Berlin - a city divided yet united

I took my first long distance train! It was a 5 hour trip up to Berlin from Prague. Trains are amazing – so silent, smooth, and comfy. It was by far my favorite way to travel in the trip where we took planes, trains, buses, metros and a taxi. All we needed was a boat and a hovercraft thrown in an we would have taken every kind of transportation possible during this trip

Berlin surprised me. It is a city overflowing with a conflicted history. In my mind I had pictured a gorgeous city like much like Paris, with old buildings and fountains everywhere. What I got was a GIANT thriving metropolis with extremely modern buildings. Berlin is the Chicago of Europe. I couldn’t get over seeing the gleaming buildings with walls of windows that looked younger than I am. But then I realized something – many of the buildings here were destroyed during WWII so the city had to rebuild itself. It was strange to know you were standing on perhaps the same spot where Hilter had stood less than 70 years ago. 

The Berlin wall was a bit of a shock too. I’m not sure why but I had expected a pretty wall of square-cut stones. Wrong. Its utilitarian slabs of cement. We visited the longest remaining section of the wall which is filled with murals. My favorite was painted red with what looked like bullet holes and cracks in which blue skies were painted. It looked like you could see through the wall to freedom. The only words being “You can see infinity”  

Sachsenhausen (pronounced Zach-sin-house-in) Concentration camp was a humbling and sad experience. Until a few days ago when I visited the camp WWII and horrors that took place in that era seemed very distant, like black and white photo, far removed from my life today. I couldn’t put and name and a face with a victim. I could image their lives inside the camp. It was just number being thrown at me in history class of how many perished. That has changed. Now I have walked where the political prisoners walked. I got to see their barracks, the crematorium, and the harsh conditions they lived and died in. Our guide Michael is a historian who gave a very thorough look into the lives of the prisoners. It was a sad visit, but an informative one that makes me wish peace upon the world more than I ever had before. 

On a happier note – I got to see Evan again. He came up from Karlsruhe, Germany. Wow did we all eat well in Germany. Authentic German food is delicious. I had: wiener schnitzel (like a pork fritter but better), döner (like a gyro but better), käsespatzle (fried noodles with cheese), bratwurst and sauerkraut, plenty of german weizen beer, Bavarian pretzels and apple strudel. It doesn’t get much better!

Berlin was exciting to me because it was so unexpected. It’s modern metropolis that has only been united as long as I have been alive. The city is full of contrasts, beauty, and history.