Aloha and Holo Holo: Germany

We left The Netherlands early yesterday morning and headed for Germany. Along the way, we saw some amazing scenery and had a couple of unique experiences. First of all, we stopped at a gas station for fuel and a pitstop and learned that not all public restrooms are free to use. We also learned that not all privacy standards are the same the world over, and my boys are still shaking their heads at the urinal being pretty much out in the open. Around lunch time, we discovered that it was a national holiday, since we couldn't find any place open to grab a bite to eat. About an hour after the kids were "starving to death," we found a truck stop with a cafeteria and were able to eat our fill of delicious and truly authentic German food. We finally stopped for the night at a lovely home, in the beautiful little village of Holm-Seppensen, Germany.

We were up early again this morning, moving toward Berlin. On the way, we stopped at the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen. With lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes, we tried to comprehend the truly incomprehensible of a unbelievably horrific time and place. I have no words.

After a picnic lunch, we drove on through Berlin and past what is left of the Berlin Wall. We then continued on to our home for the next couple of nights in Luckenwalde, Germany. We had a chance to take the kids to a nearby park to stretch our legs after the long car ride. And, then, taking advantage of our first really good internet signal since we've been traveling, we did Skype and Facetime calls with our parents. Finally, we found a little hole-in-the wall restaurant/bar for dinner, that has been in business since 1898, and where not a word of English was spoken or written on the menus. We were the only restaurant patrons, and possibly the only ones to ever come from America. One of our goals for this trip is to immerse ourselves in the true local culture as much as possible, and this definitely seemed like a good place to start. We did our best with the German, but were mostly surprised by what we ordered--pleasantly so. Every bite was phenomenal. It was a grand adventure and a wonderful end to this day of emotional ups and downs.