Day 26-27: Berlin

On Thursday, we started with breakfast then a run. When we got back to the apartment we decided it was time to ship back our business clothes and the first of our European purchases. Using trusty Google, we found out that DHL, the shipping company, is just a division of Deutche Post and all we needed to do was bring our stuff to a post office and they could ship it internationally. The woman at the counter didn't speak any English so a lot of simple words and hand gestures later, our box was packed, marked, and set for a low priority shipment back to Canada (look out for it Mom and Dad).

It was now about lunch time so we ate at the apartment and decided what we wanted to do for the day. There were still a number of museums on our hit list as well as some targeted tourist items we wanted to collect. Our first stop was in Gendarmenmarkt where we stopped at a famous chocolatier (Fassbender & Rausch) for some very decadant desert and a cafe mocha. Needless to say it was amazing.

Afterwards we went to Potsdamer Platz, a square that was destroyed in the war, then divided by the wall, and finally rebuilt as a shopping centre and cinema. Jackie found herself a pair of boots to replace the shoes that have fallen apart around her feet the past couple weeks.

In front of the square was a rally protesting the Pope's official visit to Berlin; He was speaking to Parliament just a mile or so away. The protesters were upset about the churches history of molestation, as well as their stance against gays and birth control. Watching the news later that evening, it was said the rally was not as large as expected. Being there, I got a similar sense. A few people seemed upset and dressed up in costumes for it, but for the most part it was a lot of people hanging out drinking beer, and people like us who were not involved but happened to be passing through and stopped to gawk.

To get in our museum for the day, we went to the 'Topography of Terror' exhibit, a museum about the SS, Gestapo and Reich Security built on the ruins of the former headquarters of the Reich Security Main Office. My impression of Berlin is that they are not afraid to face the crimes that have been committed in the past and present their history in a matter-of-fact manner. Outside of the museum is the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall remaining in the city.

Further down the road is Check Point Charlie, the best known Berlin-Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War. On the East side of the wall is a large image of a US Soldier in uniform, depicting what an individual crossing the border would have seen when the wall stood (i.e., going from the East into the West, the crosser would face a US guard).

On the West side of the wall is a large image of a Soviet Soldier in uniform. These pictures are art installations.

We finished the day with pizza at an Italian eatery close to our apartment. It was simple, cheap, and delicious. It was also accompanied by a large local beer.

Today (Friday), we started with another run, grabbed lunch at a market that set up in the local park, then headed off for the Jewish History Museum. This museum was recommended as much for its architecture as for its exhibit. The building, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, is said to evoke a warped Star of David. A void space slices linearly through the building and is meant to represent the void in Germany's society left by the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It is not a Holocaust museum, but instead a museum detailing the history of Jews in Germany from the first recorded Jewish settlements. It was a compelling museum that followed the early persecution to the rise of Jews in society to a state of equality with Christians. You can even see what you look like with a mustache from the time period of the 19th century. Quite dashing I must say!

Equality was unfortunately short lived as the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazis) took power in Germany. The party removed the rights of Jews, began sending them to concentration camps, and eventually worked them to death (or simply exterminated them). The museum ends with tales of Jews who have returned to Germany or immigrated here in the past half century or so. On the way out of the museum you can glimpse into one of the museums 'voids' which was filled with faces cut from steel plate to represent the innocent millions of Jews persecuted simply because of their religion.

 

In a ironic juxtaposition, just down the street is a multi-story poster of the pope being elected. The poster seemed relevant due to the Pope's current visit to Germany.

In contrast to the other GQ photos Jackie has taken of me, here is one that is slightly more 'dynamic':

We returned to the apartment, reheated left over pizza and settled in to watch some of the best television Germany has ever produced. The show consisted of three guys touring around an area of Germany, cut with music segments song by people in nature settings. It was hilarious.

*Hosts dressed in leather capri pants and red socks

 *Old dude signing with rose

 *Group of 8 men prancing through the forest singing

 *German dude that looks like Fabio signing (I've Had) Time of My Life (from Dirty Dancing) in German with partner

If this wasn't awesome enough, this show was followed by Bob Ross :)

Anyway, that is all from us today. We plan on hitting up the Berlin Marathon Expo tomorrow, which is setup in advance of the running of the Berlin Marathon (one of the largest and most popular world races) on Sunday morning. We plan to visit booths that should enlighten us to the latest fads in running. Who knows, maybe this will help us prepare for our half-marathon in December. Till next time. Auf Wiedersehen.