Berlin

This past weekend was a 3 day weekend for us at Durr.  Durr was having there shareholders meeting and they don’t want any employees there when they have it.  I didn’t fully understand that mentality but I wasn’t going to argue with it.  This did sneak up on me and I didn’t have much time to decide where I wanted to go visit.  I looked at a few place that were close by but then I decided I need to do something a bit bigger.  When I was back in the states a three day weekend was time for me to go and do things I wouldn’t on a normal weekend.  Just because I am over in German that mentality shouldn’t and didn’t change.  I decided to go to Berlin seeing it’s the capital of Germany and I have always been fascinated with the Berlin Wall.  This trip was a little over a 6 hour trip by high speed train.  This goes by fast and you can read, look out the window, listen to your ipod, and actually watch a movie on your computer.  I didn’t watch one because there was just too much to see. It was suppose to be a direct trip but when I showed up at the train station they said I would have to take the regional train to Frankfort and get the high speed train there.  Ok it was said just like that it was all in German and I had a slight panic attach until I found someone who worked at the train station that could explain it to me.  All was well though.  I arrived in Berlin about 3:30 found my hotel and decided to go for a little walk.  I had noticed there was a park and something on my map in the center of it. It is called the Siegessaule or  the Berlin Victory Column.  This   is 214 feet tall and was built in 1873 to commemorate the Prussian  victory in the Danish-Prussian War.

Then I walked down to the Brandenburger Tor or Gate built in 1791  is a former city gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin and Germany.

Another area in the city is Check point charley.  This is one of the ways to go from East Germany to West German and it was controlled by the US army.  This was interesting as it had the history of the Berlin Wall and what was happened during this time.  Its pretty commercialized but entertaining.

Then I saw the Reichstag building or the German Federal Building.

Then there was the Federal Chancellery which is where the Chancellor Angela Merkel works. I was told she dosen’t live here so its not quite like the White House.

I saw the Berlin Cathedral which has quite a history.  Originally built in 1451 then bombed in world war II rebuilt and finally finished in 1975.  I toured inside this and will share it at a later date.

Then there was the Holocaust Memorial is made up of 2,711 gray stone slabs that bear no markings, such as names or dates. The slabs undulate in a wave-like pattern. Each is a five-sided monolith, individually unique in shape and size. Some are only ankle high while others tower over visitors. The paths that are shaped between the slabs undulate as well.

I visited a section of the original Berlin Wall. 

Then I saw a section of the Berlin Wall that is about a mile long and they had artist come in and paint the wall.  This area is called the East Side Gallery.  This was quite interesting.

I will give a little more information and pictures of a few of these in the coming days.  I hope you enjoyed my trip as much as I did.  The train ride back was 7 hrs because once again the high speed train didn't go to Stuttgart.