Berlin

The Reichstag

 So here we are in Berlin, in a luxurious hotel on Friedrichstrasse, with the river and its cafes at one end, and Checkpoint Charlie at the other. The Wall is gone, of course, and today its hard to believe that Berliners lived with it for so long. We've soaked up the history of the place, visited all the tourist sights, and generally had a great time. There is a certain sadness about the place though, when you start looking a little more closely at the history - some of which occurred within our memory. On the other side, the city is vibrant with youth, energy, and an anything-goes-anything's-possible buzz, even in this time of recession.

Again we did most of our exploring on foot.The museums, art galleries and the Reichstag are all within walking distance. We would have liked to go into the Reichstag, but since last year, it's not just possible to just bowl up and wander in - you have to book several days prior so you can get a security clearance. Oh well, maybe next time...

At the Brandenburg Gate



For me, there were two highlights to Berlin. The first was the Brandenburg Gate. Or to be more accurate, the Room of Silence, which forms part of the gate (yes, that's me at the gate in the photo). This small, simple room is soundproof, and so peaceful. It's a place of meditation and prayer (if you're so inclined), set apart from the hustle and bustle of the city outside. A lovely moment spent there...

The old and the new...

The second was our visit to the Jewish Museum. This Museum, which is housed in a very interesting building architectually, covers the whole history of Jewish settlement in Germany, the numerous persecutions through the ages, as well as outlining the daily lives of Jewish people here at different times in history. Yes, there is a small section dealing with the Jewish persecution under the Nazis, but this is just one chapter of a very long story...

We wined and dined very well in Berlin - in fact, a little too well! Jenny leaves for the States in a couple of days, so I might just have to go into damage control on the diet front after that. It was such fun while it lasted though!