Our last day in Berlin was overcast and dreary. Instead of letting it deter us, we grabbed an umbrella and headed out to the largest public park in Berlin. Walking through Tiergarten, we had a little fun with our umbrella trying to see who can have the best ‘swept away’ pose. Clearly Kim won.
There are a lot of memorials in Berlin, many commemorating the victims of Nazi Holocaust, but none as far reaching as these stolpersteine (stumbling stones). Created by Gunter Demnig, they are found all over Berlin as well as the rest of Europe. Each one is engraved with the name of the victim, the date of their deportation and death. All the blocks are about the size of a cobble stone, embedded into the street in front of the house of each person murdered. Many people may walk by and miss these small reminders, however they are there to let us know these people existed and the atrocities they have suffered.
Our first day in Europe was spent relaxing in rural Duisburg. Spending the morning at the farmer’s market, we had casual conversations with the friendly vendors as we wandered around, picking up fresh fruits and beautiful hydrangeas. The strawberries sold here are not the typical overgrown, hormone-induced variety that we often see at home. They are quite small but packed with loads of flavor, a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
This picture was taken from inside the Atrium in Federation Square. Today is our last day in Australia before we head back to a snowy New York. It is very hard to say goodbye to this beautiful country and all the friendly people we’ve met along the way. Our trip was full of great food and amazing memories that we won’t soon forget.
Three words: epic road trip. This morning we picked up our tiny car and made our way south on the Great Ocean Road. This scenic route zigzags along the shore providing spectacular views of the coast. The Australian coast line is full of jagged cliffs towering over the deep blue ocean. After a long drive, we ended our day at Port Campbell just in time to see the sunset over the Twelve Apostles.
We woke up early today to go to the base of Ayer’s rock for a short hike before heading to Melbourne for the final leg of our trip. Every time we approach Uluru, we are still awestruck by how massive it is looming in the horizon. Up close at the base, the rock rises up like a red mountain. Surprisingly, there is a lot of green vegetation around for what is referred to as a desert. Walking the path along the base of the rock, we learned about the history of the Aboriginal tribes that used to live in this area. Uluru was their sacred site, their livelihood and their shelter.
We arrived in Uluru today and it’s sweltering hot here in the desert. I mean sweat pouring off your face, hide in your room, 45 degrees Celsius hot. In the late afternoon, we finally ventured out to watch the Wakagetti cultural dancers. The dancers performed authentic Aboriginal dances passed down through the generations.
Today we left the Whitsundays behind and headed up north to Cairns. Upon leaving the airport, the first thing we noticed is how unbearably hot it is with the sun beating down on you relentlessly. Driving towards Port Douglas, the landscape was a mix of rainforest and sandy beaches, separated by a road in the middle. With the mountain ranges in the distance, it made me feel like I was in Hawaii again.
We spent the afternoon hiking around the Daintree rainforest. This is my favorite picture of the day because of the soft glow created by the afternoon sun filtering through the forest canopy. The ferns growing on the vine almost looks like hairs standing on end.
We woke up excited this morning ready to go out to the Great Barrier Reef to do some scuba diving, but unfortunately our trip was rained out. The sky was dark and ominous as thunderstorms rolled in. We spent the whole morning indoors, wallowing in the fact that we came all the way across the world, not able to see the reef. In the afternoon the clouds cleared up and we made it to the beach for some snorkeling instead. Here is a GoPro video that Fausto recorded of the fish and coral around Hamilton Island.
Blue sky, white sand, clear water. Paradise is the perfect word to describe Whitehaven, one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to. The clear water reflects the blue sky, creating varying shades of turquoise. The sand is so fine and white, it feels like baby powder on your feet. This place might have ruined all other beaches for me.
life after 9to5 