Achtung ...Berlin

Berlin, Germany

With a last minute check on flights, the man and I head off on a Wednesday morning for Berlin to visit Kid #1.

We land at 8am Thursday in a light rain, and quickly pass through immigration. The kid is there to meet us with his "company car". Our hotel room is ready and we regroup. Kid back in an hour to walk us to the train station and show us how to get tickets. Being Germany, the trains are efficient and on time. Off we go to the city.

We walk towards the Brandenburg Gate. On our way we pass a Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe...huge stone blocks. 2,711 concrete pillars -called steles- of varying heights. Some tall, some short. Lines and lines of them. The ground is smooth but unevenly inclined with small dips and hills. You can can enter the maze from all four sides, and the view is different from every angle. The paths criss cross and meander up and down. There is no color, no symbols. Very surreal. I search for meaning but can find no defining information. Underground is a small information center. 

Across the street, tucked away in the woods, is a stark concrete box that is the ‘Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism’. Through a viewing window are short videos of same sex couples kissing in public. Nowadays uneventful, but at one time, forbidden and punishable. No fancy signage. I find it sad.

Back on the main street, we head to the Brandenburg Gate  for some rest time and people watching. We sit outside the American Embassy. Then off to Check Point Charlie. We glance up at buildings trying to decide which was East and what was West. Part of the wall still stands here. It is 4pm and we are drained. We happen upon the Check Point Charlie Beach. Yup, complete with sand and beach chairs. Since we have been awake and going for many hours now, a frosty cold beer (as everyone was drinking) would have had me snoring. So we opted for coffees. The day had turned out lovely, sunny and warm. After a nice long rest we headed back to our hotel and dinner with the kid.

We chose the hotel to be near the U.S. Consulate. It is half a block away in a quiet residential area. The only problem with this was no restaurants near by. We started out walking, getting hungrier by the minute. The Kid said "Two blocks more." so was walked on, passing more homes. "Two blocks more." he said again. I do believe we heard this about eight times. LOL Finally the Block House Steak house was in sight. English menus provided, and beer on tap. Goulash soup and cucumber salad. And beer. Finally a beer. 

Back to our room and crash time. Friday morning is again drizzly and cool. Perfect walking weather as we head off to F.U. or Freie Universität Berlin in search of T shirts. An hour wandering about. Then the S Bahn to CheckPoint Charlie Museum. Small and cramped, here you can see objects used to escape over, under, and through the Berlin Wall. 

Next stop the Stasi Museum in the former headquarters of the Stasi. “STASI” is the acronym for East Germany’s “Ministerium fuer Staatsicherheit,” or Ministry for State Security. Wander through and see the many techniques the communist dictatorship used to keep track of their people. Onward and upward to the Topography of Terror Museum. Not at all what we expected. Nothing really gory for the tourists. Just facts on the history of the institutions of terror in the vicinity. Lots of reading. Lots to think about. 

 

Lunch is CurryWurst for the man and Bratwurst for me. Snackily delicious. We wander back to our hotel. Dinner with the kid at Gasthaus Kronprinz Biergarten. Another long walk but the food is delicious and the beer cold. We enjoyed every mouthful. 

Saturday: Train to Friedrichstraße and the DDR Museum. Pass through the turnstyle into another place and era as the door at the end “unlocks” to let you pass. A leisurely walk along the river to the Reichstag Building. We decline to enter, and stop for a pretzel and people watching. Then a long walk to the Tiergarten area flea market. Another train to Alexanderplatz shopping area. And Döner Kebab for lunch. There are street performers and roof divers t keep us amused. Tonight dinner is at the Marine House Halloween party. The kid is bartender in his Nigerian wedding suit. The haunted house is excellent and I am sufficiently creeped out. Hot dogs and beer, and mulled wine to end the evening. We fall into bed, glad it is only a short walk away.

Sunday morning we jump out of bed at 0915 as breakfast ends at 1000. Wait... phone says 0815. Breakfast room clock says 0815. It is Fall Time Change one week earlier here. We enjoy our leisurely meal. We then head to kid's room and wait while the cook makes him his full breakfast. Must be nice to be so spoiled. :-)

Off to the Deutsches Technikmuseum where we wander for the better part of the day. Dinner at Augustiner 

Too bad we have a surly waither and he never did return for us to have a second beer. We are sufficiently stuffed and wander around to view the sights at night.

 We then part with the kid setting up an 0700 taxi run to the airport. Man and I walk to McD for coffee, served in large glass mugs, and a chocolate fix.

All too soon we are headed home in cramped middle seats. But glad we could visit. 
P.S.  Berlin has the best walk/don't walk traffic lights.   I started putting MY arms straight out when waiting for cars to pass on any street.  I also needed  to get a pair of earrings of these lil guys.   Good .