Wow!! What an exhausting experience that just was. I arrived at the Cincinnati airport with my friend and classmate Cody at 8:30 in the morning on Tuesday, and after a long layover at JFK and by far the longest plane ride I’ve ever been on, we arrived in Berlin at 12:00 noon (Local time) on Wednesday. The plan is to stay in Berlin until Friday and see some sights before heading southwest to Dessau for the next eight weeks.
After checking into our hotel with our other friend and classmate Margaret, we set out on foot to see some of the amazing sites of Germany’s most famous city. Just down the street from our hotel we stopped at the new Holocaust Memorial designed by Peter Eisenman. It is a beautiful arrangement of extruded rectangular prisms, each representing a different number of casualties based on its height. It was amazing to walk through the grid of monuments because as you moved towards the center, the shapes seemed to swallow you up, while at the edges they are merely benches or a small step.
Our next stop was at the Brandenburg Gate, which was the backdrop for many historic moments during WWII. The bullet marks that can still be seen in the masonry act as a solemn reminder of what happened in the not too distant past. Today, the platz (plaza or square) in front of the gate was full of life and entertainment.
Later in the day we made it to the Berlin Cathedral, which was absolutely breath taking. The “Berliner Dom” can be identified by its multiple green domes and ornate decoration on the exterior. We were lucky enough to grab a sneak peek of the inside before a service began…and it did not disappoint. The space under the dome seems so much larger on the interior! Gold ornament lined the walls and vaulted spaces and large paintings depicted the life of Christ along the ceiling. Definitely a must see for anyone in Berlin!
This a picture of Cody, Marge, and I across the river from the Berliner Dom.
Then we headed over to the Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum. We are planning a full tour tomorrow, but we wanted to see the exterior and just get a glimpse of one of his best works. Set in a more under-developed part of the city, the museum stands alone as a testament to modern architecture.
We finished up the day by visiting the US Checkpoint (Checkpoint Charlie) and the remains of the Berlin Wall. The parts of the roads on which the wall used to stand have been replaced with a strip of stones to remind people of what used to divide the country.
I am sitting back in the hotel room now and I believe that jet lag has finally caught up to me. I am going to watch some German television, to work on my communication skills of course, and then hit the hay. I want to say thanks again to everyone for all of the support!
Looks great. I love your pictures.
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