Berlin Trip (Day 4)
this was our last full day in berlin and we took full advantage of it - zeke and wendy style. we intended to catch a bus into the city centre to do an english tour of the major sites. we got to the bus stop about 30 seconds before the bus was scheduled to come, however, german transportation is extremely prompt and usually early. so, we missed the hourly bus and hence our tour. but not to despair, we formulated a new plan and decided we could hit the same spots ourselves (well, most of them) and fit in a few more. we headed to a bakery nearby to get a snack while we waited for the next bus. wendy had a delicious “milky coffee” and raisin roll (this may sound more glamorous in german).
our first stop was the reichstag. we had intended to climb to the top of the reichstag’s glass spiral dome, but found out it was open until 10pm and decided to come back after dark to see the lights of the city and to meanwhile see the things that would later be closed.
upon leaving the reichstag we passed a small, unofficial memorial on the former divide between east and west germany. there’s a gate with crosses and pictures of people who had died trying to cross the border.
it was a moving moment within the cold, domineering architecture in the central area of berlin.
then walking back by the tiergarten we passed a currywurst stand. 
zeke had this on his list of things to try in berlin. 
wendy didn’t quite see the appeal, as it seemed to be a hotdog covered with curry-seasoned ketchup, but you can see in the video what zeke’s opinions were. (you can also see the vendor giving us a flyer certifying his as the best currywurst in berlin.)
after the snack, and tea to keep wendy warm…
we walked by the tiergarten up towards potsdamer platz- historically a huge cultural centre of berlin that was destroyed by WWII air raids, later the scene of riots against east german communism and a transitional “no man’s land” near the crossing checkpoints when the wall was up, and the area was only rebuilt with the fall of the wall. it is now a high-traffic, commercially abundant part of berlin.
in the square there was an area with information on the wall that once stood there, with preserved sections of the wall on display.
it was interesting to read about the cold war from a different perspective. the subjectiveness of history seems enunciated in the differences between what we are taught in our home country and what we learn while abroad.
on the way to potsdamer platz we went through the “memorial to the murdered jews of europe”.
it is a very unique memorial. at first the dark grey concrete blocks are so abstract that you find yourself wondering how this is meaningful.
(the picture above shows the american embassy)
but after walking through the undulating paths between the columns that get higher the deeper you go, you find yourself feeling insecure only being able to see the sky above.
every time you pass a block there is a gap allowing you to see down the row, but you are also often blindsided by the sudden appearance of a stranger.
so row after row you are looking left and right and forward and behind, and never feel quite sure of your surroundings.
then you find that the blocks get shallower and you can see more; you feel as if you’re emerging from something.
we headed over to museum island to go to the pergamon museum, but stopped first for a late lunch/early dinner. we were drawn into an italian place, yet again.
wendy was happy to have pizza and zeke tried black cola (like i said before, imagine guinness and coke together).
but he was really excited about pork cordon bleu- pork stuffed with ham and cheese topped with mushrooms in a cream sauce.
the meal took a little longer than expected so when we got to the pergamon we only had 45 minutes to run through. the ticket agent was nice though, and gave us half-price tickets since we didn’t have much time. we took tons of pictures posted as slideshows (also with links to information on the things we saw- if you are interested). below is a video we took while leaving the museum, in front of the pergamon altar.
after the museum closed we wandered around museum island a little bit.
the berliner dom looked beautiful in the sunset
and here’s the berliner dom with the infamous tv tower.
zeke also took a video here because if you listen closely (through wendy’s sneezes) you can hear a native american playing “wind of change”. (click on the link to find out why this is ironic.)
we also passed saint hedwig’s cathedral on bebelplatz- a site well known for nazi book burnings
then, taking a recommendation from our friend and landlord rachel, we went to a historic, traditional restaurant for cake and coffee. 
the decor of the opera cafe made it feel as if we were sitting inside a jewelry box. (i imagine little girls would love it.)
the cakes were beautiful and our choices were delicious.
zeke got a cake with pistachio and marzipan and wendy’s was hazelnut, praline and chocolate- with a cameo on top made of white chocolate.
this guy is mad because he doesn’t have any cake.
the coffee was good, not as good as the cake… but still good.
after the lovely cafe we headed back towards the reichstag to take an evening climb to the top. on the way we stopped in front of the brandenburg gate.
it was beautifully lit up. this was the day after the tragic polish plane crash, and people began a small memorial to the fallen leaders in front of the gate.
then we made our way back over to the reichstag to climb the dome.
we saw this guy selling pretzels out front before it got dark.
then we stood in line between a group of british high school kids on a field trip and young spanish tourists. it got very cold and windy as soon as the sun went down.
zeke took a video of the flag waving in the wind and you can hear the very diverse crowd we were waiting with.
altogether it took about 30 minutes of waiting to do about 30 minutes of touring the dome with the audio guide. the design is amazing and very unique. below is the mirrored air shaft that reflects light into the chambers below where parliament meets.
the transparency of the dome is supposed to be a metaphor of the new government’s policies.
this is a view from near the top of the dome looking out onto the brandenburg gate.
