Auchtung!

Berlin was... brilliant.

Brandenburg Gate

Bebelplatz
I happened to be there on May 10th, 2009, exactly 76 years to the day that Hitler held his book burning ceremony here - across from Humboldt University.

Check-Point Charlie

Auchtung!


The Eastside Gallery
I still remember the day the wall came down. And I remember walking down the street in the middle of the night with a friend of mine - we had such big ideas in such a small-minded town and we were such geeks - we passed by the local bar right as it was closing and we were screaming at the top of our lungs "UNITE EAST AND WEST GERMANY!!". No one (well, probably not many) where I grew up cared about such things. It was pretty amazing to be walking along the wall in the 20th anniversary year of it's dramatic fall.

Please do not bbq in front of the Reichstag... Apparently that's common...?

The Reichstag
Notice there are no bbqs.

Berliner Dom
It was such a beautiful day. I couldn't bring myself to step inside any of the dozens of museums on Museum Island (except the DDR museum, but it was small). Sat outside in the square by the fountain staring up at the clouds with this amazing view of Berliner Dom, the fountain mist spraying over me, listening to tour guides and people... So relaxing. One of my favourite moments.


Schloss Sansoucci
Ostentatious. Completely and utterly over-the-top insanely and unbashedly grandiose.

Keukenhof
After Germany went next door to The Netherlands where I met some guildies again. Many beers were consumed. It was a great time.
Then I was taken to see tulips!! Huzzah! 2 days before the place closed for the year. It was purdy!

The North Sea
Noordwijk is super-close to Keukenhof (well, in Canadian terms of super-close) so decided to stick my feet into the North Sea! This was also one of my most favourite moments.

So many photos. It is really difficult to edit which ones to share...