New travel article on Spreewald in Germany

Oh... I am sooo bad about getting my blog entries out. But today I just had to do it, as Associated Content just published one of my travel articles. It is on Spreewald just south of Berlin.

Check it out here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2910590/spreewald_germanys_venice.html?cat=16 If you like it, a nice rating would be appreciated. (smile)

Winding down Fall 2009 Germany trip...

Oh... How time flies! I'm just finishing up another three months in Germany where I enrolled in an intensive German class which was held 5 mornings a week for 4.25 hours a day. The basic rule was "no English allowed" for the other students and myself.

There certainly was a nice international mix in the class. One instructor is a native born Dresden resident. She has lived in Dresden all her life. The other is an Indian woman (although she was born in Great Britain).

Students in the class included those from Russia, Spain, Turkey, Moldova, Peru, Bangladesh, and a couple of others. We actually all became quite close during the course. There's no doubt in my mind I have made a few life-long friends.

Sadly my trip is winding down, however. I'm spending the last few days here in Berlin. Being used to the Colorado and California sunshine, it has been a little hard for me putting up with the "Chicago like" weather here in Germany... but all in all it has not been too bad.

This was my first experience spending New Year's Eve (called "Silvester" in Germany) here in Berlin. Everything seemed pretty normal until the stoke of midnight when the city virtually exploded with fireworks...

"Large caliber" fireworks are freely available over-the-counter here. Mix several hundred thousand Germans with too much alcohol and high explosive devices... What could go wrong THERE? (Ha!)

For a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2h8JvtQjkU
Keep in mind this was just one small neighborhood in Berlin... Multiply this scene a factor of many thousands and you will get the idea.

For those seeming few Berliners who were not setting off their own fireworks, the plaza at Brandenburg Door was packed with almost a million people (so the news reported).

So... That pretty much wraps up this trip, as I'll be heading back to the States on Wednesday. It's time to begin planning my next trip. ;-)