Jungle gym sculpture

Another amazing piece of art that's a jungle gym. Super fun!

christmas eve...

winter walk across the bridge

Christmas Markets

commuting into Christmas

The weather has mostly held on to enable bike commuting to last this far. It is cold, but if it is dry then biking is doable. Some shots and a bike cam video from this week..

Spree River sculpture at Treptow. "Dock" jetty in background was a Berlin Wall fortification and supported a guardtower at the end so the soldiers could watch the river.

Taken from the Oberbäumbrücke looking East. Building on left is the Razorfish office. Being on the East side of the river, it was in the GDR. Built in the 1880's, it once handled all the eggs that came into the country. Like, every egg that was imported to the GDR apparently somehow went through this building.

Jay a tad cold, but still enjoying sun on face. Standing on the main runway at former Tempelhof airport, the main American base during the Berlin Airlift and later.

Here's the video from the bike cam:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHg8BbdRssk&index=6&list=PLHnB9FV14hQX2zv1bClWu1mqL1dvIWbCw


Today we take off for Dresden with Pam and Hank to go revel in the Christmas Market there. Taking the ICE speed train and we are staying right near the main city square where all the action will be.

St. Nikolaus Candy choices

On Dec 6 in Germany (and other places) a man named St Nikolaus visits children. He is said to have a gold book in which he has notes on every child. He adds additional notes on the night of the 5th based primarily on the cleanliness of the shoes they leave outside their front door. If a child has clean shoes it shows him they must be respectful of their belongings, siblings and just generally good kids.

All hopeful kids leave a shoe (or if you're greedy like our kids, a boot) outside and St Nikolaus stops by and leaves fruits, nuts and candies (and for very good kids a small toy).

Cody and Jasper were very excited about the prospect of getting a treat. (We weren't informed about this tradition til this year so they unknowingly missed out.) With much joy, they found a shiny Apple, orange and some little wrapped chocolates in their boots.

And then at school they found that St. Nikolaus had visited as well and so they were loaded down with candies by the time they got home. I suggested they pick 4 candies and one piece of fruit for dessert.

Cody couldn't choose so he did "Eenie-meanie-miney-mo" (auf Deutsch) to select.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veIUlWn4bLY

christmas letter to santa, auf Deutsch

Here's Cody dictating his Christmas wish letter to Santa to Mommy in German. Easily the cutest thing you'll see today.
😀

https://youtu.be/JjLXkTiSzLU