Berlin Bound: Days 5-7

Monday, September 7th - Wednesday, September 9th

Today we took a train from Bruges straight to Brussels airport for a quick 1.5-hour flight to Berlin. When weighing the options for efficiency, flying outweighed traveling by train in both cost and time. We'll arrive in Berlin just before dinner time and should be in our hostel by dark. As I mentioned earlier, I looked into a few places to stay in the central (Mitte) section of Berlin, but they didn't seem quite right. Also, hotels are pretty expensive, so hostels were our only logical option. Luckily, there is an extensive network of really nice hostels, in fact, I'm not sure why they wouldn't be suited for just about anyone.

I don't think I need to drone on about Berlin's history, as just about anyone who reads this blog was alive when the Berlin wall came down. At the time, I was only in elementary school, but it left a lasting impression and riddled my young mind with questions like, "How exactly do they open that iron (shower) curtain?" Anyway, we're staying in Prenzlauer Berg, which was part of the former GDR (East Germany) and bordered by the Berlin Wall. It's only about an 8-minute walk from the infamous Checkpoint Charlie and according to my guide books, is one of the only places where the atmosphere of pre-war Berlin has been preserved. The budget-conscious GDR was more likely to restore than rebuild, so in certain areas there are pockets of 19th century buildings that once covered the entire city. That coupled with the collection of Stalinist housing blocks along Karl Marx Allee is going to be quite a sight -- architecturally and historically, I can't wait to soak it all in.

We carefully planned on having three nights and two full days to ensure an adequate amount of time to experience the city. I'm still not sure if that will be enough, but it'll have to do. Bike riding is definitely in the plan, perhaps even a bike tour. I'm pretty excited to see the way that other cities designate bike paths and lanes. I don't know if we'll make it out to Potsdam, since there are so many things within Berlin that I want to see and experience:

Brandenburger Tor: The Brandenburg Gate was built in 1791 and modeled after the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. It straddles the grand boulevard, Unter den Linden, which led to the Berliner Stadtschloss (city palace) of the Prussian monarchs. At one time, only royalty were allowed to pass underneath. An interesting factoid about the sculpture on top: In 1806 the French defeated the Prussians in the battle of Jena-Auerstedt, at which time Napoleon took the Quadriga, the horse-drawn chariot sculpture driven by Victoria (Roman goddess of Victory) back to Paris. Just a few years later, the Prussians kicked French butt, defeating Napoleon and occupying Paris. The Quadriga was returned to Berlin and an iron cross (a Prussian military decoration) was added to Victoria's oak leaf wreath overhead.

The gate's more modern (darker) history places it as a favored rallying point for Nazi marches. During the construction of the Berlin Wall, the gate was located in the Eastern sector. Nearby observation points were popular for visiting politicians to look over the Iron Curtain -- such as John F. Kennedy's famous 1963 visit in which he stood on the balcony of the Rathaus Schöneberg (after peering over the wall from an observation point on the west) and delivered an impassioned speech proclaiming, "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I'm a jelly doughnut). All jokes aside, it's a pretty powerful and beautiful place.

The Reichstag: The building was constructed in 1894 for the first German parliament and served as a government building until it was severely damaged by fire in 1933. It's amazing to me that there are so many instances of European buildings standing in ruins for literally decades and somehow finding a rebirth. The photo to the left is the Reichstag in shambles after the bombing of Berlin. Graffiti and smoky walls can still be seen inside the building, as parts of the ruins were preserved during the near-decade-long reconstruction. After the unification of Germany in 1990, Norman Foster was selected to undertake the reconstruction and the new Reichstag reopened in 1999 for the first modern German parliament. I visited the building shortly after it was finished and was amazed. The central glass dome has a 360º view of Berlin and the mirrors radiate natural sunlight on the parliament floor below.

East Side Gallery and Berlin Wall Memorial: It's hard to imagine a giant wall dividing a country, especially one that took such a circuitous path. Weather, graffiti, and vandalism (people hacking off chunks no doubt) threatened to destroy the wall in the years after reunification. In 2000, a non-profit artists group began restoring sections of the wall. However, restoration may not be entirely accurate, as some of the paintings were completely removed and repainted. A few of the original artists have refused to participate in the endeavor, preferring that their works be left in situ rather than repaired or completely redone.

KaDeWe (kah-dey-vey): The Kaufhaus Des Westens (The Department Store of the West) opened in 1907 and is not only the largest department store in Europe, it was the most amazing thing I had encountered as a 17-year-old. With six cafes and bars, an entire gourmet food floor, the largest toy shop I'd seen (aside from FAO Schwartz in NYC), and an entire floor of fabric and art supplies, I was smitten. I could have lived in KaDeWe for my entire week-long stay. Naturally, I ventured out to other places, but frequented the cafes and chocolate sections. I can't wait to do it all over again, perhaps honing in this time on the cheese section.

Berliner Weisse: This beer is not regarded as Germany's best, but certainly one of the most unusual. It's a top-fermented "young" beer that tends to be quite sour and not very high in alcoholic content. Some argue that the beer is best served without the Schuss (fruit syrup), which comes in red or green. Order "mit rot" and you'll get raspberry (apparently quite tasty with breakfast). Order "mit grün" and you'll get woodruff, which in high doses can cause vertigo, headaches, and comas, so it's been banned for use in beverages in Germany since 1981 -- artificial flavorings now simulate the woodruff (cough syrup) taste.