April 21 & 22 – Can we ever understand
Hitler and WWII?
We arrived in Berlin about 11 p.m. on a
small airline. We had to be careful and make sure our bags were only
22 pounds and that they were the correct measurements or else we
would have had to pay 70 euros to check them. Thomas, our wonderful
host, picked us up at the airport in his 2012 black BMW.
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| Our Berlin CS host's fancy car |
He had a
nice flat on the top floor (nearly 100 stairs up four flights with no
elevator). It was one big room with a bath/laundry lock-off room.
There was also a balcony patio where we had a BBQ to introduce us to some of his
friends.
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| I had fun singing "The Lonely Goatherd" song to this 3 year old. See our bed in the back. |
Katrina, his friend's daughter, was staying with him for a
few days while she re-located and got a job.
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| Katrina in her authentic German outfit |
Berlin was a shock for us - #1 because
of how busy the city was and all the tourists . #2 -such a crazy
transit system and #3 – because of the colder weather. We managed
to see some of the historical WWII sites and to do most everything
for free. We did a ton of walking because we would get lost using
the trams. Thomas gave us a quick city tour in his
BMW, but to do it on foot was another story!
Since 1997, a monument in the centre of Thessaloniki, the Jewish Holocaust Memorial,commemorates the
city's murdered Jews. Only a few hundred members of what was once the
largest Jewish community in Greece lived to return home after the
deportations to Auschwitz-Birkenau, which took place in a matter of just
a few months in 1943.
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| Very interesting architecture - Each block represents a deceased Jewish family |
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Entering this room was very sombering as each lit-up place was an excerpt from someone's story |
Topography of Terror is located on the site of buildings which during the Nazi regime
from 1933 to 1945 were the headquarters of the Gestapo
and the SS
, the principal instruments of repression during the Nazi era. The cellar of the Gestapo headquarters, where many political prisoners
were tortured and executed, were found and excavated. The site was then
turned into a memorial and museum. The Berlin Wall (1961-1989) ran along the south side of the street by where the site was built in 1987. The wall here was never demolished. The
section adjacent to the Topography of Terror site is the longest extant
segment of the outer wall.
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| Entrance to "The Topography of Terror" |
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| The largest section of the Berlin Wall still standing |
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| The yellow dots are sites of extermination camps during WWII |
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| German Children from Nurnberg all learn to salute |
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| A plaque in the Museum of why everyone started hailing Hitler, the Fuhrer - all his promises |
Checkpoint Charlie was the name given by the Western Allies to the best-known Berlin Wall
crossing point between East Berlin
and West Berlin
during the Cold War. It became a symbol of that war. I still remember when news came that the wall was coming down. We all couldn't believe it!
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| Picture of Berlin Wall coming down |
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| This couple painted in silver would freeze on the sidewalk and not move a muscle. They expected tips. |
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| The famous Brandenburg Gate |
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate, rebuilt in the late 18th century as a neo-classical triumphal arch, but is now one of the most well-known landmarks of Germany. The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees, which formerly led directly to the city palace
of the Prussian
monarchs.
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| Atop the gate is the Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses driven byVictoria, the Roman goddess of victory |
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| Children having fun popping giant bubbles. |
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| The German Reichstag Building that houses the Budenstag or German Parliament |
The Reichstag is the 2nd most visited attraction in Germany, not least because of the huge glass dome that was erected on the roof
as a gesture to the original 1894 cupola, giving an impressive view over
the city, especially at night. The reconstruction was finished in 1999. It is a free attraction, but you have to wait in line a long time to get the tickets. Then there is a careful security check to go in, but what a fabulous place to visit. We spent a couple of hours in there. The architecture alone is incredible and view of the city from on top is spectacular!
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| The top is open - see the clouds? |
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| We're at the top basking in the sunshine. |
Berlin at night is beautiful We heard a violinist who was playing the famous Czardas....all I could think of was how Janelle had played it so much better. Then he played Kol Nidre and I heard Carlene and Toby on his cello playing it. I MISS MUSIC!
We found different modes of transportation in the city that we probably should have taken since we were always getting lost on the subways.
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| I don't think there is room on here for us. |
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| Don't really like beer - plus we'd have to pedal! |
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| Another beer bike! |
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| Sure....I'd love to go for a horse and buggy ride! Too expensive, though! |
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| OK! I'll settle for a crowded subway, but these men won't even let a lady sit down! :( |
Thomas, Katrina, Rich, and I enjoyed
some good conversation and a wonderful Thai meal on the 2nd
night.
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| What a lot of time it must take to fix the carrots! |
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| Kohlrabi that is cut into a flower |
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| The Thai food was wonderful and so was the company! |
