The Final Chapter

We found our way back to 10 Arcola Bay! Wow-what a fabulous adventure! This trip has definitely lived up to our expectations. We saw and did so many wonderful things. How awesome to see some of God's creation in another part of the world and to see the gifts and talents He has given to people over thousands of years. And how great to meet new people and reconnect with people we haven't seen in a long time. There are many things to reflect on. We hope the impact of this trip will stay with us for a long time to come.

But how nice to have so many caring people back here. Thanks, Jake and Eleanor, for picking us up. And what a surprise to see all of the kids greeting us at the airport! It's good to be home. We appreciate all of your prayers and are looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Cornie and Linda signing off.....

Nearing the End

Yesterday we drove to Schloss Bueckeburg, about an hour away. What beautiful scenery all around the castle! Unfortunately it didn't work to tour the inside, so we waked through the town, where there was a festival. They had a few rides and lots of booths set up with snacks, jewelery, purses, etc. It was nice being part of the local culture.

Of course a trip to Espelkamp should include a stop for ice cream, even if it is cold outside. It's not just any old ice cream after all. Delicious! (I've written a lot about food, haven't I? Hmmm, I'm thinking we are going to have to do something about that when we get home.)

In the evening we played a tense, but fun game of Elfer Raus, which ended with John as the champion.

Farewells are so hard and we are sad to have to say good bye to the Enns Family. We had a fantastic time with them!

We arrived in Hannover shortly and were relieved to have no complications with dropping off the vehicle. Tomorrow we begin the long journey home and are expecting to arrive at the Winnipeg airport at 8:30 p.m.

We have missed everyone back home and are looking forward to seeing you all and catching up!

Family and Friends

So nice to end our trip visiting family and friends!

Yesterday we drove to Bielefeld with Inga and her daughter, Elif. We had a wonderful visit with her mom, Tante Helena, Tante Marga and Onkel Waldemar and my grandma's sister, Tante Marusja and Onkel Ernst. After 15 years, they were exactly as I remember them. Cornie commented a few times on how much he could see a resemblance between Tante Marusja and my dad. We were spoiled again with a delicious meal with wonderful desserts. On top of that we received gifts; Lindt chocolate from Tante Marga and a beautiful painting done by Tante Helena. It reminds us of our time in Italy. So glad we took the time to stop in to see them!

From there we headed to Espelkamp, 45 minutes away, to visit our friends Henry and Lisa and their boys. Their middle son is studying in Bulgaria, but Christopher and John were home. Today we bundled up and headed back to Bielefeld for a soccer game. It's a fun sport to watch because there is little down time. In between, it's aways fun to watch the fans, both the crazy fanatics as well as the ones that were too ''cool'', literally, and not really in the age bracket where being ''cool'' is in! and Bielefeld won! and is now in second place in their league.

We feel very blessed to be able to spend time with our relatives and friends, and are overwhelmed by their kindness and hospitality. They have truly gone out of their way to make us feel so welcome and special.

Ich bin kein Berliner

Today Cornie and I went to Alexanderplatz with the subway. It was an hour and a half wait to go up the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), so we sat at the fountain, had a coffee and went into the shops. I really like C and A. It has great sweaters at great prices, but there is nothing really different from what we can buy at home. H and M is very popular in Europe. We enjoyed our leisure time. It sure is nice to get a ticket with an assigned time and not have to wait in a cue.

We noticed five black BMWs with police escorts waiting at the tower. Cornie had a chat with one of the drivers and asked who all the fuss was for. He said it was no one important, just someone from Iceland. I think they must have been somewhat important to have service like that!

The elevator to the top of the tower went 6 meters per second and took 40 seconds to get to the top. The view was great. We saw the Brandenburger Tor and the parliament building. It was also neat to get a view of Alexanderplatz from up there.

There are still some tensions between East and West Berlin, even though the wall has been down for 23 years. Change happens slowly! Even something as simple as the Ampelman (pedestrian crossing light) is an issue. Different ones were used and a decision had to be made as to which one to continue with. Currently both can still be found, but some people aren't happy that the Eastern one was chosen.

We spent the evening at Inga and Ozcan's place. We had Doenner, (shaved meat in a pita), another common Berliner meal. They were delicious, as was the curry wurst yesterday. Yesterday Ozcan had mentioned that he likes Duncan Donuts, so we brought some along. A donut in German is called a Berliner. A person who lives in Berlin is also called a Berliner. :)

It has been so wonderful to see Inga. She has been to Canada twice and now this is my third time to see her, so we know who's turn it is next (and I know she is reading this).

Tomorrow Inga will come along with us to Bielefeld to see her mom, our great aunt and uncle and a few other relatives.

Bye Bye Berlin!

Berlin

We arrived in Berlin yesterday but had some issues with the Internet at the hotel. Thankfully it is working now :) It is called Hotel Transit and is actually more like a hostel than a hotel. There are a lot of groups of teenagers staying here. The room is very simple, but clean (no TV). The included breakfast was good. So once again after awhile we adjusted to our new accommodations and all is well. The hotel was chosen because it is in walking distance from my cousin, Inga's apartment and that is very handy. She lives there with her boyfriend Ozcan and their 11 month sweet little girl, Elif.

Yesterday we spent some time visiting and went to a Greek restaurant where we all found our meal to be delicious. It has been so nice catching up with Inga. It feels so natural to be together and it has been nice getting to know Ozcan. He is super friendly and easy to get along with.

Today, Inga and Ozcan were our tour guides in Berlin. We saw Checkpoint Charlie, which was the main customs station between East and West Berlin. From there went to see the remains of the Berlin Wall. Parts of it were on display with artwork. The holes in the wall are where people took pieces of it when it first came down. There is a memorial for those who died during the war. There is much symbolism in it. It is made of many different sizes and heights of rectangular cement blocks. We also saw the Brandenburger Tor, the famous entry gate into Berlin and went to see the Reichstag, the parliament building. Take note of the interesting team bicycle in front of the Brandenburger Tor. Then we took a short drive through the former East Berlin to see the difference in architecture. They say there is still a different atmosphere in this area.

We had fun at the Rittersport Store. We thought it was a factory where we could see how the chocolate is made, but it's more like a museum. They had pictures and explanations showing how it is done. Nonetheless, we were able to choose three toppings to add to chocolate to custome make our own Rittesport chocolate bar. Yum!

Tonight we are going to try a curry wurst, which is the typical thing to eat in Berlin. It's nice to have connections to where the best ones are- Curry 36. Apparently it doesn't have curry in it and it isn't too spicy! Stay tuned for the review.....