DEUTSCHLAND

So, Germany, eh? Where to begin....

BERLIN:

We flew in to Berlin from London-Stansted. It was a 6:45 am flight, so we decided to try and sleep in the airport. bad idea. we ended up not really sleeping at all- but we did get a chance to chat with a member of Slovenia's national Rowing Team.
Berlin was great: we did a free tour of the city and got a 4-hour crash course in German history. Saw the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, as well as the site of Hitler's bunker where he spent the last bit of his life. The 4-hour tour flew by and made me realize I have a lot of reading to do...
Other than that, we discovered European street-meat in this city, and will never look at a Doner-Kebap without thinking of the Reichstag. Our hostel was super, save for the guy in our room who snored incessantly the entire night, keeping the other 7 of us wide awake. The weather was fine, and we started to get in the groove of travelling. While in Berlin, we also made arrangements for our next stop: the ever-popular city of Borken.

BORKEN:

The only reason we went to Borken was to visit James' Dad, who is now working in Germany managing a Cheese plant. The city isn't in any guide books, and is apporximately 45 minutes from nowhere. But, to be fair, it is a very nice place. Lots of farms and a really relaxed pace of life. Shops are open from 2-6pm Mon. thru Fri. and people drive slowly while in town (a definite German anomaly).
Our visit was great. James' Dad worked during the day, and we went out together every night for great meals and always had good chats and good laughs. One night we decided to go to Dusseldorf for dinner, which was quite an adventure. Driving on the Autobahn, going 140-150 in a rented car with someone who has never done it before takes some getting used to. Finding your way back to Borken at 2 in the morning after being lost for 1.5 hours is another story. But, we got back alright, and it is safe to say that our experience in Dusseldorf was unforgettable.

Other Germany highlights include:
- Great beer (and cheap too!)

- Confusing marketing ads (see above picture...if that doesn't make you want to buy that pair of jeans, I don't know what will :)
- A 3-hour train delay in Cologne where we visited a beautiful cathedral
- Chatting with a German professor over cappucinos on a rainy day in Essen
- staying in a beautiful 16th century castle in Velen (near Borken)
- the nice breakfast waitress at the castle who took us to the Netherlands for coffee on afternoon.

Anyways, that's Germany in a nutshell.
next stop: la belle Paris