Day 28: Berlin

The only thing on the 'agenda' for today was a walking tour of Berlin. We had already done our RS tour yesterday, but these walking tours seemed to be well-recommended. It's a 'free' three-hour tour. 'Free' meaning, well, free, unless you really like the tour and decide to give your tour guide a tip. We had an excellent guide and I don't think there was anyone who *didn't* tip him.


The meeting point was off to the side in Pariser Platz. When we got there, we saw quite a crowd in front of Brandenburg Gate. Since we were still waiting for the tour to get started, I walked over for a peek. It turns out Blue Man Group (from our beloved Boston) was cutting their welcoming cake, or something.

A bunch of the sites we were seeing again, but Lewis, our guide, provided new and refreshing commentary. He was a great storyteller, entirely knowledgeable and able to tell the history in an engaging way, like what I'd imagine a good history teacher to be like.


Something we hadn't already seen -- a social realist painting, full of happy people, excited to be working for the common good. We also saw Hitler's grave, a little unmarked patch of grass next to a tree next to a parking lot near an apartment complex.


At the end, Lewis had us all sit on steps as he told the dramatic story of how the Berlin wall fell. I managed to get a shot of him before I got all teary-eyed.


One of the joys of Berlin is seeing Amplemann while crossing the street! He's a cartoon character from the communist days who used to help teach people how to cross the street safely. After the wall fell, people voted to keep him on the walking traffic signals ^-^


Ritter Sport choco! I've seen this brand in the States, but not sooo many different flavors. Too bad they're mostly milk choco, but I did pick up one with a bit more cacao content that contained hazelnuts ^-^

Something we weren't expecting to find here -- yummy ramen! At a Japanese restaurant actually run by Japanese ^-^

We both really like Berlin. Some people don't 'get' Berlin. SB started her Berlin episode by saying she didn't really know what there was to do when she got here (!), and she ended the episode by saying that 'Berlin isn't for everyone'. Having visited now, we're surprised by her take. As K says -- "I think Berlin's my new favorite city in Europe. Well, you can't really compare it with the small towns... it's my favorite big city in Europe."