Monthly Montage: Vacation

I know this really does not have a whole lot to do with Peace Corps or Mongolia. But it was and still is a huge source of joy for me. So please bare with the perhaps gratuitous 'me' flaunting. Thanks! :-)

During late December and early January I joyfully lost myself in the snow covered streets and the cozy cafes of Berlin, Germany and Bern, Switzerland. It was a blissful break for sure and I felt truly lucky to be able to spend both Christmas with my family and New Years with my 'friend' who lived in Hovd last year. It was wonderful to explore the sites and sounds of new places and even though I've been to Berlin before I relished the chance to see it in a new light. Also, among many other things, I consumed approximately 15 different kinds of cheese and an amount of coffee so large that man has yet to come up with name for it. But all that came second to being with friends and family. So all in all, a very good trip. Recently most of my other friends have taken off to Thailand to kick it on the beach  for vacation. But I think winter in Europe has some really great stuff goin' on. Take a look!

The fam together again!
Gotta love a Christmas market.

The Berliner Dom-
a breathtaking cathedral on Museum Island.

Near Hitler's old bunker. This is a
painting of a real photo of a soldier
escaping to West Germany.

Merry Christmas, Brandenburg Tor!

Sister garnishing our Christmas
morning fruit salad with snow.

A nude sentinel.

Museum Island!

The Berlin Opera House. We saw Don
Giovanni and lord was it strange.

Taking in a Warhol.

Sister was posing for this picture and
a man jumped in with her. So funny!

The dome at the Dom.

Happy birthday, Baby Jesus.

A crazy weird modern art exhibit
that tried to recreate SOMA with
mushroom-stoned reindeer pee.

In the Reichstag. We're so important!

Horray for Germany!

Berlin at night.

Beautiful, snowy Bern.

The first clock in Switzerland. Impressive...

Buddy!

A wee racer gets a lift.

Love Switzerland.

The zoo! Also, flamingos in
the snow is super weird to see .

Should be called 'hang-over-a-saurus'. Poor guy.
Know how he feels some days.

Eclipse over grape vines.

The Jet d'eau in Geneva.

A cloudy day in Geneva.

The UN! Sadly it was closed for the holidays. :-( Boo.

The St. Pierre Cathedral in  Geneva.

A cute couple. The Geneva streets were
super old and narrow and so beautiful.

Switzerland + Mongolia = A Fondu Ger?
Buddy seems to like the idea.

Adelboden- the beautiful tourist ski town
where my friend teaches.

Drinking Swiss cider and loving life.

Adelboden again. The Ski World Cup
was here the day after we left.

Ice Skating! I didn't do too bad
for a Southern girl.

Homemade FONDUE!
...which was followed by quite a dance party later.