Boston: winter, plenty beer and a short home visit

Back in Boston without Franzi was sad, dark and cold. Winter was there and snow hit Boston from time to time. By far not as much as when I arrived last year, but still some snow. Not only do I dislike the cold, but also the darkness. The view from our weekly Friday 5pm beer hour offered no more sunlight.

snow flakes can be massive in Boston

5pm nightly view on Boston from our weekly Friday beer hour

Harvard Medical Campus main complex surrounded by snow

I had quite some fun nights though with Patrick, Tim, Christina, Abby, Adam and more. After one beer hour we visited a college ice hockey game: Boston College vs. Boston University. Also, my colleagues in the lab had a belated birthday cake for me. The great number of birthdays in our lab made us having quite some ice cream cakes these days^^

college ice hockey: Boston College vs. Boston University

yummy^^

February 2nd, I surprised Franzi by visiting her in Germany. I got some good deal on tickets with the low cost airline WOW Air flying via Reykjavik, Iceland. I had to tell her about my visit 4 days before, otherwise she might not have been around. After we found out at my birthday that she was pregnant, I didn't want to miss the first ultrasound. I arrived Tuesday, ultrasound was Wednesday, Saturday we visited my family and revealed the pregnancy before we went for a carneval party Saturday night. On Sunday I already flew back to Boston telling my boss here about Franzi and me expecting.

our little baby, 10.5 weeks old :)

sunrise at Leipzig airport on my way back to Boston

In Boston, Abby had her farewell party and we visited the Fire and Ice restaurant. Quite a treat and funny style to get your food^^ A week later (February 20th), I visited the European Conference at Harvard Kennedy School. It was great to see Manuel Barroso (former EU commission president), David O'Sullivan (EU ambassador to the US), Douglas Alexander (former Europe Minister in UK), and many more brilliant speakers. The views from the roofs of Harvard Kennedy School were nice too and the evening offered some spectacular sunset.

Fire and Ice restaurand

Sunset from BU bridge

Sunset in Brookline

The next day I visited Disney on Ice with Patrick, Christina, Christian and Romy. That was quite some fun^^

Disney on Ice in TD Garden