I composed this list before our flight, but I’m publishing it after our return so you’ll see some pics and updates on how it went down.
Very shortly I’ll be flying to Germany for a month or so. It’s been 3 years since I’ve been.
1: Beer
I’ll just get that one out of the way first. I like German beer.
2: Spaghetti Ice Cream
Invented by an Italian in my father’s hometown – I don’t think I’ve ever seen it anywhere in North America.
3: Strengthening My German Language Skills
I’ll get to work off the rust. Even better, the kids both really improved their spoken German. It was thrilling to see them communicate with locals and their grandmothers in German.
4: Commuting by Bicycle
We don’t have a car there so bikes will be a significant mode of transportation. I rode at least 16km a day. The kids rode to their summer camp (on an island) by bike every day. I even got my wife a bike for her birthday.
5: Riding the double-decker bus into town
I think the double-decker buses were decommissioned. This was pretty disappointing.
6: Curry Wurst
A Berlin specialty. A bratwurst with curry powder. Also, french fries with both ketchup and mayonnaise.
7: Free Range Kids
From less ‘sanitized’ playgrounds to a largely unstructured summer camp, I’m hopeful the boys can flex their independence muscles a bit. They spent a night on the island in a tent, and went to the bakery to get us fresh buns for breakfast every morning. They rode the bus home from town alone too.
8: Fresh Water Swimming
A river and a lake are within short walking distance
9: Berlin Sightseeing
We might not get that much of this done, but we’ll see. We got into downtown Berlin (Kurfürstendamm) for Sushi and a bit of a walking tour. We also did our usual river cruise
10: Summer Festivals
Germans celebrate the summer a lot like other countries in the Western world.
Overall another successful Germany trip. I worked remotely for most of the visit, and I may share some thoughts on the ‘Laptop Lifestyle’ in a future post.