Sunday, October 6, 2013

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Yesterday we stuck to the heart of the former West Berlin, the ever vibrant Ku-damm. Today we headed over to the heart of the former East Berlin, which could easily also be called Old Berlin. This is the home of the Bundestag (the national legislature—the building was originally called the Reichstag), the palaces, the museums, the cathedral, the opera, and the other monumental treasures of a longtime and once again capital city of world standing.

On our 2000 trip, the East was just coming out of a lull after the Fall of the Wall. Things needing fixing had been fixed, but major 'progress' was still a ways away. That was a nice combination, as things were still relatively stable and quiet. This time, progress was moving ahead at full force. Unter den Linden, the grand avenue, was totally torn up for subway construction, due for completion in 2019. Lots of space around the Brandenburg Gate was fenced off for other projects. And westernization had set in, in the form of Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and the like.

The Bundestag was open for tours, but there was a long line at the reservation booth and the earliest available reservations were for 2PM. So we opted for the exterior view.

Our meal times shift around from day to day. Steve and Aimée were opting for the fruit and muesli for breakfast in addition to several kinds of bread, rolls, butter, jam, boiled egg, ham and cheese. Bruce and Sue Anne passed on the muesli/yogurt/milk so were a bit hungrier sooner. Resulting in a quick lunch at the outdoor / stand up curry wurst stand. Where we chose a curry boulette...sort of a meal ball, really several small ones, with warm ketchup and curry powder sauce. It is Turkish street food.

Aimée did however stop by the Starbucks at Pariserplatz for coffee, and when there she picked up a brochure advertising guided tours. One of them, a two hour tour of the immediate area where we were, was 'free' (tips accepted), left from Starbucks at 2PM, and was conducted in English. This sounded good all around, so we did a bit more wandering in the area to use up the time and then showed up in front of Starbucks a few minutes before 2.

The tour was conducted by a young man from London. He had taught history there for a few years and then moved to Berlin out of love for the city. He has developed a deep understanding of so many aspects of its history and culture, and he certainly conveyed this throughout the tour. The tour ended up running for about three hours, took us through many centuries of history, and every minute of it was filled with good information. The guide certainly earned his tip, which easily amounted to what a regular tour would have cost—or more.

A walk back to our car through a flea market / art market along the river. Delightful dinner at the Turkish restaurant. Aimée and Steve were welcomed back by the waiter.

Our hotel occupies one floor in an old building with lots of marvelous architectural detail.  Here's the banister leading up from the entryway.

Wall in the entryway

 

Steve lusting over champagne bottle.

Bundestag (formerly Reichstag)

Rear view of Bundestag showing recently added glass dome

Brandenburg Gate seen from Pariserplatz, looking back toward the West

Closeup of the statue atop the Brandenburg Gate.  Napoleon stole it once, but the Germans retrieved it and modified it with a few clever anti-French features.

East Berlin got to see the front of the horses; West Berlin got the rear view.

 

Memorial to victims of the Wall, and to victims of the uprising of June 17, 1953.

 

Sue Anne, Steve, and Aimée at the Wurst stand

 

Side view of Brandenburg Gate from the West.

Portapotties awaiting removal after German Unity Day celebration last week

 

Meditation group in Pariserplatz

 

Pedal bar awaiting its customers

Pedal bar in action

While the government of East Germany was never known for humor or whimsy, their traffic light man (Ampelmann) was very clever.  There was outcry when the more staid one from the West began to replace him, and now the tables are turned.  This guy has become a symbol, is now appearing in the West, and has spurred an entire line of merchandise.

There was also a yellow Ampelmann, moving quickly with his hat about to fly off, but we didn't see much evidence of him on this trip.

The sign reads "From the East's Traffic Light to Cult Figure".

Buy your Ampelmann lawn chairs here, choice of red or green.

 

Shell game on the sidewalk of Unter den Linden

 

Memorial to Jewish victims of World War II.  Quite a controversial design, intentionally presented with no explanation.  Visit it and reach your own conclusions.

It becomes dark and foreboding when you enter it.  

 

One stretch of the Wall preserved in place, though fenced off to keep souvenir hunters from destroying it

Museum of the Trabant (nicknamed Trabi), the iconic car of the East.  Many Trabis have been restored and can be rented for a spin around town.

 

Bruce 'driving' a Trabi in a souvenir shop

 

Memorial to the first book burning, set beneath the square in front of Humboldt University

 

One of many Museums on Museum Island