Yesterday was my first time to Berlin.
Thankfully, it was the first trip where I had an tour guide because I needed one!
And by tour guide, I mean Thorben's father who was an expert on Berlin.
Also, it would be my first trek around a city with company.
Thorben & his family all went with. They brought their exchange student Valts and his two friends from back home in Latvia. Finally, Thorben's girlfriend joined us on our trip.
I can definitely say this...
I learned a lot throughout the walk in the city, which was good to have explained in depth by Achim (Thorben's dad), otherwise, I would just see the places as buildings and not for the rich history they have.
Our day began at 7.30am; our train left Minden at 8.50am.
It was only a 2 1/2 ride from Minden into Berlin's main station.
Most of that 2 1/2 hours were spent sleeping!
To Berlin!
We arrived into Hauptbahnhof station just after 11.30ish.
Our first stops were the Reichstag building, which is home of the German parliament and the Brandenburger Tor. Next to the Brandenburger Tor was the US Embassy, which was heavily guarded compared to the Embassies of France, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Achim led us through the streets of Berlin to the Holocaust monument, which sat across the street from the US Embassy, on the opposite side as the Brandenburger Tor.
I am not sure if it is a coincidence or not, but the housing barracks where Adolf Hitler committed suicide are a short distance down the street from the Holocaust monument.
After visiting this area of Berlin, we to another area close by which was home to the French-influenced Cathedral at Gerndarnenmarkt, the Russian monument that symbolized anti-violence, war, ect, as well the Berlin Cathedral.
Prior to breaking for lunch, we visited a synagog that was burnt down during Kristallnacht in 1938. It was then destroyed during WWII and rebuilt as a monument & remembrance of the Jewish religion within the area.
We broke for a meal around 3.30ish. We ate a fantastic little restaurant called Die Zwölf Apostel. It was located underneath the bridge trains crossed over so every 2 minutes you'd hear a train rumble past over head. They had fantastic food. I ordered a pizza with peppers and pepperoni that turned out to be a tad spicy and I couldn't feel my lips after! D: Was definitely worth it though.
After lunch we made our way to the most heavily visited part of the Berlin Wall.
The Berlin Wall separated East (Soviet occupied) and West (Democratic occupied) Berlin from 1961 till 1989.
When I first looked at the wall, all I could hear in my brain was the speech given by President Reagan's in June 1987, challenging Gorbachev to support his push for peace in East Berlin.
It was this speech in which he said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
The famous death strip, preserved:
Once we finished at the wall, we made our last few stops. The first was at Check Point Charlie. The second at Postdamer Platz-- which was completely destroyed during the war. The third, and finally, was at Kurfürstendamm-- the shopping district.
The double bricks show where the wall formerly was.
It goes throughout the entire city.
On our way home, Thorben's mom Susanne decided it was time I properly learned more German. Now, I hadn't learned a lick of German outside of small-talk phrases that Thorben taught me. And I hardly remembered anything I learned back in grade 3 & 4, but I was eager to learn. Susanne and I spent the entire train ride on my German lesson. I learned things I could say at the New Year's Eve party as well as re-learning numbers and lastly, I learned how to say things about myself. :]
Here is a short video of my attempt at numbers in German.
Mind you, I have an awful accent, but I learn quickly!
And everyone tests me when they have the chance to. :D
Food for thought when visiting Berlin:
1) Find/Bring someone familiar with Berlin, you will get around easier.
- Without Achim, I do not think the day would have been as successful as it was!
- Take the time to appreciate Old & New Berlin as much was destroyed during WWII.
3) Be prepared with a jacket as Berlin tends to be very windy!
4) If you find time (and I mean time to wait in line) then try and walk up the Reichstag Dome. I wouldn't be able to as I hate heights, but I suggest it by recommendation!
