A Day in the life of Berlin

Today we devoted our time to an exploration of the city of Berlin. Awakening refreshed, we drove a short distance to the east side of Berlin, across what was the wall. A walking tour took us through the heart of this bustling metropolis, past many of the imposing buildings remaining from the glory days of Germany of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The architecture speaks of years of political and economic power and more. Yet, as many of these towering buildings have been transformed into museums and monuments, it is clear that the rise and then fall of the Third Reich left an unspeakable imprint on history and on this city. After a break at the touristic "Checkpoint Charlie," where we enjoyed a mid-day snack of small sandwiches, coffee and sweets, our walking tour took a darker tone, as we first walked along the remains of part of the wall separating East and West Berlin, visited a museum dedicated to the "Topography of Terror" and then visited an inconspicuous parking lot that lies above what was once the bunker where Hitler took his own life. Our tour concluded with a visit to the unspeakably powerful "Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe," Berlin's Holocaust memorial created by the artist Peter Eisenman, and a visit to the Brandenburg Gate. A day exhausting in both physical and psychological ways was tempered by beautiful weather and a few hours to rest, explore, shop or simply to enjoy Berlin's delightful culture and population. After time for dinner, we concluded our evening with a private tour of the Reichstag, the German Parliament building, filled with powerful reminders of the past and hopes for a better future. We returned to our hotel ready for a good night's sleep to prepare for our journey by bus tomorrow to visit the Nazi concentration camp called Terezin and then a short drive on to arrive in Prague for a visit to this historic and beautiful city. It's hard to believe we've only been traveling for two days, inspired by this important and moving history and place.

Our Group at the Brandenburg Gate