Dresden

After an amazing and exhausting time at Tropical Islands Resort, we headed off to Dresden after lunch. I originally planned to go a bit out of the way (okay, 2 hours) to see Rakotzbrücke at the Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau but I was outnumbered; the guys (Rob and Rand) wanted to get to our rental to relax. 

I found this adorable apartment in Dresden at AirBnB. It was a 2 bedroom apartment right near a tram stop and had free parking. We took the tram into New Town Dresden and it took less than 10 minutes to get there. 

As you cross the Augustus Bridge from New Town the first thing you encounter is the Schlossplatz and the Georgentor (George Gate). It was the first Renaissance building of the city and later updated with a mighty gable with sculptured ornaments, including the equestrian statue of Count Georg the Bearded. To the left of the gate and on the rear of the Long Arcade is a large porcelain mural depicting the Procession of Saxon Princes.

The outside of the Katholische Hofkirche is very impressive and ornate, while the inside is more modest, its restoration very obvious. The walls were pristine white and the many gold tone light fixtures showed a modern look, I was truly sorry the original church was destroyed. A room near the back of Katholische Hofkirche had me intrigued because it looks like the room had beautiful moldings and trims but it was all done my an artist. The tricks of paint and shadings. 

Dresden has to be one of my favorite cities here in Germany. I honestly enjoyed our time here more than in Berlin. If I could re-do this trip, I would have stayed in Dresden longer. We enjoyed chasing Rand around the cobblestone streets and exploring all the beautiful architecture at every corner. I wish we had more time to explore the interiors of all these beautiful buildings. 

We spent some time taking in the atmosphere of Frauenkirche and I even lit a candle for our daughter Addilyn in heaven and the other child we lost this past fall. The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) has one of the biggest domes in Europe. Since 1885, a statue of Martin Luther can be seen in front of the Frauenkirche. 

Before heading home after leaving Dresden, I wanted to take a quick trip to Bastei Bridge. It is only 30 minutes East of Dresden but we needed to head back home. I urge anyone going to Berlin or Dresden to try to squeeze Rakotzbrücke and Bastei Bridge into their trip.

Be sure to check out my posts about our time in Berlin and Tropical Islands Resort.

*Things I wish we had time to do in Dresden:
-Garnison Church of St. Martin
-Kunsthofpassage
-Go inside the Semper Opera House (Semperoper)
-Take a tour inside the Royal Palace (Residenzschloss) and the Green Vault

Tropical Islands Resort

While researching and putting together our itinerary for Berlin, I came across Tropical Islands Resort. Tropical Islands Resort is a tropical theme park inside a cargo lifter airship hanger (know as the Aerium), the biggest free-standing hall in the world. Tropical Island opened in 2004 and has the biggest indoor rainforest in the world (with around 50,000 plants and 600 different species, including some rare plants), a beach, and a number of swimming pools with fountains, slides and waterfalls. It also includes a hotel and camping grounds, bars and restaurants. It is open around the clock, every day of the year.

I thought it would be a fun stop on our trip and is right between Berlin and Dresden. We left Berlin around 8am to arrive at 9am and enjoy a few hours of swimming and lunch before heading down to Dresden. 

We bought our tickets online and had no issues checking in. Make sure you get in the proper line since they have a few different lines for guests who are staying overnight or buying tickets at the door. Next, we headed to the locker room to change. They have changing rooms available but don't be shocked if people change right in front of you by their locker. 

 

Be sure to take a walk around the whole park. It really is a cool place and they have a lot to offer. The kids area is really fun. Rand had a blast in the ball pits and water areas.

Tips for your visit to Tropical Islands Resort:

-Bring a wet bag for your swimsuits and your own towel

-Bring sandals (I remembered everyone else's except my own)

-Leave your wallet in your locker. You will get a wrist band and use that for purchases

-Bring your own water since it is very pricey

Berlin and Lego Land

When we started planning our trip to Berlin, I knew I wanted to be in a good location since we were arriving mid day friday. I found an adorable apartment right near Check Point Charlie on AirBnB. I do recommend confirming how many rooms you need if staying here. I assumed 2 bedrooms because it said "2 bedrooms" and because of the price but only 1 room was unlocked. The other was never unlocked and Rob had to sleep on the couch. I left a message for the owner and never heard anything back till after our stay. 

Anyways...

We only had 1 full day to enjoy Berlin so we decided to do the Hop on, Hop off bus tour. It was perfect for us because 1. Rand loved getting on the buses 2. It was really crappy weather and it was nice to see the sites and not get soaking wet 3. One of the stops was right near our rental 4. We got to see the main highlights of Berlin without even leaving the bus. I wanted to see the inside of the Reichstag Building and visit the Memorial of the Berlin Wall and the The Holocaust Memorial but we ran out of time. 

Around Berlin you may spot some unusual pedestrian signals. These are Ampelmännchen (little traffic light men) in the former East Germany. You may even find women traffic figures but we didn't see any. 

My favorite stop in Berlin was the Ritter Sport Cafe. We enjoyed our hot chocolates and chocolate dessert. 

One of the final stops on the Hop on, Hop off was at Lego Land. My only regret was not buying our tickets ahead of time. Not only is it MUCH cheaper online but the line to buy tickets at the door were insanely long. 

Rand had such a fun time at Lego Land. I don't know what he enjoyed more; the Lego Berlin with a working train or the 3D Lego movie! 

On our way out of Berlin, we made a pitstop and let Rand stretch his legs a little at this great little rest stop.

After our time in Berlin, we headed to Dresden but not before stopping at Tropical Islands Resort first.

Drones in Hauptstuhl

Rand and Rob have both enjoyed going out to take the drone out for a spin around our neighborhood. Today we went out by the goat field to see our village from a different angle. 

DIY iPad cover

I have been on the search for a case for the iPad to clip onto the front seat in our car so Rand can watch movies during a long car ride. I never found anything that fit the iPad and the Outterbox case so I made my own.

Front fabric is 12.5"X 11" but I clipped the top two corners. The back fabric is 12.5" x 12" and for the straps I cut two 4" x 6" pieces of fabric. I added holes on each side to plug in to charge so four 2" x 2" squares. The opening is 9" x 6" and I used a plastic paper sleeve protector to cover the hole. 

Shopping & World of Fun

Yesterday, Rob had the day off so I wanted to be out of the house. I have had my eye on this indoor play area not far from our home so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go. Also, nearby is an outlet mall I wanted to explore. 

We first stopped out the Zweibrücken Outlets. I have been eyeing some Le Creuset cookware and was so excited to get some pieces. They have tons of stores so be sure to grab a map so you know where to go... also bring some VAT forms. On our way back to the car we noticed the first row is for family parking so be sure to check for open spots there first.

After a quick shopping trip, we headed to World of Fun. I was not sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised with all they had to offer. As soon as you walk in, you see a bowling alley and a huge bar area. They have an adult section up some stairs but we never got to take a peek to see what that offered. They also have a mini golf course and an indoor ice rink. While we were there we got to see a hockey practice. Through some doors to your right is the kids area. Everyone must take off your shoes in this section and they have plenty of cubby spaces to put your things, along with lots of tables and chairs. They have everything from bouncy houses to huge slides, trampolines and a ball bit. They also have a section gated off for smaller children. Rand had such a great time and Rob and I had quite a workout from chasing him all around this place. World of Fun has a restaurant that serves lots of different drinks, pizza, burgers and salads. They also have a separate room to hold parties and they offer serval packaged deals to hold events.