prague.

ok here's the story of this week so far. karen's still asleep so i have a few minutes to update. :)

berlin
arrived sunday night
stayed in the lovely home of karen, in berlin-zehlendorf, one of the outerlying suburbs
monday: bike tour through berlin, learned a lot of history, particularly concerning the Wall
tuesday: pergamon museum and a boat tour of berlin from the Spree river
wednesday: saw the East Side Gallery, climbed to the top of the Reichstag [government building], checked out Brandenburg Gate, etc.
conclusion: berlin is such an amazing city! we hardly even made it to the different parts besides Mitte [center], and yet left many things undone. i was amazed at the contrast of old and new [but mostly new], and the grand breathtaking architecture. i'd really like to go back someday again.

dresden
thursday we left berlin early and drove a couple hours to our halfway stop, dresden, another gorgeously rebuilt city! like berlin, much of the city was destroyed in the war, but everything has been rebuilt and restored to its former glory. we took a bus tour to get the best feel for the city in the shortest time possible. we learned that dresden is also the home of a very famous mouthwash [Odol], and condensed milk was invented in its famous dairy.

prague
arrived thursday night and looked around for a little while, then met our gracious host/hostess christian and jessie, who are here for the summer taking care of the church, CC Prague.
friday we felt it best to take a day of rest, so we hung out at home [the church/apartment] for the majority of the day. friday night we attended the Prague State Opera and saw La Bohéme. it was my first opera, and was absolutely delightful, despite its sad ending.
saturday we headed into town for The Grand Tour- bus, boat, and walking, and saw all the great places: the Moldau river, Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town, the Prague castle, the St Vitus cathedral, the astronomical clock, and much more. after the tour we had lunch downtown, then walked across the famous Charles Bridge before heading home. saturday night's opera was Carmen at the National Theatre. it was mindblowingly ornate- the costumes, the dancers, the all-star lineup of singers, the chorus, the children's choir, the props, the story. it was another sad ending, but what a rich experience!
sunday we had a restful morning, then headed into town for a little shopping and lunch. as a sidenote, we've tried döner in all three cities so far; at Prague's Wenceslas Square is advertised the best döner in the city, and i heartily agree. it was delicious. sunday afternoon was church, a small gathering of american, irish, english, and czech believers. i was blessed to lead worship and come before the throne with my fellow believers. we took off directly after the service for our final night on the town: back to the Prague State Opera for the ballet Swan Lake. i've never been to a ballet before either, and was enthralled every minute! what a beautiful performance! the story was so black-and-white, the dancers so graceful, the costumes and backdrops so exquisite, and the music simply wonderful. and best of all, after our two sad opera endings, it was a happy ending and love conquered all!

neuschwanstein
this morning we'll bid adieu to fair prague [the home of the world's best and easiest public transportation system, by the way], and head back into germany, this time to the southern border. we're headed to the inspiration of the Disney castle, the most photographed place in all of germany...... Neuschwanstein.

then it's home to siegen tonight. it'll be a long day in the car, but well worthwhile.
i'll try to post pictures either on here or facebook this week.

wish you were here,
a.