My friends from Wisconsin, Rob and Lydia, were sweet enough to let us stay with them in Halle for three nights while we explored former East Germany. It worked out perfectly and was so great to see them!

We took just one day trip to Leipzig while we were there. We wanted to go to Lutherstadt Wittenberg, where I'd studied 5 years ago, but that same morning, we made Korean Kimchi Chiggae with some ingredients we'd picked up at the Asian Mart in Leipzig and got a slow start, so we decided to pass.

On Friday evening, we went to their school's Stammtisch with lots of students and teachers. It was a wine tasting, and we got to sample lots of cheese, olives, and breads. We had a lot of fun, and even more so when the party continued down at the Marktplatz's Christmas Market.

So a big thanks to Rob and Lydia for showing us around Halle and letting us stay with them, we really appreciated it!! :)