The Hollingers are here!

After months of planning and excitement, my mom and dad's big European adventure finally happened! This was my dad's first time to Europe and my mom's second time to Germany. We were so excited to share our life here with them! After an easy 8-hour leap across the pond, they landed in Berlin without a hitch. They didn't even give jet-lag a nod, and hopped on over to my school in Berlin Mitte, where 19 fourth-graders anxiously awaited their arrival. My students had made cards for them and enjoyed the books that mom read about Pennsylvania and the Jersey shore. The questions and the comments made by the kids were priceless: One boy asked my dad out of the blue, "Can I call you Herbie?", while another belted out, "Don't forget us!". So sweet.


Our 10 action-packed days together were split between Berlin and Munich. The weather warmed up as the week went on, and the sun also made some spotty appearances as well. Yes, fall is here! We saw Berlin, took a day trip to Potsdam, and visited the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. After a short one hour trip to Munich, the adventures continued with a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle as well as many different sights in Munich. We were so happy to just be together and exploring this beautiful country. So many laughs and memories.... I know I will remember this trip forever. Here is a slideshow of photos, and many more can be viewed on my new Picaso page:

Judy & Herb's Visit - Munich

Judy & Herb's Visit - Berlin & Potsdam

Fahrrad fahrt

If you know me well, you probably know that I am really good at ruining surprises. I always seem to figure them out before I can actually be surprised for once. Well, this time was the exception. Matt planned a trip for our 4-year anniversary in August, and I had no idea up until it was packing time. We packed our 2 bike saddle bags (as lightly as possible) and set off for a weekend adventure. We started by riding our bikes to Ostbahnhof, the largest train station nearest to our apartment, and hopped on a regional bahn -- bikes and all. We rode about 40 minutes north and got off in "Bernau", the last station in Berlin (and the last stop where, conveniently, our monthly train passes were still valid). With a few good bike maps, lots of water, and an abundance trail mix that I had prepared the night before, we set off on our biking adventure. Most of the time we were on a relatively flat bike path called the Berlin-Copenhagen path, which would eventually take us to Demark (with a ferry over the Baltic of course!). We quickly found ourselves immersed in fairytale-esque scenery and it only improved as we continued north. Many trees, several lakes, beautiful landscapes and typical German houses....a bike rider's delight! It wasn't until we stumbled upon it (30 miles later) that I learned of Matt's surprise destination:





Kloster Chorin - an old Monestary in tiny German town of Chorin. This amazing architectural gem took 60 years to build and was completed in the year 1334! We arrived just in time for one of the monestery's summer concerts. After parking our bikes, checking in to our small hotel, and taking a quick (but much needed) shower, we walked along the lake back to the monastery. We entered the courtyard and found a small place to lay down in the soft green grass amongst many picnickers, and within moments the music began. The live classical music was just what we needed after our long haul and it felt so incredible to doze off in the warm sun. It amazed me how quiet and respectful the large audience was during the concert. It wasn't until the intermission that I realized how many babies and young children were amongst us. Once given the green light, "die kinder" immediately began running around and screaming just like kids do. We got up and decided to explore some of the grounds. Surprisingly, all of the doors and cellars of the monastery were open and unguarded. We took advantage of this and lurked around in the cavernous basement while trying to imagine what went on there hundreds of years ago.







That evening we had dinner near our hotel at a restaurant famous for its honey -- all entrees, deserts, and even beverages contained the sweet goodness of honey. We enjoyed the lakeside views and the warmth of the summer evening. The next morning we woke up early and headed further north on our bikes. We rode about 10 miles north of Chorin to a beautiful lake called the Grimnitzsee, near the town of Joachimsthal. This lake was crystal clear and we encountered only a handful of people during our visit there. Paradise! We even took advantage of our secluded location and took a spontaneous swim minus swimgear. Great fun!! As we dried off in the sun, we picked some wild blackberries in the bushes nearby and soaked in the views across the lake. What a perfect end to a great summer!

4 years: fruit or appliances?

This month Matt and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary! It's fun to look back on where we were 4 years ago and think about where we are now. If someone had told me four years ago that we would be living in Germany, I would have laughed. Life is funny that way, and it reminds me to work at letting go of excessive defining and planning. Who knows where we will be in 4 years?! Matt and I have had an incredible 4 years as husband and wife, and it just keeps getting better!

Matt knew I had my eye on this fruit bowl. I discovered it in a cute shop down the street from our apartment, and loved how it matches the biodegradable bags that they use to package fruit and veggies at our local market. "Esst obst", simply put is, "Eat fruit". He didn't have to spend too much time deciding between the traditional vs. modern 4-year anniversary gift: fruit vs. appliances. Who needs more appliances? I love the fruit bowl!!

Hamburg und Lübeck

Summer is here!! To help celebrate, we decided it was time to explore more of Deutschland. Off to Hamburg and the Baltic coast we went. Once again, we concurred that traveling by train is the best way to get around (followed by biking as a close second, of course). We hopped on an early morning train just days after I finished up my busy school year, and we were in Hamburg in less than 2 hours. Before anchoring in this busy port city, however, we traveled further north for a few days. First stop: Lubeck, a quaint medieval town near the coast of the Baltic Sea. Lubeck is not only an architectural gem on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sights, but is also known for one of my newly discovered confectionery favorites: Marzipan! If you're not familiar with the sweet almond paste deliciousness, a trip to Lubeck would be worth it for this reason alone. While filling up on the various samplings of marzipan coated in chocolate, we enjoyed exploring Lubeck's unique architecture. On one particularly warm day, we took a spontaneous 20-minute train ride to Travemunde, Lubeck's local beach on the Baltic Sea. Our first trip to the Baltic was bathing suit and towel-free, as the beach was not on our original agenda while packing. Since nude bathing, although very acceptable here in Europe, was not in the cards for us timid Americans, we will have to return for a chance to swim in the Baltic Sea :).

Holstentor, one of the original gates in Lubeck

Matt leading the way to the Puppet Museum (definitely a first for us!)

Typical architecture in Lubeck

Travemunde beach on the Baltic Sea.
You can rent these colorful "Strandkörbe" (beach "baskets") when the Baltic winds are
too gusty for your liking but you still want to get a tan!

Soon we were headed back to Hamburg to explore the city for a few days. Hamburg is the 2nd biggest city in Germany (after Berlin, of course :) and is the 2nd largest port in all of Europe. We took advantage of the fact that boat rides were part of the public transport tickets that we purchased upon arrival, and enjoyed seeing much of the city via the Elbe river. We also went on a boat tour that took us through the winding canals of Hamburg, and got a good chuckle at the GPS-guided recordings in English using German grammar ("On the left, will one an old warehouse of carpets observe" What?!)

We've got the train thing down by now!

Hamburg Rathaus (city hall)

Caption anyone??

We stumbled across some live music...in a trailer!

Strandperle, a fun beachbar/cafe on the Elbe

Summer Mumpitz

I'd be lying if I said we were anywhere close to mastering the German language. Stringing words together to form a somewhat coherent sentence is about where I stand. Currently, I am able to hear and understand much more when the language is being spoken, but speaking it myself is a completely different story. (Coincidentally, Matt's German strengths lie in the speaking part, so we do make a great team as we try to communicate auf Deutch!) I do, however, have a knack for picking up random words, getting them stuck in my head, and throwing them in to random English sentences. Recent favorites include "natürlich" (of course), "Schnecke" (snails--often used as an endearing name for someone you love, such as "sweetie"), and "Mumpitz" (shenanigans). Now that you've had your daily dose of Deutsch, I will leave you with a few photos from our own recent Mumpitz!

Some of my fun-loving teacher pals at our end of the year party - Yay for summer!

Riding the U-Bahn, just like we always do

Cousin Jeff came to Berlin! He had just finished a 5 week walk on the Camino trail.
Needless to say, he had a lot of stories and has convinced us to give the trail a try one day!

Matt and Jeff enjoying a late-night Döner Kepab.
It's simple...you come to Berlin, you must eat a Döner!

Strandbars and Schiffparties

This is our first summer living in a big city. I wasn't so sure how we would like it...the sweltering heat, the masses of tourists, the crowded trains. As we enter the month of July, I'd have to say that the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. Sure, the trains are a little stinky (we all know that Europeans have some kind of aversion to deodorant), and the tourists have over-run our favorite cafes (we are spotting American accents left and right!). But Berlin has certainly come alive! Our favorite summer spots have included the many green spaces scattered across the city limits (perfect for BBQs!) and the many "Strandbars" (beachbars) that have popped up along the Spree River. Sure, they're not the sandy beaches of the Pacific, but they definitely have their own unique flair.

LunaStrand in our neighborhood

This month we also experienced our first "Schiffparty". Our Schiff (or boat) took us up and down the Spree River in Berlin....for 5 hours!! The private party was hosted by our friend Yens' field hockey team (yes, men play field hockey in Deutschland. Minus the skirts and frenchbraids). It was a great night of dancing and meeting many new people. A fun way to celebrate the 4th of July in our new city!

A cool view of the Reichstag from the Spree

Klassenfahrt-ing!

It's not what you think! A "fahrt" is a trip, and last week we took 33 fourth graders on a 4-day klassenfahrt! We were prepared for the worst, and in the end, experienced the best! The rain showers did not stop our fun (the zoo is more fun in the rain anyway!) and the kids were (mostly) on their best behavior. The trip gave me the opportunity to pull out some oldies from my camp-counselor days. The kids loved the stinky moose song! My previous camp experience had been in rustic cabins with no electricity, but this place was more like a 4-star hotel. Waldsolarheim is located about an hour north of Berlin, in Eberswalde. It was so refreshing to get out of the city for a few days and back to nature. Our days were packed with activities, and we also took the kids on a night walk. We even had a campfire one night, where we introduced our German kids to S'mores. Funny....they liked them, but all commented they were "too sweet"! We sang songs on the bus ride home, and as we re-entered the city, I smiled.....for the first time since moving here, I really felt like I was coming home.

Birthday Love

This month I celebrated my first birthday (Geburtstag) in Berlin (hey that doesn't make me sound so old now, does it?!). My students and co-workers were so sweet, and literally showered me with flowers, cakes, cookies, and cards. It's a tradition here that you share something with others on your birthday, so I brought in several dozens of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and treated my whole class to Eis (ice cream). When I got home that evening, Matt surprised me with a dozen red roses and a beautiful cast-iron tea pot! After only being here for 8 months, I feel so grateful to be a part of such a loving community. So much good to be thankful for!!

Best. husband. ever.

Getting the flowers home on the train was quite an experience....

"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