April 15, Wednesday

April 15 Wednesday

(please excuse typos and grammatical errors, I have not proofread this)

Luke and I slept very soundly. We had the windows open in the apartment during the night. The bed was adequate and quite comfortable, pillows too. They didn't even reek. Moms mattress was too thin, she felt the slats under her mattress. Just like princess and the pea. She drug her mattress off and laid it on the couch. She slept well, apparently after that.

We woke at 7. The cell phone alarm woke us up, I thought it was the landlord calling. I heard it through my earplugs.

We ate a cold breakfast of muslix with yogurt, juice, cheese, toast. It was quick and delicious. Luke and I volunteered to take the phone and deal w/ any problems if they arose from the landlord. Thankfully, they didn't.

The weather is absolutely gorgeous. It is sunny and warm and cooler in the shade. LOVELY.

We first walked to the Pergamon museum. This was a nicely put together museum that focused on Greek statues and art. They had some Greek vases and jewelry, some glass and mosaic pieces (that I love). But, most notably there was the Ishtar gate, the Pergamon alter and the turkish market. The pergamon altar was not merely an altar. It was an arcade of columns 100 or so life size statues between those columns. It almost reminded me of the exterior of the Vatican. Apparently this giant 'altar' was discovered buried and intact. It was extracted and brought to Berlin in the early 1900s. How sad. Isn't it wonderful that archaeologists don't pilfer anymore, but study,

Also there was an equally wonderful Turkish market scene. It was grand and had taller columns. I took some pictures here as well. Then we walked through to the Ishtar gate. This is a striking blue ceramic facade of a....castle if you will. The blue walls with lions in relief. It was really something. Dark cobalt blue.

On our way outside of the Pergamon museum we saw a pretzel stand. We bought a giant bready pretzel for 2.20. It was the salt variety. It was good. We also saw a lady with her 2 furry dogs.

They were so cute, they looked like little wolves and ragamuffins! They walked so close together they looked like the two headed wolfhounds in the HarryPotter movies. I got to pet one of them. They were so woolly and scroungy looking. It looked like they hadn't had a bath in 6months. They were so cute though. I wonder if they were Jack Russells and Wolfhound.

We then went to the Altes Museum which was also on our museum card. Of interest we saw Nefertiti,

we almost walked right past her. It was interesting, I assumed she'd be a little bit bigger. The rest was similar to the statues in the Pergamondestroyed them. So, now to keep them from corrosion they are stored in a chamber with argon gas. museum. Of interest, they did have a few exhibits that discussed preservation of artifacts. For instance they acquired lead jewelry of Egyptian times. It melted (for lack of a better term) when placed in an oak cabinet. The acids from the wood leeched into the artifacts and

The courtyard outside the Altesexpense. There were sunbathers out at noon. museum was very pretty, green grass across a great

We were very close to the DDR museum. This was a fun hands on museum that was small but very well done. It was about 5€ a piece. We saw fashion of the time, what the prefab homes looked like, how they shopped, music they listened to all that kind of stuff that was a day in the life behind the wall.

We then hiked over to AlexanderplatzAlexanderplatz and we walked right by the food court area. It smelled so good. The only thing getting us by was the knowledge that we were on our way to a planned restaurant. for the only let down of the day. The world clock. I didn't even take a picture of it. That also was smaller than I expected. There is this GIANT mall around

We went to Zur Letzen Instanz. We had to go one metro stop from Alexanderplatz. We got off the metro and NOBODY got off with out us. There were only 2 other people in the entire station. Couldn't believe it. It echoed it was so empty. It was a big station too. Well, we walked less than a block and saw the restaurant. It was only about 2pm at this time (which is a miracle in itself to have gotten the 3 museums done from 1030-1400). We wanted to eat outside as they had a lovely quaint dining area that was PERFECTLY shaded by this one tree. That tree was worth a million bucks. The leaves hadn't been out of their bud for but a week.

We ordered two ½ L beers. We also ordered 1.) thin sliced potatoes, creamed cheese, wrapped with leeks, a tangy onion slice side sauce, 2.) Berlin style meatball (pattied more than round) served with bacon fried potatoes, a few baby green beans and broiled cauliflower, broiled tomatoes, a big sprig of parsley for garnish and a beef demi glace 3.) Pork shank with potato dumplings in sauce with a side of red tangy cabbage sauerkraut. It was delicious. Luke said he was so satisfied. He said this was the best part of his trip.

We also enjoyed watching a little neighbor dog. He was outside peeing w/ his master. The dog was like a Chihuahua and a Pomeranian. He had these fluffy back legs. Luke called them pantaloons. The fur actually flowed behind him when he walked. They were like pantaloons. He was cute.

We got the check which was 48€, gave the waitress a healthy tip. We ended up splitting a final beer. So three beers and 3 entrees. The outdoor dining was priceless, no bugs not too windy, not cold nor hot. PERFECT!

We took the subway home with 2 transfers. We are now waiting at the apartment for mom and dad. We said we'd be home at 4pm. Someone has to be home at a certain time so the others can be let in.

Luke also took the opportunity to defrost the fridge. He thinks it will keep our stuff cooler that way.

I am finished blogging for the moment. We'll see if Paul will meet us today or not.

Paul eventually met us, hooked us up with the Internet and dropped the “this apartment has no laundry facility” bomb on us. Mom and dad were at their limit of wearing “dirty”clothes. So we had to hike to a laundromat. Paul gave us directions with the wrong tram line. So it took us a while w/ our rolling suitcase to find exactly where it was. We were unsure which line to take for about 30 minutes. We eventually found the tram line and the laundromat.

We spent about 15€ to wash about 3 loads and nearly completely dry our clothes. It took at least an hour. There was a really nice attendant there who ran the adjacent coffee shop. We had some coffee, Mom had a beer, Luke and I shared an XXL Macchiato. Then we went for a little walk to explore the area. We found a club that was playing live heavy rock music

April 14, Tuesday

April 14 Tuesday


We were able to sleep well on our futon...until 4am. Luke woke up and couldn't sleep, he tried to read a little bit, but I woke up and we talked a little bit, then fell asleep and slept in until 0900!!! Wow. That surprised us.
We woke up and Luke made a breakfast of fried potatoes, eggs and toast. He also made some espresso, dad sliced some cheese and apples. Yummy. I took the opportunity to wash the duvet on our bed. It was REALLY REALLY REALLY stinky. I couldn't stand it- even after tons of febreeze. We washed it in the washer in the basement and hung it to dry on the towel warmer.
Luke and I took off at about 1100. First we went to Checkpoint Charlie museum. It cost about €12 for each ticket. The museum was kind of jumbled together. It was aged and sprawling. We did enjoy the second level, it was better put together, but just as jumbled. They had lots of examples of art with the wall as the subject. Much of it looked like 8Th grade art class. It took us a while to get through it.
Then we walked over to the topography of terror. That is an outdoor exhibit with posters of pictures and very well written text about WW2. What I enjoyed were the vivid black and white pictures. Man, those Nazis sure did know how to take a good photo. They sure liked their lines. There is one pic I remember in specific where there were thousands of soldiers in lines, they were carrying Nazi emblems on tall sticks. The lines were so straight, the picture so clear you could read what was written on the signs. I saw a description that said that propaganda pictures were often posed. I was not surprised. The exhibit was outdoors in the open space where the Chancellery was. The sun was out and warming us, the slight breeze cooling us. Perfect day.
We then walked a bit to the memorial to the murdered Jews. The memorial is thousands of concrete rectangular blocks of varying heights. They look eerily like coffins.

We also saw the site of Hitler's bunker. The site is now a parking lot and a sign with a map of the former bunker and some dates and facts.
We then walked to the Brandenburg gate again. Luke read some text from the book and narrated a bit about the gate. We saw a bike shaped like an octopus. The main guide was “driving” the bike and there were 4 or 5 other people peddling a bike around in a circle. They were all contributing to the work of the bike. I also saw a guide with a couple on segways. They looked like they were having fun. I told Luke that was my kind of tour. For lazy Americans too tired to walk.

We looked at this special DZ bank that was designed by a famous architect. The building was glass and the interior was a an architectural piece of art. It served NO functional purpose other than to look at. It was big and interesting but we couldn't get very close to it as it was gated.
Then we headed towards the subway and headed home. We stopped at a few outdoor restaurants and read the menus. Then we saw dad from a distance. He was literally pacing in front of our apartment. Apparently our apartment owner had changed apartments on us. Dad was there to direct us to the new place.
Mom and Dad got called soon after they left for the day and were notified that we needed to switch apartments today. So they hiked back to the apartment and packed up all our stuff and moved it to this apartment. So, they lost their whole day of sightseeing. I felt bad. I still feel bad.
We got to the new apartment, sat on the couch, got the whole story from mom and drank a tall bottle of beer between the three of us. We each mooked out of the bottle and passed it around like high schoolers. It was good enough.

Luke made an easy meal of spaghetti with red sauce and brats, sliced bread. We had juice and coffee.
We made the decision to go out again tonight after dinner. I am pretty tired. We went to the Reichstag. We waited in line for 40 minutes at least, once we got in to the building we went through security, then up the elevator, then up the ramp to the very tip top of the mirrored dome. Luke decided not to take any pictures even though I expressly asked him to.
We scooted home and are now eating liverwurst on bread, red wine (from a bottle), chips and cheese. Yummy. Hopefully we will be able to get to bed asap. I am trying to get Luke to finalize the itinerary.
Our apartment sleeps 8. 6 in one bedroom and 2 on the couch. We will be sharing a room w/ mom and dad. We'll have to get out the ear plugs because m/d SNORE.

April 13 Monday Berlin Journal Day 1

April 13 Monday

We almost missed the flight out of Mnpls. We stopped for a bite to eat in the airport. That is the first time ever, mind you that we have “caved” into eating in the airport. We arrived to our gate, I went to the bathroom and when I came out Luke was standing at the gate. They gave the final call, if we don't get on, they'll off load our luggage! Crap! We just made it. ~

The plane food was OK. We flew from Rochester to Mnpls (28 min flight), then ~2 hour layover, Mnpls to Amsterdam(7hr 30 min flight) then~2 hour layover, then AMS to Berlin which was a 1 hour flight. We finally got our luggage and saw Rodger and Beth waiting for us.

At this time it was midmorning in Berlin. It was about 3 am for us with no sleep. We weren't in terrible shape, but we were crabby and eager to get to our apartment and relax.

Mother and Father helped us quickly get a bus ticket to take us to city center. We didn't get it fast enough and had to wait for the next one. The bus was a nice one, the tickets were €2.10 each. We stood with our luggage and it was maybe a 15-20 min. ride. It is a blessing to have our smaller suitcases for this trip.

Once off the bus we could see the Brandenburg gate and the Hotel Adlon (where Michael Jackson famously dangled his baby from the balcony). We walked to the information center at the base of Brandenburg gate and purchased our 3 day museum card for 18€ each. Mother took our picture and then I insisted we be off to the apt. We walked for a few minutes, made a few twists and turns.

I like our neighborhood. It is so very very local Berlin. There are a few coffee shops immediately outside our front door, some restaurants with outdoor seating, and even a Jewish bakery (which is closed as it is Easter Monday and Passover as well). It is spring in Berlin. The trees are just budding and have little green leaves all over the trees. The tulips are at their full height and bloom. The grass is green, the sun is out and the breeze is cool.

I have also noticed that Berlin drivers are a more courteous lot than many other European cities.

So, we arrive to the apartment which is hidden in plain sight. The building has no numbers on it's side to note address. It only has #2 written in permanent marker on the buzzer pad by the building front door.

We are on the 1^st floor, the building itself is beautiful. There is wide honey colored wood planked floors. It looks like it could be in a Minnesota cabin it is so pretty. There are jute hallway runners tacked down in the public stairwells. The stairs and railings are beautiful as well. I almost thought it was worth a picture. Maybe I'll have to take one.

Our apartment is a one bedroom. Mom and Dad took the bedroom as they should, but that left Luke and I the futon. We usually take special care to AVOID apts with only 1 bedroom, but due to special circumstances this apartment is better than no apartment. Much better.

We got acquainted with the apt, put some of our stuff away, found a home for our suitcases (in the living room mind you). And had a quick lunch as Mom and Dad were hungry. I got our bedding squared away so Luke and I could take a nap. The pillows are shaped weird. They are longer and narrower than the pillows on our bed in the US. I was kind of disappointed that the duvet and the sheets were all just tossed in the linen closet. I scrutinized VERY VERY closely to verify that they had been recently laundered or at least not DIRTY. The duvets are stinky and they are being aired out of the window as we speak. Mom said she had febreeze in her bag. I thought I found it, sprayed the duvets- then I found the real febreeze. I think I sprayed the blankets with leave in conditioner. Oh well.

Luke and I laid down in the living room while mom and dad got their stuff together to go see a few more sites while we slept. I remember being annoyed that they were making so much noise, but we didn't hear them leave, so we must have crashed pretty quickly.

We slept 3 hours and woke before the alarm went off. That is a miracle in itself. It is so hard to sleep just a bit when you are so damned tired. We only have 1 set of keys for the moment so I let Luke go to the grocery store while I wait here to let him back in. Luke LOVES going to the grocery stores in foreign countries. He will no doubt come back with some interesting things as I am not there to remind him of reason. I saw he has a recipe for braised beef brisket up on the computer.

Our kitchen is a kitchenette. But, for one of the FIRST times in our European travels- we. Have. An. Oven. What a blessing. That will open up our food possibilities beyond anything we've eaten so far.

Just moments after Luke left, I hear my dad calling my name from the street. Then immediately after, I hear my mom shush him. I come to the window quick, but not quick enough as he calls out my name again. Embarrassment never ends, even when you grow up.

I am surprised they didn't run into Luke on the street. They came up and talked a bit- then they are going to go grocery shopping as well. I think they'll travel a bit farther to go to a bigger grocery store- a “super” market. We'll see what treats they come home with.

That leaves me here to wait for Luke's return, clean up the kitchen a bit, and maybe read if I can keep my eyes open. I'll proofread and post this so you all have something to read.

Luke made potato soup w/ onion and fresh potato with the secret ingredient of a dry alfredo sauce packet. Luke also made like a rice a roni. They tried to go grocery shopping but the places close by were closed.

After dinner we brought two 7 day tickets were €21 each. We paid cash from a machine. Then we headed to do a cursory visit of checkpoint charlie and potsdamer platz and the Sony Center. We took a few pictures of the big canapoy. It looked like times square or freemont street in Vegas.

We stopped in a little mall on Friedrichstrasse metro area and mom and dad each had nutella /banana crepes.

We stopped for groceries at a place that WAS open. We can't remember the name of the place. We bought all manner of groceries. Some fruit, carrots, lots of yogurt, milk, bread, weiners, potted meat, tomato sauce, cheese, paprika potato chips, spetzele, dishwasher soap, remoulade, curry ketchup, .99€ german white wine in a box. We actually just opened and finished the white wine w/ in 30 min between the 4 of us. It was delicious. Dad has tried to pour out of the empty box several times in attempt to fill his glass again.

We've gone over our itinerary to see who is doing what tomorrow. Luke and I get to sleep on the futon tonight and we'll see how great it is.

Tomorrow the real sightseeing begins.

Day -1 Berlin Trip

Saturday, April 10, 2009

Good morning. Today is the day before we leave. We are cramming at Perkins restaurant after breakfast. We have finished our first pot of coffee.

Mom and Dad have been having a hard time in Berlin so far. They arrived in Berlin on Friday. They have had to change apartments already. The hotel owner had to cancel our original reservation because the previous tenants had trashed the place. And, as it is Easter weekend their apartments are tight. So, in order to accommodate us, we'll have to move around.

We fly out mid morning tomorrow. Luke and I do not know where we will stay yet. We'll wait for a location given to us by email from Mom. What a crappy set of circumstances. I feel bad for mom and she, I'm sure feels just as bad. One can't help but feel anxious.

Our bags are 99% packed. I have to reinforce a pair of Luke's pants, print out our itinerary and other important documents. Then, that's about it.

I have to sing in church on Easter Sunday for 2 services. We'll see how long the services take. We'll have the bags packed and at the door.

Luke and I bought some shoes yesterday. Luke finally found his European style tennis shoes, in his size no less. I think they are particularly attractive. I got some too. That was the reason we went to Rogan's shoes in fact. Mine were half the price of Luke's and I got mine half off, as that was the promotion.

Kaiser is going to stay with McKenzie and Mike/Joan for the week. I don't know if he knows what is going on or not. We'll see. Poor dog. :(

Trip planning for Nerds!

Do these computer stations look similar. We both have the same books and reference materials out for use. We got these little books in our Christmas Stocking, each have post its and a laptop!! Haven't gotten much planning done yet! Must get to work after post!



I found this photo in my picture folder when I downloaded the other picture. This is an extreme close up of my "no fail" fudge. You know the kind where you melt the chocolate chips in the microwave then add vanilla and sweetened condensed milk....well.... this one....failed. I should send this in to failblog.org. Fudge- Failed!!!

Fenton Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas Friends and Family!



As usual, we hope that this greeting finds you happy and healthy this Christmastime!



This year I contemplated the need for a Christmas letter. Luke and I live pretty boring lives. You don’t need to hear chronicles about our JackRat Kaiser. Like that he can give high five, balance a treat on his nose and flip it into his mouth on our command. You don’t need to hear that we keep the house temperature so modest that he wears 2 shirts and doesn’t leave the shelter of his dog blankie during the daytime hours. Poor dog.



You don’t need to hear that Luke is still gainfully employed at the Rochester Athletic Club as the Kitchen Manager. I do have something that I am proud of to mention while we are in the job category…I got a promotion. I am now a “ Mobile Research Unit Coordinator.” Sounds sophisticated doesn’t it? It translates into; more stress, an office, no night shifts/holidays/weekends, slightly more pay and my very own pager. I will be the problem solver for our new-ish research branch that provides the service of research personnel and research tasks outside the walls of our Mayo Research Center .



Luke and I went to Paris in the springtime. It was a very busy trip. We were running around ALL the time. We saw so very much art- we feel like our palettes are becoming increasingly well rounded when it comes to “the masterpieces.” We enjoyed the Rue Cler street market that was just steps from our apartment. The Eiffel tower was viewable from our humble yet spacious apartment. We enjoyed, though almost too late in the course of our trip, French coffee and very perfect very French pastries. WOW about the pastries. WOW. Words can’t express. We shared the apt with Rodger and Beth Tveiten. Rodger was our own personal ATM, he had POCKETFULLS of Euro coins.



We stayed at a rustic cabin in Spring Valley , MN in October. It was chilly weather, we got to use the wood burning stove, see some wildlife, read our books and generally relax. The cabin was so rustic that it did not have running water or indoor bathroom facilities. We lived through the week….barely. I





didn’t see any enormous spiders. However Luke did and it took two hard smacks to incapacitate it. I am so glad I did not see it or it would have wrecked my vacation.



Thank you for listening to our standard Christmas letter drivel. We are so thankful for our close friends and family. We hope that you all have a blessed, family focused, cozy, and relaxed Christmas Holiday.



Boringly Yours,



Lisa and Luke Fenton

Spring Valley Vacation Pictures

The outhouse is SO far away!

View from the loft.

The Loft, the ceiling is as tall as between Lisa's shoulder blades.