Day 5
It was a pleasant four hour journey on the train through the German countryside to the capital of Germany. I got to experience the blindingly fast 'intercity' trains firsthand, eyeing off the 250kph reading displayed on the screen from my seat. Sadly the trains would only become increasingly slower as I journeyed further into the shroud that is Eastern Europe. It was to be a memorable occasion in one other way as well. I slowly became aware of the serene sensation one gets when staring out of a carriage into the blurred landscape. My thoughts would start drifting ever deeper as if I had no cares or worries to occupy my mind. It was to be the first time of several occasions where id experience this emotion and Id come to relish the relaxation it brought with it.
The recently opened Berlin main station was a huge modern complex consisting of several levels and was a prime example of the cities ambitions for the future. I didn't spend long admiring it though as I had more pressing matters at hand such as finding where id be sleeping for the next four nights. Much to my surprise upon entering my dorm there were three girls from Aus staying in my room and two of them were from Launceston! The cliche 'its a small world' began to take on a whole new meaning. Having ditched my enormously large backpack I walked to the Potsdamer Platz. It is essentially a large square of vacant land (which there was a great deal of post ww2) that has seen extensive development on it i.e high rise buildings. The Sony complex located there has a cool design and contains a cinema which I was to divulge in frequently. Standing there under the glass roof gave me a sense of what the 'new' Berlin encapsulated whilst on the ground level remnants of the Berlin wall served as a grim reminder of the past. All around the city you can find the boundary line on the ground of where the wall once lay.
Day 6
In the reviews I had read of this particular hostel they had mentioned that the breakfast quite good and they weren't wrong. The whole upstairs floor contained an large array of breakfast food some familiar some not so much. Plastic cheese, bread and salami/ham seem to be the standard fare around much of Europe. I left feeling rather full upon beginning the short walk down the road to the Jewish Museum. Berlin is well known for having a large array of excellent museums and the Jewish museum turned out to be no exception.
It was unusual in that the architecture and design of the rooms complemented the content on display. So instead of being bombarded with information it gave the viewer its own personal interpretation. Thought provoking spaces such as the 'Garden of Exile' where works of art in themselves and although simple provided a thought provoking space for some quiet contemplation. Another such space was a tower filled with 10 000 iron faces to symbolise those affected by the Holocaust. Four hours later I left having high expectations for what else Berlin had to offer. The next museum I visited definitely lived up to, if not exceeded those expectations.
The Pergamon Museum was a fourty five minute walk away located on what is called the 'Museum Island'. I thought it was impressive on the eye from the outside but it was nothing compared to the interior. Inside it contained no less then three huge reconstructed buildings from the ancient world. Interestingly the Pergamon altar which hails from Greece and from which the museum is named after, appears to have a reference to it in the bible: Revelation 2:12-13: "In Pergamos where Satan's Throne is". You can appreciate this statement more when you see the 'battle of the gods' depicted on the frieze around the outside of the structure. The other main attraction was the Ishtar Gate, one of the inner city gates in ancient Babylon. It was constructed of blue glazed tiles with alternating rows of bas-relief dragons and aurochs.The sheer size of the wall was jaw dropping and to think it was only an 'inner gate'...
I made my way back towards the Potsdamer Platz passing on the way the 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe'. I didn't really know how to interpret the memorial, finding the stone blocks made for a somewhat confusing arrangement. This was in part due to the fact it was so large, foreboding and didn't have any readily accessible information for the passer by. Scale was once again used to great affect and seemed to be a common element seen throughout city. I finished the day off with a visit to the cinema to watch the final installment in the Bourne series.
Day 7
The sound of my alarm woke me up early in what was a time more suitable to a school morning. Having been fueled for another day I set out in the chilly Berlin air towards the German parliament, aka the Reichstag. I arrived to find only a very small queue to the building, thus successfully avoiding the 2 hour waits I had been warned about. After passing through some rather tight security I hopped on a lift to the top where a huge glass dome had been constructed a few years ago. Around the base of the dome was a series of images explaining the history of the Reichstag. After the history lesson I walked up the ramp to the top of the dome and admired the excellent view of the Berlin skyline.
Another nearby monument and also one of the main symbols of Berlin is the Brandenburg Gate. I chilled here and did some people watching until 11am when it was time to go on a free walking tour of the city! Sipping on my second hot chocolate from nearby Starbucks I watched as the large group of people that had gathered for the tour were divided up several times. Firstly into those who spoke Spanish, then French and finally the vast majority who remained wanting an English guide. Coincidently i was placed with Aussie named Andrew who knew nearly everything there is to know about Berlin and its history. Having lived in the city for eight years and doing a masters degree in German history may have had something to do with it. For the next approximately four hours we walked around the city getting insightful and often humorous information delivered to us in an interesting way. Andrew's vast knowledge was inspiring and his enthusiasm for the city clearly evident. Just before the tour ended, he retold the final gripping moments before the Berlin walls collapse with great enthusiasm. As the guides and the tour company worked on a tips basis I gave him the few remaining euros in pocket in what would of easily been worth 20 or more in other cities. My impression of Berlin was vastly enhanced as a result and I left with a desire to visit this ever changing city again in the future.
I spent the rest of my afternoon at the nearby Egyptian Museum, another of the museums on the island. The artifacts included a good range of sculptures and busts and some curious looking pages from the 'book of the dead'. A very famous piece, the vividly coloured bust of Queen Nefertiti was also on display. There's something about artifacts that are very old and well preserved that makes them fascinating! I had another quiet evening in front of a cinema screen, this time it was a enjoyable yet silly Grind house flick.
Day 8
I was at of a bit of loss at what to do today as id done most of what I'd set out to do before coming here. After tossing up a few ideas in my head I decided id take a look at the final museum on 'the island' before going on another walking tour! Despite Berlin's attractions being relatively far away from one another I persisted in walking everywhere I went. This way I got to see more of the city and its people. I adopted the practice of not using public transportation as much as possible throughout my travels. On my wanderings I managed to spot a very rare and fast super car, which for all you car buffs was a Ferrari Enzo. Very cool.
The Bode Museum was somewhat of a disappointment especially when compared to the other two on the island. It contained some sculptures and Byzantine art but neither held any real interest to me. The interior of the building however was quite grand with marble floors and staircases while the exterior's architecture had a Byzantine look about it. I walked into old east Berlin briefly but didn't find it very exciting visually with the exception of the gigantic T.V tower, the second tallest structure in Europe which somehow finds its way into almost every photograph you take.
Back at the Starbucks meeting point I joined a small group that was to make up the Third Reich tour. This one wasn't free but I knew that combined with my interest in WW2 it would be would be well worth the price of admission. Andrew's expertise was once again on hand to provide me with insightful information about the buildings and structures we looked at. So brisk was our walking pace at one stage that we managed to leave behind an elderly couple on the tour who then proceeded to turn back. Embarrassingly he was so caught up with answering questions he only realised after having been told by another member of the tour! We came across quite a few memorials to various people who died during the war such as the Soviet soldiers and those killed in concentration camps. Some in my mind did justice to there memory while others were not to the level that would seem appropriate. It is good however to have something rather then nothing. One building we were shown they were doing filming for a film by Tom Cruise based on the events of an assassination attempt on Hitler's life. Andrew then relayed the story of how he had given Tom a tour of the city. Once the discussion had ended we walked for a while before stopping while our guide went into a library to return some books. Seemed like he must be pressed for time and rightly so, as it so happened this was his last tour in order for him to be able to concentrate more on his studies. The last place our little group visited was the location of Hitler's Bunker, the place where he committed suicide. Unfortunately there was no going inside as it was destroyed by the Soviets after they had stormed the capital. I felt a tinge of sadness as the tour concluded but felt privileged that I got to hear perhaps the last tour he'd ever do.
Day 9
I got my breakfast fill one final time before catching a bus to the main train station leaving me a chance to explore it in more detail. One thing I noticed was that the majority of food takeaway outlets you find scattered throughout most cities seemed to be all in the train station as opposed to in the city itself. Maybe the Germans don't want to appear to be selling out? Anyhow I wasn't hungry so it didn't matter and all I needed was a bottle of water to see me through the stunningly picturesque train ride to Prague!
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