Berlin

We began our time in Berlin with a free walking tour. Those are really neat, by the way. It’s this company that offers free walking tours in various cities in Europe, their employees working on a tip basis, so everyone just pays what they can at the end of the tour. We did the tour in Madrid and now Berlin, and loved both of them! Our guide’s name was Colin and he is from Scotland, which made Rebecca very happy! He was great and even dramatized his stories for us!

We began our tour at the Brandenburg Gate, which has now become an emblem of a reunified Germany and several embassies have been built in the square there. Apparently, the U.S. wanted 80 meters of security clearance when building their embassy, and the German government wanted to know what the U.S. would like them to do with the large gate there...move it or blow it up? The U.S. was fine with either...or at least, that’s the story Colin gave us.
: - )

Much of the history in Berlin is so recent and during the Cold War, even in some of my early memories. There are numerous memorials, which are very sobering to visit. The Holocaust memorial is incredible. It’s in a grid patterns, consisting of 2,711 concrete blocks rising from the ground at various heights, which can be walked through from all sides. It looks like a graveyard as you walk through the narrow paths, never knowing who might be coming around the next corner. Another interpretation that our guide shared with us was that the levels of the blocks represented the various levels of anti-Semitism, the blocks at ground level representing anti-Semitic attitudes, and the tallest blocks representing the systematic extermination of their race. We also went into the museum they have underneath, which was, as all Holocaust museums are, difficult to work your way through.

We also saw the remnants of the Berlin Wall. It’s actually been fenced off to protect what’s left from the tourists, who used to come and chisel off pieces of it as souvenirs. The Book Burning Memorial was also really interesting. There’s a huge room underground with rows upon rows of empty shelves. The room has been sealed off to represent our inability to change the past. The only way of seeing the room is a square glass panel in the middle of the plaza. The glass is slightly reflective, the designer trying to remind us through our reflections that we have a responsibility to avoid this in the future. The students from the university also have a used book sale outside the school every day, which I thought was pretty neat!

Our second day in Berlin, we actually left the city and visited Leipzig, which is about an hour away. There are several important monuments to music there, including a concert hall where Mendelssohn performed and a church (Thomaskirsche) where Bach led a choir and Mozart played the organ. Ooh, and we also bought socks there...because we needed some.

Umm, that night we went to see a movie...I won’t tell you which because I hate you*...I mean, because Rebecca already has. It starts with an H and ends with a 3, and there is “igh School Musical” in the middle.** Anyway, while we were at the plaza, grabbing a bite to eat prior to the movie, there was a red carpet premier going on. It was for a German movie that I’ve never heard of, but the atmosphere was kind-of fun!

We left this morning for Bruges, so see you again in Belgium!

*A quote from Steven Fry from “A Bit of Fry and Laurie.”
**A reference from Dreamfall, which is a computer game that Rebecca loves!

Explanation of Pictures...

1. This is the Red Carpet Premier...

2. Ummm...okay, this was the "ceiling" of the shopping area where we saw the movie I won't tell you the name of. We came up with all kinds of interesting things that it might be. What do you think?

3. Okay, I don't know if this is true, but our guide told us that this was the first free public toilet. Interesting, no?

4. This gate has come to represent the reunification of Germany.

5-6. The Holocause Memorial

7. The Book Burning Memorial

8. The Berlin Wall

9-10. Thomaskirsche

11. Bach