Wow it's been a while since we updated.It's so hard to keep up on it.We've been pretty good about keeping our private journals updated, but there are just not enough hours in the day to do all of it!So I apologize in advance that this entry may be a bit….long-winded.We have Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, and Salzburg to cover.We've been having a great time over all, and I'm sorry we can't get more pictures uploaded.The internet connections in the hostels are just terrible, and the pictures somehow end up all out of order and cut off.We may at least try to get another batch of photos up in the next few days.Feel free to leave us comments on our message board; we don't know about anything that's going on back home so let us know!(Krista)

Berlin:

In Berlin Krista and stayed at a hostel called Paula's Cozy Little Corner.Basically it was a few apartments within a larger complex that were converted into a hostel.The owner, Paula, was an interesting character.She could tell us anything about Berlin in way too much detail for us to care.Not sure how this is important, but neither Krista nor I, are sure if Paula was a man or woman.Just thought that would add a little color.At the hostel Krista and I met a couple from Boston, whom we went on a free walking tour with the next day, and this kid from Seattle, Paul.Paul taught all of us this game called beanie.It's a lot like rummy, but with a few quirks.Also at the hostel Krista and I roomed with two guys from Michigan.Kind of funny that all four people in our room are from the same state back home.

The phrase we learned that describes Berlin is "poor, but sexy."That really sums up Berlin.Since the fall of the iron curtain the whole area is trying to establish itself politically and economically.Krista and I toured around East Berlin for a while and around the Berlin wall itself, or at least what's left of it.Fun fact: there is enough of the Berlin Wall for sale to rebuild the whole length of if four times.In Berlin we went to the Pergamon Museum (mostly Roman architecture and artifacts), the German History Museum, a museum about Nazi propaganda, and a Jewish Memorial museum.Krista and I were even able to see where Hitler had his bomb shelter.It's been paved into a parking lot since.Out of curiosity one evening, Krista and I discovered Postdamer Platz.It's a trendy square that was really nice to walk through; it had several upscale restaurants that I hope to one day be able to eat at.Also in Potsdamer Platz we discovered a musical instrument museum.I took Krista on a tour of musical instruments through the ages; she was thrilled.After four nights in Berlin we went on to the next part of our trip.(Kyle).

Prague (and a little bit of Dresden):

We stopped in Dresden between Berlin and Prague, but we only stayed for 1 day (2 nights).We walked around the city a bit, despite the rain, and did laundry.That was an experience.It took forever to find a laundromat, and when we finally did, we couldn't read the directions at all to use the machines.We finally figured it out, based mostly on guesswork, and paid for 3 washing machines.Then we discovered that the machine dispensing soap was broken (this laundromat does not have anybody working in it either).But since we had already paid for the machines, we decided to wash our clothes in water anyway.Pretty funny.

After Dresden, we left for Prague.This city ranks up there with Paris in our eyes, as do Vienna and Salzburg as we came to find out.The train ride into Prague was beautiful.The track followed a river, and there were castles and forests and cliffs all along it.The view was just beautiful.We finally got under budget again after our London disaster, and decided to reward ourselves with a private room in the hostel, with a private bathroom!We only did the private room the first two nights in Prague, and a dorm the last two nights.Wow, what a difference.The dorm was so loud, and our roommates all snored and came in at all hours of the night, turning on lights and being loud.I've never been so excited to get out of bed in the morning; it was miserable trying to sleep.Besides the loud dorm though, Kyle and I loved Prague.We did a trivia night in the bar one evening, and went on a brewery tour another day.Included in the tour are 11 beers, including a coffee-flavored one, a banana-flavored one, and some other strange flavors, but most were good.We also went on a free walking tour of the city, which is great so we can see all the sights from the outside, and where they are, and decide what we want to go back to.

We really enjoyed the Czech beer and the Czech food.If anyone knows a good recipe for Czech goulash and dumplings, let us know.We went to see the Prague Castle, which took over 1000 years to build, and the 'famous' clock in the city center.We also visited some of the houses of various composers, such as Mozart and Dvorak, and saw the only opera house still standing that Mozart himself conducted at.We bought a pass that granted us access to all of the Jewish Synagogues and memorials, including the Old Jewish Cemetery.Overall, we really enjoyed Prague.It was beautiful and there is so much to do.Everyone is so friendly, too.Kyle and I feel guilty because everyone tries so hard to speak English, and they feel bad and embarrassed if they aren't doing a good job.We tried to learn a few phrases in Czech, but it is a very difficult language.I definitely want to go back to Prague one day.(Krista)

Vienna:

Vienna was a particularly special city for me.Vienna, being the music city of the world, is home to the greatest composers of Western Music.I called Vienna my "little pilgrimage," because Krista and I went to all three of Beethoven's apartments and the apartments of Haydn and Mozart as well.We literally walked all over Vienna on a scavenger hunt of the great composers' homes.Krista and I liked Beethoven's apartment where he came to terms with his hearing loss.I got to see the letter Beethoven wrote his brother about it.That document is one of the most important documents in the history of Western music.Krista and I also went to a museum about how sound is generated and perceived.I probably could have spent the whole day there reading every little description and explanation.We also went to the Aqua Terra Zoo.It's mostly an aquarium but it also has a few exhibits about jungle-based animals.Two rooms within the aquarium housed the jungle animals.What's unique about them is that there aren't any cages in these rooms.The animal literally can walk right up to people.One bird, while swooping down, actually flew into Krista.There were also some monkeys running around that got close enough almost to touch.It was really cool.We also spent some time in Vienna exploring some of the streets and the palace grounds.The grounds are open to the public, and lots of people just sit around, picnic, and drink wine.We really enjoyed exploring the city.Vienna proved to be a great city for us.As Krista mentioned above, Vienna ranks up there with Paris and Prague.(Kyle)

Salzburg:

Salzburg ended up being mostly a long, drawn-out walking tour of the Sound of Music sights.We saw the gazebo where Leisl sings "I am 16 going on 17" and the garden where they sing "Do-Re-Mi."We also saw the nunnery and the palace on the lake they use for the outside of the Von Trapp house.They offer a bus tour that takes you to all the sights, but we decided to walk.That may or may not have been the best plan.We did come across some other fun stuff along the way though.We saw a great lookout point by the nunnery where you can see snow-covered mountains in the distance, and we explored the palace where the gazebo is.The palace has a large garden of trick fountains.It was a hot day, so Kyle and I enjoyed getting a little wet.Our last day in Salzburg we discovered a water park by the palace on the lake.It was so hot, and we had already done everything else in Salzburg we wanted to do (that our budget allowed for, anyway), so we went, and it was so fun.Not exactly the most common thing to do on a Europe backpacking trip, but we enjoyed it.We did get to go see a few more of Mozart's houses, too, to continue Kyle's pilgrimage.The scenery in Salzburg is so beautiful; it is just surrounded by mountains on all sides.Unfortunately, this makes for little wind and hot, humid weather.The hostel had no air conditioning, so it was pretty hot all day and night.Other than that though, the hostel was great.It was within walking distance to the city center and the train station, and there was a bus stop right outside the hostel if you needed it.They also show the Sound of Music every day, which we watched.Salzburg was wonderful, and we are now back in Germany.We're spending a few days in Munich and then off to the Black Forest.Hopefully it's not another two weeks before we update again!(Krista)