The next morning after a long day of flight and a magical
first evening, Sally and I awoke at the early hour of 6AM (a side-effect of our slight jet-lag) and continued our adventure.
My first task of the day involved going to a nearby Aldi’s and getting food for
our breakfasts during our stay in Berlin. Going to Aldi’s was amazing! Not only
were the prices affordable, but the selection of food was amazing with more
variety in cheese than I had seen in two years. |
| TV Tower |
This was my first time in Berlin, and I have to say it is a
beautiful and amazing city. There is such an emphasis on parks and bikes
throughout the city, and this time of the year everything is a deep green that
reminds me of home. All of the streets and walls have spray painted tags and
artwork, and the people seem to value freedom of expression. Sally and I have
seen people dressed (or undressed) in
all sorts of fashions.
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| Doner kabob |
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| Tiergarten |
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| Brandenburg Gate |
In the middle of our first full day in Berlin, we
experienced an extravaganza of multi-cultural celebrations. We had just been to
the top of the iconic TV Tower and were walking past the Berlin Cathedral on
our way to the famous Brandenburg Gate, when we found ourselves in the midst of
a Hindi celebration. Hundreds of people danced to the rhythmic chant of a lead
priest who sang out the names of various Hindi deities. We watched this for a
little bit before continuing our walk only to discover a street performer who
was delicately rolling crystal balls over the tips of his fingers, shoulders,
and head. A little further down the road, we were suddenly herded into an open
air street market of various foods and artesian vendors. When we arrived at the
Brandenburg Gate with its dedication to victory, we passed through it only to
discover a tight rope walker who was just falling into a net. Then we crossed
the street into the scenic Tier Garten and were immersed in the quiet of a
forest. In no other city have I experienced such celebration of varieties of
culture. Berlin is the kind of city that you read about in a fantasy novel (a
city in which the author tries to convey a sense of raw personality and culture),
but I’ve never really thought these kinds of cities existed until now.
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| Victory Column |
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| Bellevue Palace |
 |
| Sally in a throne at our first Berlin Restaurant |
Yet, within the lively atmosphere, there is still the reconciliation
of past with present. Memorials and monuments to the war commemorate those lost
and remind us of atrocities that can never be repeated. Even more recent in the
history is the Wall that separated the east from the west during the cold war.
To an outsider, the lively artwork that dots every spare space and wall of the
city is an outcry against the past. People in Berlin are intimately aware of
the damage and pain that occurs when a wall is erected.
 |
| Above: Checkpoint Charlie, Right and Below:Jewish Memorial |
So as my first European city, Berlin has been amazing!
Rather than explain everything we did and ate, I’ll just list our activities
for the past few days.
 |
| East Side Gallery |
Things We Did and Saw
in Berlin:
1.
TV Tower
2.
St. Mary’s Cathedral
3.
St. Hedwig’s Cathedral
4.
Brandenburg Gate
5.
Tier Garten—Large park west of the Brandenburg
Gate
6.
Victory Column—Erected with Brandenburg Gate to
celebrate Germany becoming a nation in the 19th century.
7.
Bellevue Palace—located in Tiergarten, residence
of German Prime Minister
8.
Topography of Terror—Memorial wall with the
history of the rise and fall of Nazi power.
9.
Checkpoint Charlie—iconic allies checkpoint
station during the Cold War
10. Palace
of Tears—Building where Germans trying to travel to West Germany were processed
by Soviet customs.
11. Jewish
Memorial
12. Magicum—Museum
of Magic and a magic show
13. Alte
Liebe Restaurant
14. East
Side Gallery—longest stretch to the wall still standing that displays artwork
dedicated to peace.
Things We Ate:
1.
Doner kabobs—Berlin street food, like a gyro,
but better
2.
Currywurst—Berlin street food, a thick sausage
covered in a sweet curry sauce
3.
Pork knuckles—whole knuckles of a pig boiled to
perfection on a bed of sauerkraut
4.
Stuffed egg topped with herring—not a favorite
5.
Bavarian cheese meat—more of light meat loaf
without cheese
6.
Schnitzel—breaded pan fried meat
7.
Lots of ice cream
8.
Various German beers
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| Dinner at Alte Liebe in a boat on a peaceful lake in the outskirts of the city |
More adventures coming soon!!
~Caleb
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