Pedaling Around Treptower

On Sunday the kids stayed home while Marty and I visited the house where the Wannsee Conference took place.  I really need to write a much longer blog post about this place but it is hard and difficult and emotional for me to do so and I'm procrastinating a bit.  But check back.  It will be coming.  So many emotions about this place and the history of the holocaust in general.

On the way back to Zehlendorf we text Josie and tell her that we are on our way and to get ready.  We get this photo texted back to us.  Apparently they found the "costume box" in our rental house. 
When we pull into the S-bahn station Marty asks me if I want to stay at the station while he bikes home, gets the kids and they pedal back.  Sure!!  That was a dumb question.  Benjamin here on his bike trying to race the bus back to the S-bahn station

We decide to take a trip to Treptower Park based on a recommendation from Julie's brother, Max.  We didn't know when we set off but it is the second largest park in Berlin coming in at 520 acres (?!?!) - just for a size comparison, Lincoln Park in West Seattle is 135 acres.

It runs along the Spree River which interestingly runs all the way down near Cottbus, the town where Marty's parent's are from.
We take the S-bahn to the U-bahn.  The interesting thing about the trains and public transportation here (other than it is amazing and everywhere and efficient and nearly always on time) is that it drops you off almost always RIGHT IN FRONT of where you are wanting to go. 

So, we get out of the U-bahn and cross the street and are at the entrance of this enormous park.
We walk around the paths along the river looking for the sought after pedal boats.  We walk maybe 10-15 minutes along tree lined paths, wide open grassy areas and a few playgrounds before we stumble upon the boat rental place.

We pay and board the boat.  The kids wanted to pedal so Marty and I sat in the back hammocks.  Not too shabby.  The sun had just come out and it was all quite relaxing.  The steering rudder proved to be too much for the kids as they kept over correcting and basically going in circles. 

Plus the pedaling was getting more difficult. So Marty stumbled up to the front to help Josie pedal and Benjamin nearly fell in the drink trying to get back to the hammocks.

Half way through the kid's legs pooped out and Marty and I ended up pedaling the rest of the way. 

A very fun way to be on the water and in the park and with family on a very beautiful Sunday.

After pedaling we were all starving.  Marty and I are remembering our delicious falafel experience at Jasmin and convince the kids (or rather bribe them) that this should be our dinner spot.  Of course, the way it always happens when you are starving and hungry and trying to get back home for a Skype date that you end up barely missing two different trains and since it is Sunday you have to wait an additional 10 minutes each.  But we make it and it is delicious and Josie, who was the one that put up the most resistance, even agreed that even though she didn't love it, it WAS the best falafel she has ever had.  Julie told us that if you want traditional Doner you go to the Turkish Doner kebab places.  They also normally have falafel but that it isn't very good.  And she was right.  Apparently all of the good falafel are found in the Arabic places who actually don't have the traditional lamb/beef cooked on a vertical rotisserie which is put in the Doner.  The Arabic places have chicken shawarma. So, Benjamin who likes the Doner meat tried the shawarma but in the ended opted for our falafel.  They were THAT good!!
Poor Josie has been going through something and we aren't sure what it is.  Nothing was making her happy this weekend.  She broke out in tears and anger at the drop of a hat.  Marty and I assume it might be that she has been holding it together so beautifully for the past 3 weeks of school and really the entire 6 weeks since we left Seattle and that she had been running on pure adrenaline.  This weekend I think she finally caved a bit and started to really feel her feelings. She is likely between the honeymoon stage and the feeling truly settled into a new place stage. She is definitely tired -physically and emotionally.  She keeps saying that school is not all that academically challenging (her Seattle school, Fairmount Park, really did an ultra amazing job at preparing both of our kids academically) but I can only imagine that the newness of it all and learning German and riding to and from school by herself and making new friends has been exhausting.  So, we noticed a bit of a switch in her attitude.  Not bad, just short tempered and really emotional.  Thankfully, she was able to talk to her best friend Elliott via Skype before heading to bed and since that call she has pretty much seemed back to "normal"
Sunday night wraps up with Marty basically yelling while talking to his dad (who is hard of hearing) in one room, Josie is on skype with Elliott in another room and Benjamin and his best friend in Seattle, Callum, are playing Minecraft through Xbox Party mode and essentially yelling at each other as well.  The house is loud and happy which normally I love but this was just a bit too much yelling for me.  Even though it was loud, I am thankful for the technology that helps us stay connected to our friends and family on the other half of the world.
Oh and one very funny translation on the pedal boat.  You don't see this type of terrible translation much as so much of Germany speak English better than we do.