The Grigalis' in Mainz!

Since our time spent at Christmas markets and with family friends in December was much too short, my lovely parents decided to come to Europe one more time (this time when the weather was a little more bearable) and check out some cities they hadn't visited yet, as well as visit me! Woohoo! They road-tripped their way from Frankfurt to Salzburg (stopping in Munich for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe... typical), then headed to Prague for a couple of days, until finally meeting me in Mainz on the weekend.

Boat Tour

Mouse Tower

Saturday, my parents were pretty tired from driving all day, so we just took it easy and walked around Mainz. I showed them my favorite parts of the city (which looked way different to them since they could enjoy the weather this time around & everything wasn't covered in snow!). We stopped at a Weinschorle booth (wine mixed with carbonated water... tons of booths around Mainz where people hang out and socialize), where my parents agreed on the schorle's refreshing-ness! YUmmm... Then we went to a really cool restaurant called Heiliggeist (holy ghost) for dinner. The building has been around since 1647 and used to be an old hospital, making for quite an interesting atmosphere.

Along the Rhine River

Sunday, we got up bright & early & took a train to the nearby town of Bingen. From there, we got on a River Rhine Boat Tour and traveled along the river until we got to Koblenz. The area we traveled is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it has over 500 castles and fortresses, along with many small, beautiful towns along the river.

Horticulture Show

When we got to Koblenz, we got tickets for Germany's annual Federal Horticulture Festival, which is in a different city every year and showcases different flowers and horticulture throughout Germany. It was beautiful (we even took a cable car across the river to check out some parts) but once we got there, it started pouring rain. Not just raining... this stuff was TORRENTIAL. I have never seen or heard this much rain at once my entire time in Germany. Just our luck, huh?

Berlin - Monday

Hard Rock Cafe

Monday morning we had a nice breakfast at my parents' hotel, then started our road trip to Berlin. The first thing we did when we got there was stop and eat lunch at Hard Rock Cafe.... delicious! (and just like back home). I think I should explain that my dad has been collecting Hard Rock shot glasses from all over the world probably since before I've been born. His collection is quite impressive!

Checkpoint Charlie

After that, we checked into our hotel, conveniently located right next to Checkpoint Charlie. We walked to Checkpoint Charlie and started reading about the history all along the street. We then walked around Berlin and I showed them the East Side Gallery (largest open art gallery in the world... I have blogged about this before). We also walked down Karl Marx Allee (where former East Germany used to hold its major parades, etc.), and the difference between East and West Berlin was pretty noticeable.

East Side Gallery

Berlin - Tuesday

Potsdamer Platz

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!!! Tuesday was my mom's birthday, and we started the day with a small breakfast at an outside cafe looking out onto Potsdamer Platz. Then I took them to the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate, as well as the Memorial for Murdered Jews (all of these things are within 2 blocks of each other). We decided to walk around the Tiergarten across the street (biggest park in Berlin) and while my parents waited for us at a beer garden nearby, I went to the train station and picked my CBYX friend, Whitney. Whitney joined us for lunch and then her & I left to check in for our CBYX Final Seminar (another post to follow!).

Memorial for Murdered Jews

Although our time together was still short, it was really nice to see my parents again. (Plus, they took about 2 suitcases full of my stuff back with them so I wouldn't have to... heck yes!). It made me pretty homesick, but also made me realize how little time left I have here in Germany. There are still so many things I want to see and do, but it looks like time is moving faster than expected, as usual. Well, nevertheless, I will be home sweet home in Texas Sunday, July 17th with my family and my dog and my own bed awaiting my arrival. I gotta soak up my time here now, then it's off to the hot Texas sun & driving everywhere. Gotta love it.


Check out more pictures of our trip on my Picassa album here!