Day 12–Monday, June 1
Berlin:: bus tour of Berlin with Katrina Hadba and free
time.
Our bus tour took us to some of the
most well-knows sites in Berlin. Katrina is an excellent guide and incredibly
knowledgeable.
She pointed out museums, monuments,
churches and synagogues through out. Berlin is in the midst of planning for
soccer finals and just had a large bike race. We also heard about the nick
names for the buildings, Germans nickname evidently, there’s the pregnant
oyster, lipstick and compact and the washing machine.
We were introduced to the line of cobblestones that quietly
makes its way through road and sidewalks, under buildings and along the
river. It is where the outer wall was, and is now gone. There was a “no man’s
land” between the walls where buildings reside now but after the wall there was
an empty stretch of land through the city.
Driving through the city on a rainy days makes it a little
difficult to get great photos but I did my best. The Brandenburg Gate was one
of the first stops we made, got off the bus and heard about its significance.
One of 18 gates, from 1790, the statue on top has been moved and altered by
Napoleon and Prussian kings. In 1961 war was just beyond that gate. The square
was closed and no one could walk through.
There are 138 known victims, killed
trying to go over the wall. The wall separated families. Those on the west side
could go on elevated platforms to see the east.
Nov. 9, 1989 the wall came down,
there were some with us on the tour that had first hand experience being here
during that time. There is a giant painting of the two Communist secretaries
kissing on the lips (a Russian Communist ritual) that is iconic, that was our
second stop. The “gallery” was added in 1990–what is essentially graffiti along
the remaining standing sections.
We also stopped at Check Point Charley (as in alpha, bravo,
Charley…). An unknown soldier is pictured, American on one side and Soviet on
the other. Young men and contemporary photography, so it was a bit startling to
me.
Last on the trip, today, was an impromptu stop at the
memorial to the Jews who died. Grey blocks all different heights. And very
quiet.
Tomorrow is my last day on The
Heritage Tour, I hope to find time to update all this before I am back in the
US. But if not I’ll do a wrap up in a day or so.
We will begin at Magdeburg Abbey and
lunch there. A closing dinner and then the packing and shuttles start.
Most of the group departs on June 3.
I’m having a hard time believing
this is ending. It went so quickly. I’m impressed with how patient and caring
this group is. The couples are kind to one another, people are sharing their
“stuff,” (be it cold medicine, clothes or Kleenex), and still listening and
considerate to those guiding us through buildings and Abbeys. It has been a
real pleasure. Plus everyone loves to laugh–I’ll treasure these memories for a
lifetime.
Our bus tour took us to some of the
most well-knows sites in Berlin. Katrina is an excellent guide and incredibly
knowledgeable.
She pointed out museums, monuments,
churches and synagogues through out. Berlin is in the midst of planning for
soccer finals and just had a large bike race. We also heard about the nick
names for the buildings, Germans nickname evidently, there’s the pregnant
oyster, lipstick and compact and the washing machine.
We were introduced to the line of cobblestones that quietly
makes its way through road and sidewalks, under buildings and along the
river. It is where the outer wall was, and is now gone. There was a “no man’s
land” between the walls where buildings reside now but after the wall there was
an empty stretch of land through the city.
Driving through the city on a rainy days makes it a little
difficult to get great photos but I did my best. The Brandenburg Gate was one
of the first stops we made, got off the bus and heard about its significance.
One of 18 gates, from 1790, the statue on top has been moved and altered by
Napoleon and Prussian kings. In 1961 war was just beyond that gate. The square
was closed and no one could walk through.
There are 138 known victims, killed
trying to go over the wall. The wall separated families. Those on the west side
could go on elevated platforms to see the east.
Nov. 9, 1989 the wall came down,
there were some with us on the tour that had first hand experience being here
during that time. There is a giant painting of the two Communist secretaries
kissing on the lips (a Russian Communist ritual) that is iconic, that was our
second stop. The “gallery” was added in 1990–what is essentially graffiti along
the remaining standing sections.
We also stopped at Check Point Charley (as in alpha, bravo,
Charley…). An unknown soldier is pictured, American on one side and Soviet on
the other. Young men and contemporary photography, so it was a bit startling to
me.
Last on the trip, today, was an impromptu stop at the
memorial to the Jews who died. Grey blocks all different heights. And very
quiet.
Tomorrow is my last day on The
Heritage Tour, I hope to find time to update all this before I am back in the
US. But if not I’ll do a wrap up in a day or so.
We will begin at Magdeburg Abbey and
lunch there. A closing dinner and then the packing and shuttles start.
Most of the group departs on June 3.
I’m having a hard time believing
this is ending. It went so quickly. I’m impressed with how patient and caring
this group is. The couples are kind to one another, people are sharing their
“stuff,” (be it cold medicine, clothes or Kleenex), and still listening and
considerate to those guiding us through buildings and Abbeys. It has been a
real pleasure. Plus everyone loves to laugh–I’ll treasure these memories for a
lifetime.
