Kylie X Berlin

The Last Post....No More Rain (outro)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:57:00 +0000

I changed a few things on the blog to make it easier to navigate. On the ride side of the blog I placed a link list of all the photo slideshows from the trip and below that I placed a blog archive as well.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read the posts as well as commenting....

Koln = Cologne

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:59:00 +0000

This was the last day of our trip, sad to think that our trip was coming to an end. We spent the day touring Cologne's massive Gothic cathedral and then shopping the main shopping drag of the city. We ended our day having dinner and beer at a local gay pub, before catching a train to Dusseldorf...

"Germany's 4th largest city Koln has a compact, lively center. The Rhine was the Northern Boundary of the Roman Empire and, 1,700 years ago, Constantine - the 1st Christine emperor - Made Colonia the seat of a bishopric. 500 years later under Charlemagne, Koln became the seat of the archbishopric. With 40,000 people with in its walls it was the largest German city and an important cultural and religious center throughout the Middle Ages. Today the city is most famous for it's toilet water: Eau de Cologne was first made here by an Italian chemist in 1709." - Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2008.

If you're unable to view the slideshow above or want to open up a larger viewer click here and a slideshow will open in another browser window.

Cruising the Rhine...

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:24:00 +0000

Our trip is closing in on it's last few days...

We took a train 90 minute from Frankfurt to Bacharach, Germany where we boarded our Rhine River Cruise.

"The Rhine Valley is storybook Germany, a fairy-tale world of legends and robber-baron castles. Ever since Roman times, when this was the empire's northern boundary, the Rhine has been one of the world's busiest shipping rivers. Many of the castles were "robber-baron" castles, put there by petty rulers (there were 300 independent little countries in Medieval Germany, a region about the size of Montana) to levy tolls on passing river traffic" - Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2008

If you're unable to view the slideshow above, click here and the slideshow will open in another browser window.

The Manhattan of Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:33:00 +0000

We woke up bright and early in the morning to do a quick tour of the "Manhattan" of Germany better known as Frankfurt. The city itself is an interesting mix of old and new, with ancient Roman ruins, a rebuilt quaint town square, and a very modern downtown.

"Frankfurt, while a bit low on Old World charm, offers a look at today's modern Germany. Cosmopolitan Frankfurt is a business hub of the united Europe, giving it a special sophistication. For years, Frankfurt was a city to avoid...but today it has a unique energy worth a look." - Rick Steve's Germany and Austria 2008

If you're unable to view the slideshow above click here and another browser will open up the slideshow.

The bells of Frankfurt

Germany's Most Well Preserved Medieval City

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:34:00 +0000

After leaving Adam's relatives and Bietigheim-Bissingen, we headed off to Rothenburg. We spent about 4-5 hours touring the city, eating a lunch packed by Adam's Aunt Ani and cousin Lily on the steps of a church, purchased a bunch of ornaments at the most amazing Christmas store I have ever seen, and walked around the wall that used to protect the city.

Now a little history....

"In the middle ages, when Frankfurt and Munich were just wide spots on the the road, Rothenburg was a free imperial city. With a whopping population of 6,000, it was one of Germany's largest. Today it's her best-preserved medieval walled town. During Rothenburg's heyday (1150-1400), it was a stretegic stoop on the trade route between northern and southern europe." - Rick Steve's Germany and Austria 2008

If you're unable to view the slideshow above just click here and another browser will open the slideshow.

Darren playing with a bunch of crazy springy toys

Animated bear village

Adam's Amazing German Family

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:00:00 +0000

Adam's Aunt Ani, she was really cute and energetic!

Us with Adam's German Family

Adam's cousins Christian, Mark and Patty

We had a great time visiting Adam's relatives, who live outside the city of Stuttgart in a town called Bietigheim-Bissingen. We had dinner at a very authentic German restaurant and then that night we visited a local bar in the quaint downtown area of their city.

Sorry no videos will be posted of that night, way to incriminating.....

put away the umbrella, ella, ella .... No More Rain (Intro)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:03:00 +0000

N U D I T Y !

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:46:00 +0000

Dachau, Concentration Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:28:00 +0000

About an hour outside Munich is Dachau Concentration Camp. We toured the camp for about 4 hours before heading on to Stuttgart.

"Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp (1933). While a relatively few 32,000 inmates died in Dachau between 1933 and 1945 (in comparison, more than 1,000,000 were killed in Auschwitz in Poland), the camp is notorious because the people who ran the entire concentration-camp system were trained here. It's safe to say that Hitler's mass killing originated at Dachau.

Few realize that that the camp actually housed people longer after the war then during the war. After liberation, numerous survivors who had nowhere else to go stayed. Until the 1960s, it was like a small town , with a cinema, shops and so on." - Rick Steve's Germany & Austria 2008

Something that stayed on my mind after leaving the camp, was the following words by Pastor Martin Neimoller. He supported the Nazis until he realized, too late, what they were really about and was sent to Dachau concentration camp. He was one of the fortunate to be freed and live until 1984.

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Social Democrats, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Social Democrat.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew,

Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.

For more information on Dachau Concentration Camp click here for the Wikipedia page and here for the official camp web site .

If you have trouble viewing the slideshow, click HERE and another browser will open.

This video is of two of the many memorials spread through out the camp.

Where the barracks used to be...

Our last dinner in Munich

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:32:00 +0000

Darren's House

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:52:00 +0000

We took a day trip from Munich to beautiful Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles both are in the southern part of Germany, near the Austrian Border. The morning began a bit overcast and hazy but the sun shined as the day progressed.

The first castle that we visited was Hohenschwangu (more medival looking, yellow castle), which was King Ludwig's the II father's hunting lodge. Nauschwanstein Castle (the one that look's like Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyworld) was the mountain escape (yes that's right, you heard me correctly, mountain escape AKA Summer cottage) of King Ludwig the II. For more on the castle and his life click one of my earlier posts here.

If you are unable to view the slide show below click here and another browser will open.

At the entrance to the castle

Mary's bridge!

Munich = Great Beer

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:36:00 +0000

We had a great time in Munich. We enjoyed two beer houses (Hofbrauhas and Weisses Brauhaus), toured two great art museums, and shopped in Marienplatz. The beer in Munich was by far my favorite of the entire trip, it went down like water. Not a big surprise, I guess, since Munich is the home of Oktoberfest.

If you're unable to view the slide show below either click the photo above or the slide show itself to open a new browser window.

The Great Stairs of Munich...and there are 2 sets of them.

Darren, the art gallery, and how to stretch and kick.

Sitting on the train...waiting

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Praha AKA Prague, Czech Republic

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:42:00 +0000

We spent a day and a half in Prague, probably my least favorite city on the trip. I must admit our accommodation in Prague was perfect; great find Will Raj!

We explored Prague's old city center, crossed the historic Charles bridge, then we climbed up the hill to Prague Castle, which offered spectacular views of the city scape of Prague. The castle is home to the current president of The Czech Republic.

If you're unable to view the slide show below, click the photo to open it in a separate browser.

Watch for the man in hurry...

Will giving a tour of our apartment in Prague

The group in the center of old town Prague

Soldiers marching around Castle Prague

Dresden, Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:13:00 +0000

We stopped for 4 hours in Dresden known as the "Florence of Germany," the city is a Baroque gem. If you have trouble viewing the slide show below click the photo above to open a new browser.

Adam's "Nature" Pics of Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:47:00 +0000

Click here if you are unable to view the photos; another browser will open.

Europe Trip Photos Part 2 - Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:25:00 +0000

Click here if you are unable to view the photos; another browser will open.

Photos from O'Hare, Heathrow, a hot second in Dusseldorf, and Amsterdam

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:37:00 +0000

Part 1 of the Europe Trip. Click here if you are unable to view the photos; another browser will open.

Your Disco...

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:34:00 +0000

I Believe in You

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:12:00 +0000

Adam recording Kylie "I Believe in You" in Berlin. Look how close we are!

Meanwhile in Chicago...

noreply@blogger.com (Phil) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:44:00 +0000

Come on baby...do the locomotion! :)

Gay Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:14:00 +0000

Band of Gypsys

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:24:00 +0000

This video is of us on the S-Bahn train in Berlin....

Custom Tshirt

noreply@blogger.com (Will R) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:48:00 +0000

The Kylie concert was AMAZING! We were at center stage, about 10 feet away from Kylie!!

Darren bought Kylie's "Showtime" perfume....gay!

Steven: Damn right.
Adam: How do you describe, a feeling?

Darren's a tease.
Feeling a rush - WOW!

Sorry for the lack of updates

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:24:00 +0000

So at the moment we're roasting in our hotel in Munich. More updates to come, in the meantime enjoy the pics....in random order.

Kylie and the skull

Kylie!!!

Getting ready before the show

"Tyra I'm ready." - Adam

In front of the Anne Frank House Amsterdam

Gay street fest in Berlin, with Marco and Paul

In da club getting crunk with German Britney!

Palace in Dresden

Dresden, Germany

Berlin Wall

The boys in front of the Brandenberg Tor (Gate), Berlin