After Milan we headed to Lago di Garda on our way to the Dolomites. This lake, the largest in Italy, is similar to Lago Maggiore in scenery but better for tourists because the land surrounding it is not as hilly. Towns and villages still line the water's edge but it doesn't take an oxygen tank to get there. Although we only passed through, taking a break to walk around the lakeshores of a large town, it was beautiful. With more time it would be a great place fo...

As I was saying, it smells like cow poop in Switzerland. But it is the most beautiful countryside I have ever laid eyes on. The rolling green hills dotted with beige cows and quaint farms continue to the horizon until the massive Alpine Range sprouts up, covered in snow and as majestic as ever. Simple wooden fences roll with the hills and the air is crisp and clean. Other than the 30 Euro Autobahn pass, we tried not to spend money in Switzerland because it is i...

Just before hitting the road we made a decision to skip Prague and Vienna and go straight down to Munich. We had to make some cuts from the list and those seemed more doable in the future. We took the Autobahn almost all the way to Munich. We stayed with Steve's friend Erik, whom he grew up with in Rodersdorf. We arrived in the evening and went to a Bavarian restaurant. I had a spargel (asparagus) cream soup and a salad. Erik and his girlfriend gave us their co...

This post is belated but still worthy of inclusion. Our last week in Berlin was spent at the apartment with my brother and his wife. Brian and Sarah arrived late on May 4th. Having prepared a long list of to-dos but still with class to attend in the mornings, I tried to organize some cool sight seeing for them. Steve and I waited to see several things so as not to double-up. We made a big German breakfast for them the following morning consisting of fresh bröt...

After returning to Berlin from the Willage we got back into the city groove quickly with the May 1st celebration. About 10 minutes after putting our bags down in the apartment we were back out the door. The streets were filled with people, drinks in hand, walking around the city. May 1st is Labor Day in Germany but in Berlin it is a politically charged event. Many years ago it was a day of riots and protests with police cracking down on every street corner. Dem...