A weekend in Berlin and Pottsdam

We took a long weekend to Berlin and Pottsdam to visit some friends there.  In Pottsdam we stayed with Janet's family friends the Pommers.  Janet's mom and Vera Pommer have been friends since their college years, and we stayed with Vera's daughter Elizabeth and her family there.  Elizabeth's husband Uli gave us a nice tour of Pottsdam and pointed out some of the history of the place.

Getting a tour of a castle in Pottsdam on a chilly day!

A section of the old Wall that used to divide East and West Germany

Having a nice lunch with Vera in Pottsdam

Emma and I took a train into Berlin one day to see her friend Frida and Frida's mom Anna.  Frida and her family lived in Seattle and played on Emma's soccer team, and moved back to Berlin a year ago.  We enjoyed exploring Berlin together and seeing the sights.

At the Brandenberg Gate in Berlin

Wandering through the Holocaust Memorial...it was a very eerie experience that captures the mood of feeling lost and not knowing what was just around the next corner.  Powerful.

Eating some very elegant ice cream!