Berlin and Prague

Wow!!  I can't believe it has been almost a month since our trip and I am just now getting around to writing this.  I'll make it a quick one, but I wanted to share a little about our trip!














We were amazed by the efficiency of the Germans from the moment we arrived at the airport in Berlin.  We went through customs and got our luggage right at our gate, with very little trouble or waiting.  We stayed at the Hampton, which made us feel very much at home since it is one of our go-to places to stay when we are at home in the states. 

We feel like we rushed the sights a bit in Berlin, although we did check most of the things we wanted to see off of our list by the time we left the city.  Some of our favorites were:  The Topography of Terror (including part of the Berlin Wall), Sachenhausen concentration camp, and the Brandenburg Gate (it is pretty amazing standing in the square where you so often see pictures of Hitler and the Nazis gathered).  We found Checkpoint Charlie underwhelming, but in its defense, we didn't take too much time to read and understand the history around it.

The food in Germany just may have been the best part.  Two of our three nights in Berlin we went to Dickie Wertin, which we were told is the place the locals go to have some authentic German food and a pint.  After trying their roast pork and Schnitzle, we had to go back again and we were not disappointed by the two new dishes we tried!  We also enjoyed Currywurst and Turkish Gyros from the street venders pretty much every day.











We took the Bahn train system from Berlin to Prague, which was nice because we had our own little cabin and we could spread out with Eli.  The trip took about four hours and it was right along the river.  Once we got into southern Germany and the Czech Republic the views from the train were amazing.
We really enjoyed Prague.  It is a very picturesque city; almost every building is a sight to behold.  Yet the city is very managable and we walked most places.  The Prague Palace was pretty amazing, especially St. Vitus' Cathedral, which was our favorite sight on the trip.  There are beautiful churches everywhere and we enjoyed walking across Charles Bridge, stopping to admire all the beautiful sculptures along the way.


All in all, we would rank this as one of our favorite Eurpoean city breaks so far and we would highly recommend both cities as places to stop on a proper European tour!

A Huge Thank You to all our Visitors!

Over the past few months, we have been very blessed to have several of our family and closest friends come visit us in Manchester.  Here's a snapshot of our visitors (in the order of their appearance in England).

Amanda's sister, Aunt Kait, came out for a week in late February.  Drew was working quite a bit so she was a huge help with Eli and even watched him for an evening so we could go have a nice Valentine's dinner.  Highlights of the visit include: A tour of Old Trafford/ a Manchester United football game, lots of shopping, and a trip to the peak district for Bakewell tarts!





Aunt Tina and Uncle Perry came in early March.  Again, it was great to have the extra hands with Elijah and we enjoyed the company, as well.  They also took an evening of babysitting so we could have Amanda's birthday dinner at La Vina tapas restaurant.  Highlights of their visit would be a day trip to Chester and a girls lunch out (followed by a guys night out).  The Dingers also enjoyed a side trip to London and to see Stonehenge.

Zac and Stacy Dooley were the next to visit.  It was really fun to watch them both with Eli and little E was very happy to get to know his godfather a little better.  Zac and Stacy made themselves right at home (especially in the kitchen) and cooked us up some of our "American" favorites, including fajitas (Cocino de Mino style) and biscuts and sausage gravy.  Highlights of the trip included learning more about Manchester (visits to the Art Galleries, Museum of Science and Industry, and John Rylands Library, and the Manchester city walking tour) and lots of great meals (including dinner out at Man Zen).  They also enjoyed a side trip to Dublin.

Then came the grandparents!  Grandpa and Grandma Ward made the trip to the UK to visit us in Manchester, as well as celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary with a trip to Edinburgh.  Highlights of the visit included: daily trips to the Hale bakery, dinner out at the Brazilian steakhouse, and lots of quality family time.  Also, Drew enjoyed taking his dad to a Manchester United game and Grandma got to stay a few extra days to watch Elijah's swimming lessons and get a taste of Katsouris deli. 

Grandpa and Grandpa Agel were right behind the Wards. They had loads of fun playing with their first grandchild.  Highlights of their trip included: a trip to the Quays (including the Imperial War Museum and the outlet mall with the Cadbury chocolate outlet), the Jubilee Afternoon Tea, Elijah's first haircut, and dinner out at Yara Syrian restaurant.  Grandma and Grandpa Agel were also able to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary with a romantic trip to Paris.

Our final visitors this spring were Matt and Liz Medgaarden.  As always, they came bearing gifts, including summer clothes for Eli and a bottle of single malt scotch they picked up from Scotland on their way in.  Highlights of their trip were guys night out in Manchester, dinner at the Spice Lounge Indian restaurant, and lots of time to relax and laugh together!  (So sorry I don't have any pictures of Matt and Liz!)

We would like to offer a huge thank you to everyone, first of all, for making the trip, and, secondly, for all the babysitting, gifts, treats, meals, and great fellowship during your time here with us.  We enjoyed spending time with each of you and love you all very much.  And for those of you who we couldn't include in this blog, know you are always welcome!