorite books auf Deutsch. Jack and I agreed to meet back in a little (less) crowded corner in 45 minutes as we did our own perusing. I walked through many different sections, though spent the most of my time in the Roman section (teehee...Roman...). What book do I choose? There are so many, but how hard would they be auf Deutsch?

It was then that the book I ended up choosing basically flew into my hands. The book is not too long, not too short. I know the story extremely well, so I can figure out what is happening. On top of that, the setting of the book is basically upon us...Christmas. I purchased Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte (aka A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens) and began reading it as soon as I got home. Yes, I have to look up almost every other word. I have a handy dandy notebook to write down the words and their meanings. Yes, it takes about 30 minutes per paragraph to read. Yes, it's only been 3 days and I am only on page 3 (almost 4!). But gosh darnit, I am reading a real Roman (teehee!) auf Deutsch! It is going to take a long time, but go me!

My book with my handy dandy notebook

Poll #1: Where Should We Go First?

Jack and I decided that we want to travel throughout Germany while we are here to see and learn a little more about the country we are living in. We would like to take long weekend trips about once a month to explore different areas at a time. If you look on my pinterest board, you'll see tons of places that we want to see and do here. The problem is, where do we start? Jack and I cannot figure out where we want to begin! So, we thought that it might be fun for you all to help us out with this. Where should we go? We want to go sometime in January, so it will still be cold! I limited the choices to 4 places, but know that there are still PLENTY of other places that we want to visit; we just might want to save them for another time/warmer weather :) Here is a little snipbit about each place:

Dresden: Source

Dresden:
It's nickname is "The Jewel Box" because of the beauty of the lavish city. It is the home to one of the largest collections of royal jewels in Europe. It is similar to Venice and Stockholm in that the city is on a river. Much of Dresden was bombed out during the Napoleonic Wars, German Revolutions, and of course, WWI/II, but these proud people built up their city time and time again to continue its reputation as being a european leader in the arts and sciences. It is full of greenery and lush gardens to walk around in and enjoy.

Heidelberg: Source

Heidelberg/Black Forest:
Jack has already been here, but no matter! Heidelberg is an old town with the oldest university in Germany. There are baroque styled buildings, gothic streets, and a beautiful castle. The shopping, pubs, and beer gardens are very typical German. A short day trip away is the Black Forest, a forest full of valleys, hills, and beautiful landscapes. Also the origin of Black Forest Cake is here! Yummy!

Nuremberg: Source

Nuremberg:

Most of you know Nuremberg from the Nuremberg Trials, but there is so much more to this city than that. Fun fact, it was known as the "unofficial" capital of the Holy Roman Empire because court met often at the Nuremberg Castle. Aside from all of the history that this city possesses, there is the Nuremberg castle, gingerbread market (they have their own special gingerbread recipe!), and medieval craft markets. 

Neuschwanstein Castle: Source

Neuschwanstein Castle:
This is the castle that Sleeping Beauty's castle was based off of...need I say more? Hello?! Even Walt Disney thought that this castle was worthy!
It is also in the Bavarian Alps and in an adorable medieval town called Fussen which has been described as "picturesque and whimsical". Cute pubs and craft shops line the streets of the town with the huge castle in the background. It's also not too far from Berlin, so it would make a perfect weekend trip after a busy holiday season. Also, good trip to go on when it's still cold out..cough...vote castle...cough...I'm not biased.

Oky dok, so you have the low-down on the 4 different places. Take a look on the top right of the home blog page and you will see a poll. Where should we go??? Feel free to vote whenever and however many times you want. The poll will stay in the same place no matter how many posts come after this one :)

Touching the Plane

Jack and I just flew back the US for a few days to celebrate the marriage of our two dear friends (Congratulations Brian and Larissa!!!). While it seems like we just got to Germany, we knew that we couldn't miss this wedding. So, last Wednesday morning, we packed up our things and headed off to Tegal Airport. Because Jack likes to be über early to everything, we arrived at Tegal with so much time to spare, that we weren't even allowed to check in yet. After some (ok lots of) waiting, we got on the plane from Tegal to Frankfurt, and it was all fine and dandy. Until...

I have a crazy superstition about planes. I don't have many superstitions in life, but this is one that I keep. I always must touch the outside of the plane as I get on it. This includes the people in my immediate party. The few times I have not touched the plane, either something has gone wrong or the flight was just horrible. My family has gotten to the point where they do it out of habit, so I never have to remind them to touch the plane when we go somewhere. However, Jack and I have not flown together often, so I forgot to remind him about touching the plane from Frankfurt to Orlando. It went all downhill from there...

I had a bigger lady sitting next to me whose arm took up half of my seat space, no matter how many times I pushed it over. The back of Jack's arm has bruises from the flight attendant carts and people that knocked him. I had cramps. We were fed dinner in the beginning of the flight, which tasted of the aluminum that the meat was packaged in. I didn't eat it. We weren't fed or even given drinks or snacks for another almost 10 hours (I checked...). When they came around with "lunch", they had gave us no choice, and we had to eat it in 10 minutes because we were close to landing. It was a gross mac and cheese. Again, I didn't eat. Screeming babies echoed the cabin. Jack and I were faint, dehydrated, tired, hungry, crampy, bruisy, and all around miserable.

Fast forward 5 days later to our flight from Chicago to Berlin. Different airline today, and I made sure that Jack touched the plane when we got in. We were greeted with candy by the flight attendant as we walked on the plane. We were given travel kits, ear phones, full sized water bottles, free wine, and plenty of delicious food. The touch screens that everyone had to use were as nice as my ipad with tons of movies, whole seasons of tv shows, and even games. Even though we were in economy, we felt like at least business class. Also, no screaming children! Jack has learned his lesson, and hopefully will not need to be reminded again.

And here's a little visual for you; Jack enjoying PizzaHut in Target along with a monster-sized cup for soda/water. Oh, America, how we missed you :)

*Note to all those that travel with me in the future, TOUCH THE OUTSIDE OF THE PLANE!!!!!

Yummy Pizza!

Can my stomach hold that much water at one time?

Give me a High Five #1- German Beers

My dear friend, Lizzy, who I met here in Berlin, also keeps a blog about her adventures here, and gave me the idea to do a Top 5 list as a blog post when I might not have as much to write about. This is the first of many top-5s, as my week was pretty much spent doing work, and I have little to write about.

Jack is the creator of this list, as I myself am a Wine-o, living in a Beer country. As a Hefeweizen connoisseur, Jack's favorite are the wheat beers, but partial to Pilsner, Kölsch, and Dunkle beers. Without further ado, here is Jack's "High Five-ish" beers, which as he describes, "may not be the best, but the most interesting that you can get." From here on out, this is written from Jack's perspective:

1. Weihenstephaner
(side not from Sarah: This is Jack's favorite beer of all time. It's really quite adorable when he drinks it...he gets this cute little grin on his face and he's so happy and content. Now back to Jack.)
It's definitely the best and the most interesting with its banana and bubble-gum notes. It's very unique. It also has the perfect amount of foam when it is poured.

Source

2. Erdinger, Franziskaner, Maisel Weisse
These three beers, also Hefeweizen beers, are very good, just one notch shy of Weihenstephaner quality.

Source

3. Radler
Something unique to Germany is that they mix beer with soda (like Sprite, Fanta, Coke). It's pretty popular here. Not my favorite, but it's not horrible.

4. Berliner Kindl Weiße
Super sweet. It comes traditionally in two flavors: Cherry and Sour Apple, but there are other syrup combinations. It is seen as a Berlin "speciality" if you will. Not that great on the first taste, but gets better as you keep drinking...

Source

5. There isn't a 5th...Germany doesn't really have a huge variety of beers. You kinda have the same companies, and each restaurant offers one wheat beer and one pilsner. While they all taste good, there's not a huge selection of what we would call "microbreweries" that we have in the US

Caption This! #2

Another chance for you to caption a random picture! Give it your best shot :)

The Roman Family's Berlin Bear

*Dedicated to meine Familie

If you didn't know already, Berlin's mascot is a bear. About 10 years ago, tons of life-sized bear sculptures were created for businesses, artists, and people to decorate and then display around the city. About 7-8 years ago, I visited Berlin with my family for not even one full day. It was the end of a 2 1/2 week long trip to Prague, Vienna, and Krakow, and we had a long layover in Berlin before heading back to the states. We were tired, cranky, and the weather kinda stunk, so Berlin did not leave a good impression on us.

One of the very few things I remembered about the city (other than a Marijuana Festival at the Brandenburger Tor...) were the bears, specifically one in particular that was right next to our hotel. On our family vacations, I was always the designated photographer, so I whipped out my camera and took these gorgeous pictures of Brother Kyle with the bear:

Bro with the bear

Wow, he looks young!

We never thought of the bear again. I didn't even think about it when Jack and I moved here. Heck, I couldn't even tell you where we stayed or where this bear was. I basically totally forgot about our day in Berlin, the bear, and the pictures of Brother Kyle. Then, on a run around Berlin a month ago, I saw this...

It's the Bear!!!

Keep in mind, this picture was taken roughly 7-8 years later...can you tell? It was as if the bear was frozen in time. As soon as I ran by the bear, it all came flying back to me. I remembered my trip as if it had happened yesterday. So, I immediately sent brother Kyle this picture (after I ran home, showered, and ate breakfast of course). 

Since then, I have passed this bear on numerous occasions, most recently with Mutti when she was visiting.

So this bear has seen 3/4 of the Roman Family on different occasions, and is (un)officially the Roman Berlin Bear. Let's go, Pops! You're next!

Hej, Stockholm!

*Get a glass of coffee or wine and sit down. This is going to be a long post :)

Hej (pronounced Hey!) = hello (in Swedish)

Meine Mutti (my Mom) came to visit last Tuesday and is here until Thursday. Since then, we have been taking Berlin by storm. When planning her trip over here, we decided to take a long weekend and go to Stockholm, Sweden, since neither of us have been to Scandinavia. We left on Thursday and returned Sunday morning. When I wasn't enjoying the trip, I was itching my brain to figure out what to write about Stockholm. What kind of witty post could I write to capture what we experienced in Stockholm? Finally, I came to a realization that I can't capture Stockholm in one or two witty repartees. Stockholm was too wonderful and the people too lovely to do that. With that, I decided that the best way to tell you about our experience is simply that...to tell/show you about our most of our experience!

Thursday:
After an early flight to Stockholm, Mom and I carried our bags to the tiny, old island called Gamla Stan. This island has original, old, medieval streets that are quite frankly, adorable. We walked around this island pretty much the whole day, shopping in souvenir stores, eating in restaurants, and walking the adorable streets. For dinner, we walked to a different island to a local pub. Mutti ordered Fish and Chips, I had goulash soup and salad...very un-Swedish!

 Medieval streets of Gamla Stan

 Standing in front of the narrowest alley on the island. Only one person can fit at a time!

 Such a pretty city at night!

Friday:
Rain and snow were in the forecast, but Mutti and I lucked out! We had mid-high 40s and no snow, with only about 30 minutes of rain total the whole weekend! We began the day with a sightseeing boat tour that took us around 4 of the many islands that Stockholm is made of. Afterwards, we walked to a different island that holds one of the big department stores, NK. Very similar to Harrods, Galleria Lafayette, KaDaWe, etc... Sadly, no purchases were made here. Afterwards, we had probably our most favorite meal...a lunch of Swedish meatballs! Sorry, Ikea, these are far superior!
We then walked around the city hall, weaving our way back to Gamla Stan to walk more of the streets. While the island of Gamla Stan is very small, Mutti and I loved it, and were happy that we were staying on this island. It has so much character! It was on Gamla Stan that we had "Fika", Sweden's word for mid-afternoon coffee and cake. After having Fika, Mutti and I came to the conclusion that we prefer Happy Hour over Fika!

Dinner was spent on the same island as NK, and we went to a swanky grill. Mom had lamb sausage (sehr lecker!), and I had Char. Mutti was happy that Stockholm restaurants have full bars. In Germany, most restaurants only have beer and wine. Only the ethnic restaurants have full bars. Mutti was finally able to get her Gin and Tonic!

 Mutti listening to our audioguide and looking at the scenery

 Swedish Meatballs!

The perfect bite

 More Gamla Stan

Fika!

Saturday:
Lots of walking today! We walked through the classy and rich apartment area to the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was an old, 17th centure warship that sunk in the first 20 minutes that it set sail. Due to poor construction, the Vasa capsized, sinking to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. 333 years later, in the 1960s, it was raised from the ocean floor, preserved in the water. Due to the lack of salt in the Baltic Sea, the Vasa was not destroyed by the sea. Now, the Vasa is on display in a museum...98% original, with only the stainless steel replacement nails replacing the rusted nails from the time. It was a very cool museum!
We then walked to another department store near NK, trying to look for something that Mutti wanted to buy. Sadly, we did not find it, so we left in search of a cafe for lunch. We finally found a panera-type cafe, ordering simple sandwiches, but happy with our meals!
We then walked back to our home-island of Gamla Stan, visiting the Royal Palace. It was a very neat palace to visit, as there is so much history to the palace, but also because the royal family still uses it today, so you see the past meeting the present in a lot of rooms. The current royal family is gorgeous, btw, with the Crown Princess looking like Maria Menudos.
After the palace, we again walked around our favorite island. It was around 4:30 when Mutti and I decided to screw Fika and have a typical, American Happy Hour. Of course, we had to go to the bar that had one of my dad's brands advertised outside the restaurant. It was a very small, pub-type place, where you order your drink at the counter and then go find a table. We sat down, and were immediately greeted by a Swede wearing a Yankee hat, which brought up some conversation, since the Sox just won the World Series. An hour and a half to two hours later of talking to the Yankee and his cute, banker friend, I learned that Yankee loves to party at night and wants to marry an American for a green card, and cute banker is even cuter after a glass of wine.
We then went to dinner at a Swedish-tapas restaurant close to our hotel. Since I had another glass of wine at dinner, Mutti and I had to walk around the island to walk it out. Mutti was ok...I'm the light weight :)

 The Vasa

 More Gamla Stan!

Changing of the guards after our visit to the Royal Palace

 Mutti and I having our own version of Fika :)

We left Sunday morning, and after the trip, Mutti and I miss and love Stockholm. The people are very kind. Mutti lost her credit card, and several Swedes helped her to find it. The city is both beautiful and clean. If you ever get the chance to go, GO! We would go back in a heartbeat!