Okay...so I admit, I was a little bit apprehensive about the rubber boat ride that Ralf's dad and Martina had planned during our visit here. I mean really, 10 adults in a rubber boat...doesn't sound completely safe, right? However, it ended up to be a super fun day and thankfully the rubber boat was much sturdier and more bouyant than the blow-up rubber boats of my youth! We met Johannes and Martina, 4 of thier firiends, Jens (his brother) and Yudena (sp?) in Wechselburg at the River Mulde to begin our two hour boat ride to Rochlitz. Even at 10am in the morning, we were greeted with champagne, wine, shots, and of course beer. Once again, this is all before I actually saw the boat and accompanying life jackets! But once aboard, all was good and ... read more

Breathtaking...fascinating...just two of the first words that come to mind to describe the feeling of spending these last few days in Dresden. It is filled with Baroque buildings, cobblestone streets, and a rich history. We spent the time strolling through the city that has been termed "the Venice of the Elbe (river) discovering the architecture, taking in the culture, and snapping lots of photographs! I will try to capture as much as I can remember in the photo descriptions but really there aren't words for the beauty I experienced over these past days. For an American traveling in Europe, it's fascinating to imagine how people lived in this area when you have the opportunity to stand in the courtyard of a palace built in the 17th century. Of course, I also had the benefit of the ... read more

Hallo from Germany! We arrived on Sunday after a few airport delays. In Dusseldorf we ended up having 5 hours until our connecting flight due to a delay in Fort Myers so we took a cab into the downtown area along the Rhine river. We enjoyed a boat ride along the Rhine and then a street fair with about 50 food vendors so I got my first taste of all of Germany's traditional foods. Ralf sampled most of them (see pictures) and I found a new favorite Reibekuchen which was a fresh hasbrown patty essentially, served with applesauce on the side. I know - strange but delicious! After our arrival in Berlin, we rented a car and made the two hour drive to Chemitz, although, it ended up to be less than 2 hours due to ... read more

Despite some uncooperative weather the first few days resulting from Tropical Storm Debbie, the trip has been fun filled with many great memories of the kids first visit to Florida. We had our first lunch on Fort Myers Beach at a bar/ restaurant known for it's Green Bay Packer decoration (a special surprise for Alec). We have also expored Boca Grande beach and Manasota Key beach. Yesterday we took a boat ride in the canals but weren't able to access Charlotte Harbor due to the lock being temporarily closed. We are going to make another attempt today so that the kids can swim in the Gulf of Mexico.... read more