Berlin with the Snell's

July 28th through August 1st, we got the pleasure of hosting Mom and Dad Snell as well as Jared. It was a lot of fun getting to see them again after such a long while. The arrived in Berlin on Thursday after having just finished trips to London and Paris. As Ryan had to work on Thursday, Sarah spent the day showing them a few of the sites in Berlin. Stop one was the 1936 Olympic Stadium where it was clear the Nazis were trying to make some big impressions. This is also the olympics where Jesse Owens dominated. Currently the venue is used for professional track and field as well as Berlin's pro soccer team. Ryan then joined up at at a classical German restaurant where sausage and beer was heavily prevalent on the menu. As Mom, Dad, and Jared had gotten up quite early that morning we all headed back to the apartment to catch up on some sleep. Friday morning was when the rain started. Unfortunately it rained pretty much continuously for the next 72 hours. However, we tried to see as much as we could despite the weather. Sites visited over the next couple days included the Topography of Terror museum, Checkpoint charlie, East Side Gallery, Museum Island, Berliner Dome, the Reichstag, Brandenburg gate, the Jewish museum, the old synagogue, Hitler's bunker, as well as even attending an evening movie in Potsdamer platz! Even with the rain it was a very pleasant weekend.  Other adventures of the weekend involved Jared and Ryan running up the hill built on the old nazi college with rubble from berlin after the war. On top of this hill is abandoned spy equipment from the cold war. Kind of eery to be up there. We also strolled around the neighborhood by the apartment visiting the US embassy and some well known statues located close by. We look forward to more trips in the future with the Snells.

Looking through olympic stadium

Bell from the 1936 olympic games. On one side there is a swastika  still visible.

Champions from the 1936 olympics had their names carved in stone in the stadium

Brandenburg gate at night.

All of us at the brandenburg gate at night.

Looking down the dome at the Reichstag

Ryan swearing in Dad as a member of the German parliment

Outside the German Reichstag building

The old Jewish Synagogue 

These guys didn't let the rain dampen their "spirits"

Looking towards the Berliner Dome.

Jared with his pretty pink umbrella underneath the TV tower. 

Statue ouside the US embassy close to our apartment.