Over the Atlantic and via Frankfurt to Berlin and Prague we go!

Yay!  It's time for another Barrantes Tour and Travel adventure!  We're off on a fabulous trip to visit Berlin and Prague and can't wait to explore these great European cities.

We're traveling with our dear friends Jeff and Becca to Berlin.  We met Jeff and Becca several years ago through curling, and in addition to being fun folks to curl with in Maine (see picture from last year's Maine-iac Bonspiel in Belfast), they live less than 5 minutes from us, so we have the opportunity to get together a lot.  Jeff spent part of his childhood in Berlin - his dad was a spook with military intelligence - and all of that time was when the wall was up.  He's been back since the wall came down, and we're thrilled to have his familiarity and German-language skills along with us!  Berlin prep included some Rick Steves' podcasts (I highly recommend listening to a few of his podcasts on whatever place you plan on visiting - they provide good information and insights) and two documentaries about the Berlin Wall (before and after) which were a great refresher on the impact of the wall in a divided and ultimately reunited Berlin and Germany.

During our time in Berlin, we'll be visiting lots of the well-known and important sites like the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Holocaust Memorial, the Jewish Museum, and a few of the museums on Museum Island.  While I'm very much looking forward to all of those, I'm also very excited about going to the East Side Gallery, an outdoor gallery featuring pieces of the wall and the graffiti that decorated them.  Thanks to a former OUSA Exec Member, Harriet, who is studying abroad in Europe and sharing her travel adventures in her blog - Harriet vs. the World, we've got the insight on the best kebabs and Sudanese felafel as well.

After a few days in Berlin, Jeff and Becca will head back to the States, and Todd and I will hop on the train for the 4 1/2 hour-ish trip to Prague. I haven't been on a train in Europe since 1999, and Todd never has, so even though Prague will be awesome in itself, I'm kind of excited about the train ride through the German countryside too.  Todd and I will spend a few days in Prague before heading home and our plan is to simply wander.  While I (shockingly, I know) have a pretty packed agenda for Berlin, a Prague agenda doesn't really exist.  We will obviously go to Prague Castle and see the famous Astronomical Clock, but we really just plan on wandering across the Charles Bridge (and other bridges), spending time admiring the Old Town Square, and exploring the Jewish Quarter.  Prague prep included a few Rick Steves' podcasts too and watching the movie Amadeus again which was filmed in Prague...posing as Vienna.

I'm excited to be traveling and blogging again...see you on the other side of the Atlantic!