The next stop on the Germany leg of our trip was the Southwest region where we stayed with family (the Schwarzwald or Black Forest region to be exact). We were welcomed by Mirela and Nicu who were overly hospitable and made sure we didn’t go hungry even for a mere half hour. On our first day Nicu and Mirela drove us to the nearby town of Baden-Baden for a visit.

We had high hopes that Berlin would give us a break from the rain that seemed to follow us for about a week, so we were happy when we landed at Schoenefeld Airport on a sunny evening. We took it easy that evening and walked around the area near our hotel (Mitte) and grabbed a bite at Altberliner Weißbierstube (an authentic German restaurant) where it was all about a hardy meal consisting of meat, cabbage and potatoes – washed down with a glass of Riesling and one of the local pilsners.