Machaks of Ohio visit Part III-- Dresden

After a day relaxing back in Berlin and baking some pieroghy, the four of us set off on the train again, this time to Dresden to check out the Streizelmarkt, the oldest Christmas market in Germany.

This is Christy's favorite picture--kissing under the mistletoe.

We're not sure if it's Columbus, OH, or Columbus, GA, but we'll take it....

They still take Deutsche Marks? In 2008?

Christy climbed up to the "Balcony of Europe" to get some good views.

This was the view across the River Elbe.

Overlooking the Frauenkirche Christmas market.

cool church

The "Long Walk"--the mural had scenes of history going back to the 1200's

The famous Frauenkirche

it was the pyramid festival weekend

there were giant nutcrackers, too

They had Gluhbier, in addition to the traditional Gluhwein. David wasn't impressed. Manly men don't drink hot beer.

At the Streizelmarkt

David's parents enjoying the Christmas market

Dresden at night




there are some really cool buildings--the photography doesn't do them justice

another giant pyramid, at the Christmas market across the river



more of Dresden at night

In front of the Frauenkirche--this one's for the Crums!

Dresden was a lot of fun, and the Christmas markets were better than the ones in Berlin, we thought, because they had more booths with the traditional wooden carvings--pyramids, smokers, and other things--from the Erzgebirge region of Germany. Also, there were a lot of pottery booths. It was mostly East German pottery, not Polish Pottery, but very similar.

We thank the Machaks of Ohio for a wonderful visit!!!

Machaks of Ohio visit Berlin, Part II--Prague

Mom and Pop and I trained to Prague on Tuesday and spent a couple days exploring and walking everywhere. These are some of the sights we saw:


The water wheel near our hotel

The manger scene out front

Mom and Pop at the Charles Bridge

The National Opera House

Great view of the Prague Castle

We had a great lunch at a 14th century resturant under the city

Me and momma at the Czech National Museum

Great Walking city, with the castle in the background

We walked a lot

Inside the St. Nicholas Church

Changing of the guard at Prague Castle

4 Fathers checking out the view

Mom and Pop in the Golden Corridor

We Three outside St. Vitus' Cathedral

Maybe I am too tall to be a Slovak

Inside St. Vitus

He was not as amused as I was

Mom and Pop outside the Prague Castle

Gates of the Castle

View from the Castle Wall

We walked up lots of steps :)

On the Charles Bridge

Inside our fantastic restaurant Tuesday night

Christmas in Prague

Amazing Views Everywhere

On the train to Prague(they are so European)

The Machaks of Ohio visit Berlin!--Part I

David's parents arrived Saturday and hit the ground running.... we set off to cut down a Christmas tree! We went back to the "selbst schlagen" place (you cut down your own tree).

We found a tree in record time.



David was the expert with the saw.


carrying it back to the car was not so fun


but we remembered to bring our own rope this year!


all decorated and leaning just a little bit :-)


Sunday we went to church.

the American Church in Berlin


After church we enjoyed brunch at Cafe Einstein, and then we headed off to the Christmas markets! We started with a small one in Dahlem.


ok so "Pferd" means horse... we did not buy anything at that booth.

but the waffles were awfully good!

The second Christmas market we went to was in front of Schloss Charlottenberg--the best one so far, in Christy's opinion.

approaching the market

German wooden figures

typical booth with Christmas ornaments

Schloss Charlottenberg itself was all lit up

this is the top of a Gluhwein hut--the traditional German pyramid

David found his dream food--Germknoedel. It is a ball of dough with plums in the middle, covered in vanilla cream sauce and fresh poppyseeds.




Monday night we enjoyed dinner at our neighborhood brewery, Brewbaker.

Tuesday David and his parents headed off to explore Prague. Part II of the visit coming soon!