Berlin

Even though my previous post did not seem to resonate with the reading public and obviously no one gives a damn, I would like to start by saying that German public transportation has been, thus far, excellent. Their trains are great and Berlin's local transportation worked like a dream.

Ok, so Wurzburg was very quaint. Very German-y, we saw a big old castle way up on a hill with a nice view, we saw an incredibly gawdy royal palace that was decked out in Roccoco style, and we saw a gummy bear shop and I've never seen Leo so happy. Thats pretty much Wurzburg.

Now, Berlin. Berlin Berlin Berlin, I have been extraordinarily pleased with our stay here. This was one of the places that I demanded we go before the trip, but I didn't really know what to expect, I didn't even really know what kind of sights and culture there was to see. Even when we arrived I didn't know what to expect. On the bus ride from the station to the hostel, I told Leo that the city seemed different from the rest, more metropolitan, more modern. I'm not sure he agreed, but the city is unlike any other place I've been in Europe. I couldn't really put my finger on it until I had been here a while and been on a tour and stuff. The difference is that its NEW! The city has the most incredible 20th Century of any place I've ever seen and much of that history involved it being destroyed, so everything has been built in the last 60 years, much of it in the last 15 or 20. Also, unlike all the other places we've been Berlin is ashamed of much of its history and has therefore actually torn down a lot of historic sights, even if they weren't destroyed in the war. Everywhere else glorifies its history, but Berlin has to hide some, or at least try to get past it.

I pretty much fell in love with a tour company here called "New Berlin." Leo and I both went on their free general tour of the city on our first full day here. I then used thier other tours to plan my days. After the free tour we checked out some museums (including the Pergamon Museum, where I actually enjoyed looking at super-ancient artifacts! that might be a first, but they had this really cool Babylonian gate, ok, it doesn't sound cool, but trust me). We split up there so Leo could gaze for hours and I could leave while I was still enjoying it. I took in an organ concert at the Berliner Dome (Berlin Cathedral) and we met back at the Reichstag (Capital Building) where after a 45 minute wait we had an incredible view of the sun setting over the whole city. I really loved the Reichstag, it has this great glass dome that you can walk around and take in the whole panarama of the city. After that we took in the "ultra modern" Sony Center and FINALLY saw "War of the Worlds" (review available upon request). Next day, I took in the Jewish Museum, then went on the "Third Reich Tour" from my favorite tour guides. This was obviously all about the Nazi years. Then I took the S-bahn out to the Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens showed up Hitler in 1936 and took a cool tour of that. A nice walk through the Tiergarten (their Central Park) and some window shopping and I called it a day. Today, we both went to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum which had some really cool artifacts from the Wall and the East Germany Years, particularly crazy devices that people used to sneak out of East Berlin. I had to hurry through a little more than I would have liked so that I could catch the "Red Berlin" tour that took us to lots of Cold War sites. The highlights of this tour were a stop at the Stasi Museum (East German Spies - 1 in 7 East Germans were working for the Stasi, either by choose or (mostly) by coersion) and a little strip of the Wall that is still standing just as it used to, with the inner and outer wall, with the "death strip" running in between. Throughout town you can see little pieces of the wall and it doesn't seem that intimidating, in fact, you think "what's the big deal" but when you see it all together like that it seems incredibly imposing and impossible to cross (though a few people did make it over the years).

All in all, Berlin far surpassed my expectations. The history was incredible and it was actually a very beautiful city in its own way. I think I learned more here than anywhere else and it really captivated my interest in a way that no other cities have on this trip. I hesitate to call it my favorite, but it was definitely the most interesting.

Well now we are off to our final overnight train (I have a bed, thank God) and we will awake in Brussels. One day there then we are off to Amsterdam tomorrow night for the rest of our stay. Home feels right around the corner (and thats a good thing). More later from the Red Light district.