Just got back from latest travels. Joined Jeff mid-CMS trip, in Berlin—my first time in Germany—and Brandon, having just completed his semester abroad in the Netherlands, also arrived by train, so that was a huge bonus. After a few days in Berlin, we all rode to Prague by way of Dresden. It was great to see Prague again, though it was really hot there. After Prague the students all left and the CMS directors proceeded to the very charming Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to plan next year’s trip. Then it was just the family; we took a van to Salzburg (still hot), rode the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress and visited Mozart’s childhood home, and also took a side trip to the gorgeous but still-creepy Berchtesgaden (once Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest) in the Bavarian Alps.

Finally, we rode the train to Vienna, where we stayed at our first Airbnb apartment. Airbnb is the best thing ever—our home was this amazing, perfectly located, fully furnished two-bedroom apartment instead of yet another cramped hotel room. We’ve got a couple more of these booked for later this year, and I hope they are all as great as this place was.