What an awesome chef! We prepared for the day and took a walk 
to the bank! (Our money is pretty much worthless now days :( so sad) and headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. It was about 80 degrees. WOW! First off we went to a farmer's market not too far from Kristen's home. They have a very beautiful home too! It's so nice to be staing with them! What a blessing! To be with great friends and to be blessed with their awesome hospitality! John had to be in Frankfurt today for a meeting so we missed him (and I'm sure he was lamenting going since we got into the house at 2am and he had to leave for the train at 5:30am!) The neighborhoods are so distinct here, especially depending on what was bombed and what was not in WWII. Its amazing how a war that was fought before my parents were even born could still leave pock marks on the face of Berlin today. Kristen was telling us that it is due in large part to the fact that we are staying in the Eastern part of the city that was under communist rule for so long. Some of the buildings still have bullet holes in them though they've been working stedily on fixing them since the wall came
down. Well, back to our walking tour...We visited the cultural brewry that has been turned into a shopping area, cenema & teatre. Next we went to see Deietrich Bonhoeffer's church Zionkirkre but we couldn't go in because there was a concert in progress. We ate lunch back at Kristen's, yummy sandwices and veggies. We are soooooooooooo healthy! ;) After lunch we headed for Alexanderplatz where we looked at shops I loved, especially the huge department store, the Galleria that had a primo grocery store on the main level and then like Macy's 5 more levels of clothing, scoccer accessories, tourist shops, and more! I got some super cute knee high socks with bows on them. They sound ugly but they're super cute! We went across the way to C&A (like our Old Navy) and to the Alexa shopping center. There were some guys there in New England Patriot uniforms. But they looked too young and too little to really be on the team. Who knows? Take a look at this picture and tell me if you recognize any of these guys. We went for some gelato after the big shopping extravaganza (we didn't buy 
anything except for my socks) he he, we're such good girls! Walked to the park outside the T.V. Tower and sat in the shade by the fountain eating our gelato. It was nice and hot and we were glad to be out of the sun. Meanwhile a small boy 6 years old or so began frolicking though the fountain naked as can be with his mother standing there holding his clothing. This would not fly in our country. So being the sick person I am I took a picture. Okay so judge me but it was pretty stinkin' funny. We apparently did not look comfortable in the shade because two German young men came up to us and asked us if we would like to join them on top the Park Inn tower in Alexanderplatz to worship the sun with them. Apparently my eyes were saying to one of the gentlemen that I was desiring to go with them because they needed to 
be in couples. We thanked them and wished them luck in their seach telling them we were just fin situated in the shade. Oh being hit on by European men #1 & 2. We journeyed down to the Rathaus or City Hall to see the fountain there (no naked people, few!) and get our picture w/ the building. So many sights and so little daylight left. First the MarineKirkre cathedral like Anglican church impressed us with the huge pipe organ and large bapistry. Then we made our way toward the Spree River and took pictures of the Ampelmann statue (the little stop & go symbol in the east part of the city) and also took pictures of the Berliner Dome Church. We walked along the river and then headed home to an awesome dinner of a
blackened chicken salad a la Kristen! We stayed up talking and waiting for Johnny to get home. Amy & I planned out a little bit more of our trip and didn't get to bed till 2am! Yikes! That's our exciting night life!
to the bank! (Our money is pretty much worthless now days :( so sad) and headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. It was about 80 degrees. WOW! First off we went to a farmer's market not too far from Kristen's home. They have a very beautiful home too! It's so nice to be staing with them! What a blessing! To be with great friends and to be blessed with their awesome hospitality! John had to be in Frankfurt today for a meeting so we missed him (and I'm sure he was lamenting going since we got into the house at 2am and he had to leave for the train at 5:30am!) The neighborhoods are so distinct here, especially depending on what was bombed and what was not in WWII. Its amazing how a war that was fought before my parents were even born could still leave pock marks on the face of Berlin today. Kristen was telling us that it is due in large part to the fact that we are staying in the Eastern part of the city that was under communist rule for so long. Some of the buildings still have bullet holes in them though they've been working stedily on fixing them since the wall came
down. Well, back to our walking tour...We visited the cultural brewry that has been turned into a shopping area, cenema & teatre. Next we went to see Deietrich Bonhoeffer's church Zionkirkre but we couldn't go in because there was a concert in progress. We ate lunch back at Kristen's, yummy sandwices and veggies. We are soooooooooooo healthy! ;) After lunch we headed for Alexanderplatz where we looked at shops I loved, especially the huge department store, the Galleria that had a primo grocery store on the main level and then like Macy's 5 more levels of clothing, scoccer accessories, tourist shops, and more! I got some super cute knee high socks with bows on them. They sound ugly but they're super cute! We went across the way to C&A (like our Old Navy) and to the Alexa shopping center. There were some guys there in New England Patriot uniforms. But they looked too young and too little to really be on the team. Who knows? Take a look at this picture and tell me if you recognize any of these guys. We went for some gelato after the big shopping extravaganza (we didn't buy 
anything except for my socks) he he, we're such good girls! Walked to the park outside the T.V. Tower and sat in the shade by the fountain eating our gelato. It was nice and hot and we were glad to be out of the sun. Meanwhile a small boy 6 years old or so began frolicking though the fountain naked as can be with his mother standing there holding his clothing. This would not fly in our country. So being the sick person I am I took a picture. Okay so judge me but it was pretty stinkin' funny. We apparently did not look comfortable in the shade because two German young men came up to us and asked us if we would like to join them on top the Park Inn tower in Alexanderplatz to worship the sun with them. Apparently my eyes were saying to one of the gentlemen that I was desiring to go with them because they needed to 
be in couples. We thanked them and wished them luck in their seach telling them we were just fin situated in the shade. Oh being hit on by European men #1 & 2. We journeyed down to the Rathaus or City Hall to see the fountain there (no naked people, few!) and get our picture w/ the building. So many sights and so little daylight left. First the MarineKirkre cathedral like Anglican church impressed us with the huge pipe organ and large bapistry. Then we made our way toward the Spree River and took pictures of the Ampelmann statue (the little stop & go symbol in the east part of the city) and also took pictures of the Berliner Dome Church. We walked along the river and then headed home to an awesome dinner of a
blackened chicken salad a la Kristen! We stayed up talking and waiting for Johnny to get home. Amy & I planned out a little bit more of our trip and didn't get to bed till 2am! Yikes! That's our exciting night life!SUNDAY...
Today we went to John & Kristen's church. The worship was awesome!!! We sang 3 songs that Amy & I could sing along with in English:Blessed be Your NameEverlasting GodMeet with Me, followed by German songs we didn't know. Then we drove out to PotsDam to see the summer palaces in the rocco style. Very French. It was beautiful. Amy's friends from college who live in Cambridge, England came over to meet us and they spent the day with us. Nice couple, Ryan & Kelly. We walked in the hot and 
somewhat humid sun for like 4+ hours. It was over 80 degrees and humid. The grounds were lovely and picturesque. I felt like I should watch out for princes and princesses riding down the paths or see a hunting party in 
the woods. We left PotsDam around 5pm and made our way on the auto bahn (really just like our high ways but so cool that it was the auto bahn!) and came back to the apartment. Kristen made pizza dough and Amy's friends came over, joined us for dinner and we played a new game called Rage. We'll have to get it in the states. You'd like it. Guess who won??? ME!!! I was a good girl and not mean at all! I promise! We all took IB Profun tonight our muscles are sore!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow we're going to a museum, the Bradenburg gate, the wall & Check Point Charlie and out to dinner for our last day here. Then we're on to the south to Wittenburg, Erfurt, and Eisenact. There we'll do some of the Reformation stuff. 
somewhat humid sun for like 4+ hours. It was over 80 degrees and humid. The grounds were lovely and picturesque. I felt like I should watch out for princes and princesses riding down the paths or see a hunting party in 
the woods. We left PotsDam around 5pm and made our way on the auto bahn (really just like our high ways but so cool that it was the auto bahn!) and came back to the apartment. Kristen made pizza dough and Amy's friends came over, joined us for dinner and we played a new game called Rage. We'll have to get it in the states. You'd like it. Guess who won??? ME!!! I was a good girl and not mean at all! I promise! We all took IB Profun tonight our muscles are sore!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow we're going to a museum, the Bradenburg gate, the wall & Check Point Charlie and out to dinner for our last day here. Then we're on to the south to Wittenburg, Erfurt, and Eisenact. There we'll do some of the Reformation stuff. 
