So, here I am again. "Here" being a very relative term. I am in Heidelberg for a little bit, but we are staying in Frankfurt tonight. I am sitting in an internet cafe because it was only 1 Euro for an hour, so I couldn't help myself. I haven't seen much of Heidelberg, but I have been to the grocery store and it gets two thumbs up. I was surprised at how cheap it was. I got a few goodies to bring back home (hopefully I won't eat them all before I get back).

After the amazing, relaxing Mountain Hostel, we headed to Geneva for about 45 minutes or so to snap some quick photos and look around very quickly. Then we hopped back on a train (gotta use our Eurail passes) to Zurich where we stayed on Friday night. We were winging it, as is our customary style, and the hostel we went to gave away THE last bed right before our very eyes. They called over to another place and told us we were in luck. Two girls hadn't shown and they delete the reservation at 6 p.m. It was about 5:58 and the guy had just deleted it so we swooped. We hurried our behinds there and checked in. Did some exploring of Zurich, shopping at the Co-op store I came to love (yes, I am minorly obsessed with grocery stores, so?). We got a nice early start because breakfast started at 6:30 and the place was really close to the train station so we had time to get the 7 something a.m. train to Munich.

Now what just happened to be going on in Munich on Saturday, September 22, 2007? Oktoberfest. We checked it out and enjoyed people watching and seeing all the outfits and the gigantic festival grounds. I was surprised: so much more than just beer guzzling in tents. I enjoyed some of what the fair had to offer. No, not beer. Not at all. I had some crepes and a sugar covered bread thing and chocolate covered strawberries. Delicious. Then we hopped on a train to Salzburg to make Saturday a three country day. Then back to Munich because our night train left at 11 for Berlin. We got back with time to spare, checeked out the disappointing, scaffolding-covered Glockenspiel and witnessed the most ridiculous site of people hanging from a crane with wings above them, slowly....ever so slowly rotating around. Wow. Then back to Oktoberfest to witness the further mayhem the 6 or so hours we had been gone facilitated. And to take a picture by the sign. With a random, drunk Italian guy who hopped in our picture. Good times. Oh the drunk people everywhere were so special. It was absolutely insane.

We made it back to the station safe and sound and early. Killed some time in (wait for it...wait for it...) the grocery store there and took the night train to Berlin. It went well despite the smelly, kinda off guy behind me who seemed to talk to himself which creeped me out when I was in and out of sleep and had my head between the seats and it sounded like he was right behind me. I seem to have lost my ear plugs that Shelley gave me AND my eye mask. Come on! I slept okay but was still quite tired when we got to Berlin. We walked to a hostel, left our bags and hit the city. The sleeping city with not much going on Sunday morning at 8 or 9 a.m. We went on a free walking tour at 11 and I cannot express how glad I am that we did. The amount of history that city contains is incredible. There is no way just wandering around could do it justice. I learned so much and felt the history of the place coming to life as we walked from site to site with our knowledgeable and funny guide.

After the tour we went to this museum there that has the Ishtar Gates. As in the gates of Babylon. It was incredible. I did not know those were anywhere to be seen. I was speechless. Yes, me, speechless. Clearly that speechlessness has passed... There was a bunch of other amazing stuff, but the gates, and part of the wall at that, took the cake for me. We also went to the museum beneath the Memorial for the Murdered Jews. There the stories of different murdered Jews is told through their own words, photographs and more. Then we went to the top of this very important building that I forgot the name of that has a giant dome with a spiral staircase inside it to see a view of the city. I was more intrigued by the dome and the relevant architecture, but it was still amazing. Oh, and free. I like this free stuff...

Well, I believe we are headed up to Amsterdam next. I cannot believe I leave on Friday. Time flies.