European Vacation Day 13 - Berlin

something about donuts...

Today started off in much the same vein as yesterday. At 9am we were at the Reichstag for our Third Reich walking tour. While we were waiting we were speaking to ‘Chelle our tour leader and it turns out she is a law graduate.

the Brandenburg Gate

Our walking tour guide Jim was from Minnesota and had studied the history of the Third Reich at university in Berlin. He was fantastic on the tour, with loads of great background info and explanations of how and why things happened. We first saw the Reichstag and Jim explained how Hitler came to be dictator of Germany. Then we went to the Brandenburg Gate, which somehow survived the Allied bombing of Berlin almost intact. From there we visited the Holocaust Memorial which was possibly my highlight of the day. It is an abstract monument covering an entire block, with concrete blocks increase in size towards the centre and the floor undulates meaning the block range from around 1 foot tall at the edges to around 16 feet tall in the centre. It is a strange experience walking through it and is probably different for each person that visits. For me it seemed to symbolise how small things can slowly grow, and as circumstances change (like the floor lowering) they can evolve into imposing, sinister and enclosing forms, which is much how the Third Reich and the Final Solution came about. But that’s just my interpretation of it.

Holocaust Memorial

Checkpoint Charlie

We then went to the site of Hitler’s bunker, which is now a small car park with only an information board to let you know what was there. This is common all over the centre of Berlin. There is nothing remaining that could glorify this part of their history, and the one remaining Nazi building on Wilhelmstrasse is just used as the German government finance office with no indication of it’s former purpose. We ended at Checkpoint Charlie, which doesn’t exist anymore, what is there now is just a replica (and the American soldiers you can take your picture with are actually Germans).

Potsdamer Platz

the atrium of the Sony centre

We had a fantastic Thai lunch back on Wilhelmstrasse, then walked to Potsdammerplatz to the massive atrium in the Sony Centre. A new hotel had a promotion on so we got to sit on these massive cushions called Fatboys and got free drinks. Sweet as! After this we got a Starbucks and walked back to the Brandenburg Gate. We walked down the beautiful Unter Den Linden to Bebelplatz to see the underground memorial to the infamous Nazi-book-burning that took place there.

Berlin Cathedral

fountain in the Lustgarten

We then went to the Lust-Garten (not as naughty as it sounds) before continuing to Alexanderplatz. By then it was about time for dinner so we walked up Oranienstrasse where we happened upon a strange artistic commune place that looked like a shanty town built in the courtyard of an abandoned building. J got a painting from one of the artists there.

the Fernsehturm (TV tower) at Alexanderplatz

Berlin Town Hall

the Tacheles art gallery

We had a great dinner at a vegan restaurant on Scharnhorststrasse before returning to the Reichstag by underground. The queue for the cupola was too big so we went to the main train station, which is an amazing glass building, and got the train back to our hotel.

the Reichstag

there are lots of bullet-damaged building all over central Berlin

me by the river Spree

We went out for a beer, looking for big steins and unfortunately ended up at Joe’s, the scene of last nights food travesty. I really didn’t want to go back but they were the only place we could find locally that sold 1 litre steins. Anyway, we had the beers, which were very good, then headed back home at 11pm. All in all a 14 hour day and time for bed. 6.30 start tomorrow, leaving the hotel at 7.20 for Amsterdam.

yaas! big beer time!

cheers!

Berlin has been great fun. There are a lot more old buildings than I expected (many reconstructed, though you would never know) and the whole city has a much more laid-back feel than say London or even Paris. People are very friendly, but it does seem quite expensive, especially to eat and drink. I would definitely recommend it though as a city break destination. I could have spent another few days here no problem.

I have however got a lot of sun today. Arms are a bit red, and I have stripes on my feet from my sandals. Fingers crossed for a tan, but the pessimist in me sees me peeling in a couple of days...

[In the end neither really happened. Perhaps a hint of a tan, but no peeling. Score!]