"Czeching" out Prague!

So, May takes the cake for being my favorite month in Berlin (so far...let's be fair to June - September, which we have yet to experience!) . First off, the weather has been fabulous: 70's and sunny, and the days are becoming longer and longer (it is not getting dark until after 10pm!). But the best part of May is the excessive number of long weekends; 3 out of the 5 weekends in May have been 3-4 days long. It's fantastic!! Last weekend, we decided to take the train to the city of Prague, which we have heard so much about. We left Berlin Hauptbahnhof early on Thursday morning, and quickly learned our first travel lesson of the trip: RESERVE SEATS!! We did not select the option while booking the tickets a few weeks back, not knowing that we would end up STANDING (or sitting on the floor, when room) for almost the entire 5 hours of travel. Oops! Needless to say, we were glad to arrive in Prague by early afternoon. The next 3 days were full of sightseeing and relaxing. Prague is undeniably beautiful. It was largely untouched by war, so stood constantly in awe of the buildings and castles that oozed with beauty and history. After long days of being tourists, we were a little let down after trying (unsuccessfully) to find local pubs or cafes off the beaten track to relax and experience the "real" Prague. We couldn't escape the Americans either....!! Maybe we didn't look hard enough? Or maybe we have become a little spoiled with all of the great spots in our un-touristy neighborhood of Berlin. Regardless, we were glad to return back to Berlin but did enjoy the many things Prague had to offer (for me: the castles; for matt: Czech beer!)

St. Vitus Cathedral, part of the Prague Castle

Atop Prague Castle, looking over the city

The famous Astronomical Clock.
Every hour the Apostles make an appearance for the hundreds of tourists watching below.

On Petrin Hill, watching a nasty thunderstorm roll in over the castle.

Taking a funicular ride to the top of Petrin Hill

The Old Jewish Cemetary dates back to 1439, and contains over 12,000 tombstones!
They experienced a lot of overcrowding, and ended up adding new
earth to pile more graves on top of the old ones.

Frühling in Berlin

Spring has sprung! The flowers are blooming the trees are no longer bare. And the greatest thing of all?? THE SUN IS FINALLY SHINING!! After, no joke, 4 months of gray skies, the sun has decided to make an appearance and we couldn't be more grateful. I was beginning to convince myself that we would never see the sun in Berlin. It seemed that overnight, spring decided to arrive, and with it came a new and very vibrant Berlin! The many cafes in our neighborhood are now bustling with tables spilling onto the sidewalks, street musicians are perched on every corner, and the tourists are out in full effect. Best of all....people are SMILING! The year-round temperate weather in California sure was nice, but we realize now that there is nothing like spring after a long, cold winter.

Some signs of spring here in Berlin:

Two very happy picnic-ers!

The Spree River at Treptow Park (we can walk here from our place)

A music festival on a warm and sunny May 1

The canals in the Kreuzberg neighborhood

Our neighborhood, Friedrichshain



Our balcony...finally some flowers!



Me in front of our apartment building

Tour de France

Where to begin?! We started planning this trip to France as soon as Les and Steve got the go-ahead from their bosses to take a vacation in Europe. For me it was Spring Break, and Matt had barely touched any of his 6 weeks (!) of vacation time. We decided Southern France would be a good option since none of us had been there, and we were all excited by the idea of delicious Provencal cuisine as well as some magnificent views of the Mediterranean and the coast. Our original plan was to spend the 6 days along the coast, hopping from town to down by train or bus. This all sounded very romantic and exciting....until I got an email back from a very distant French cousin, Stéphanie, who invited us to spend Easter weekend with her family in Ambert. Ambert, a small village north of Provence, is about a 5-hour drive from Nice, where we flew into. How could we possibly pass up this incredible opportunity to meet some of our French cousins while visiting a small French village?? From here, the plans were set: 2 days in Cote de Azur (Nice and Antibes), 1 day in Provence (Avignon), 3 days in Ambert (highlight of the trip!!) and one more night in Nice before flying home the next morning. We had so many adventures and so many laughs....we will never forget this once in a lifetime trip! It will be challenging to select the highlights of the trip (there were MANY!) but here we go....


Day 1: Monday, April 6 - Nice

Easy Jet landed us in beautiful Nice right on time. We enjoyed hiking up to Chateau Nice and taking in the breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.

Overlooking the harbor atop the Chateau de Nice

We enjoyed watching the animated "Socca Lady" almost as much as we enjoyed
eating the delicious chickpea snack...

There are no sandy beaches in Nice, but this did not stop people
from laying out (sometimes topless)!

Day 2 - Antibes

After picking up "Bernard", our trusty ride for the week, we made the 30 minute drive along the coast to Antibes. Antibes is a sleepy coastal town that has a much smaller and less touristy feel than Nice. We spotted a small sandy beach and the girls enjoyed relaxing and journaling while the boys skipped rocks for a while :) We ended the evening with a delicious "Menu" dinner, which included an appetizer, fresh seafood, dessert, and a local variety of wine. As we moved along the coast, the fare just got better and better.....

Our cute little hotel in Antibes

Boys will be boys....

Walking along the quaint streets of Antibes

We counted on Bernard to take us where we needed to go, and he did not let us down!
Thanks, Steve, for being our trusty chauffeur!

Day 3 - Avignon

We said goodbye to the coast as we headed inland for Provence. As we progressed along our 3-hour drive from Antibes, the landscape changed dramatically. Rolling hills dotted with endless vineyards reminded us somewhat of our beloved Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara. No wonder SB is often referred to as the American Riviera! We reached Avignon around lunchtime and parked outside of the gated city. We loved experiencing the delicious food and wine, browsing the wonderfully fresh markets, and picnicing with fresh bread, olive tapenade and assorted cheeses while overlooking the famous Saint Benezet's Bridge. We explored the Pope's Palace and strolled along La rue des Teinturiers - a picturesque street with narrow canals and turning water wheels. Our stay in Provence was short, but what a beautiful region! We definitely hope to return someday.

A delicious restaurant recommended by our hotel hosts....Lepice and Love!

Days 4-7 - Ambert (with our French cousins!)

Butterflies grew in the pits of our stomachs as we climbed up and down the rolling hills that led the way to the tiny town of Ambert. I had met cousin Stéphanie about 10 years ago when she was traveling the east coast of the US as part of a summer exchange program. I saved the baby announcement she sent almost 2 years ago when her daughter Nikita was born, and decided to contact her when we were thinking of traveling to France. Her warm and enthusiastic invitiation was difficult to turn down, and here we were on our way to meet some new family members in a town where my great grandfather's family once lived. As we approached the town of Ambert, we quickly realized that THIS was France. Away from the tourists and sights, this off-the-beaten-track region was beyond beautiful. The family home rested in a tiny village called "Boisseyre" which consists of maybe 20 homes and acres and acres of beautiful countryside. In the car ride there, we joked about how we would get there, compare family trees, and realize that we were infact NOT related. Our fears subsided immediately when we were warmly greeted by Stéphanie and her family. We did not know what we were in for! From the MULTIPLE elaborate meals each day, to the horesback rodeo, to the nail-biting but exhilirating ride in a tiny plane, we all knew how unique and unbelievably cool this experience was. We left feeling like we had known the Chevelayres forever, and were so grateful for this opportunity to connect with our French relatives. We hope to see them again soon!

Lots of photos, I know, but sooo hard to decide!

The Chevaleyre Family home overlooking Ambert

A visit with Lyfka, the family's pregnant horse!

We visited the old factory where Stéphanie's great grandfather worked. The family owned the building until about 2 years ago when they sold it to the town of Ambert.

Stéphanie (top), Eléonore (left), Grandma, Nikita (Stephanie's adorable daughter)
and Grandma's sister. Right after we compared family trees....yes we are related! (Stephanie and her siblings are our 4th cousins...cool huh?!)

Matt, Steve and cousin Amaury eyeing up some delicious French pastries

The church of Ambert, where we heard the annual Easter "call to prayer".

We toured Ambert's paper museum with Noelle
and bought a pressed-flower sheet to frame

On my way to a rodeo with Amaury....much to my surprise!

Stephanie's husband, Arnaud, is a pilot and took us out to tour
the countryside on a very small plane...

We were slighly nervous....

...but the views were spectacular!
(Looking down on the home where we stayed)

Relaxing after one of the many meals with the family

A walk in the Ambert/Boisseyre countryside
brought us to this ancient structure from B.C.!

Our last day....celebrating cousin Eléonore's 18th birthday

Fussball in Berlin

Lesley and Steve's original plan to arrive on the afternoon of Friday, April 3rd was disrupted by lots of east coast fog and several flight cancellations. The biggest concern (especially for Steve!) was whether or not they would make it in time for our Saturday afternoon activity in Berlin: A Hertha Fussball Game. As you may or may not know, Fussball (soccer) is huge in Germany as it is in most of Europe. While Matt is a big fan of American football (go Patriots!) and I watch the SuperBowl strictly for it's commericals, we were both up for the new sporting adventure (when in Rome...). Luckily our favorite Maine-ers arrived mid-morning with little to no signs of jet-lag, just in time to catch the train to the historic Olympic Stadium. What a sight! We were greeted by groups of extremely devoted fans, garbed in gear that represented their favorite team. We immediately noticed the lack of Budweiser-type advertising that is so very present in stadiums in the US. Olympic Stadium didn't need any of that; the fans provided enough entertainment to keep us (or maybe it was just me) plenty distracted from watching the game. They were very well organized with chants and songs that included choreographed hand motions and all. Very impressive! Although Berlin lost to Dortmund, I think we all enjoyed our first fussball game in Germany. We ended our day at a local biergarden (how German can you get?!) and later relaxed in the grass in front of the Reichstag. A fun weekend in Berlin!

Sisters on the way to the game!

We were a little underdressed.....next time we'll at least wear some blue and white!

The impressive Olympic Stadium on a warm 70-degree day!

Aah...spring is here

A week off in Barcelona

With my February break in sight and Matt's incredible 6 weeks of vacation time, we couldn't pass up our first opportunity while living in Europe to do some traveling! We debated for a while on our destination....sunny Tenerife on the Canary Islands? The snowy Alps of Austria? We decided that slightly warmer weather coupled with endless amounts of sight seeing and outdoor opportunities would make Barcelona the perfect choice. And thankfully, we were right!

Barcelona exceeded our expectations. We arrived on a Wednesday morning after a short Easy Jet flight, and were greeted with a 65-degree sunshiney day! After checking into Bonic, our cozy urban B&B right in the Gothic Quarter, we set out to explore the city. Our first stop....Park Güell, which is adorned with architect Antoni Gaudi's whimsical designs, straight out of a storybook. Along the way, we spotted a flock of wild parrots, just like in San Fran's Telegraph Hill. The park was fabulous and after walking around for a while, we soaked in the sun with a fresh pitcher of sangria!

The following 3 days were spent exploring the Gothic Quarter, museum-hopping, strolling down the famous Las Ramblas, taking siestas, and soaking in the Spanish culture. We even got to see an authentic Flamenco show! It was "seem-puhl" (as our hotel host, Fernando, would say) but very good. On the last day, we woke up to some falling temperatures, but the sun was shining so we decided to spend a good part of the afternoon on the beach. For both of us, it was our first time seeing the Mediterranean Sea, so it felt extra special. Our first excursion was so much fun! We both felt a serious travel bug coming on as we boarded our plane back to Berlin, and we are Next trip...the French Riviera in April with Les and Steve!

At Parc Guell, overlooking beautiful Barcelona!

One of the many over-the-top street performers on Las Ramblas

Flamenco!

Aah...sunshine!

La Sagrada de Familia - another of Gaudi's masterpieces

I love this one of Matt eating gelato

We stumbled across some remains of a Roman tower!