Day One - Arrival in Berlin

Looking Up Unter den Linden

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We headed in this direction toward a third Christmas Market with yet another ferris wheel..

Weihnachtsmarkt

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They had almost as many names for the Christmas Markets as they had actual markets. It was only around 3:30 in the afternoon so none of these markets were exactly hopping yet, but we could certainly smell the broiling sausages, roasting chestnuts and bubbling vats of Gluhwein.

Still More of the Bebelplatz Christkindlmarkt

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If you look closely you'll see a giant candle pyramid in the background. Much smaller versions of these wind vanes powered by the heat of candles burning beneath them were being sold everywhere this year. They seem to have replaced smokers and nutcrackers as the Christmas decoration of 2007.

Staatsoper

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The home of the State Opera was built in the mid 18th Century under the commission of Frederick II. It continued to operate even under the Nazi regime, but after the Berlin Wall was erected it was virtually abandoned. Today it has been renovated and during our two nights in Berlin it hosted two different operas.

Neue Wache

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According to Wikipedia: "Dating from 1816, the Neue Wache was designed by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and is a leading example of German neoclassicism. Originally built as a guardhouse for the troops of the Crown Prince of Prussia, the building has been used as a war memorial since 1931." Today it houses a memorial to victims of Fascism. We didn't know this at the time so we just passed by and took pictures of this cool old building.

Crossing the Spreekanal

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Our walk up Unter den Linden soon brought us to a bridge over the Spreekanal. The Spree River that flows through Berlin figures in a lot of the stories of escape from East Germany and East Berlin. In this particular area which is close to where West Berlin started, the river runs as a manmade channel. Escapers would have had nowhere to hide themselves or to pull themselves up the banks of the river if they tried to negotiate this section. These Classical-looking statues line the sides of the bridge.

Looking Back Down the Unter den Linden

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Once we crossed the bridge the name of the road changes from the Unter den Linden the Karl-Liebknecht Strasse. Liebknecht was some kind of Socialist hero. I was surprised that so many places in the old East Berlin still retain their Communist-era names. But I can understand why they changed this street's name to the Karl-Liebknecht Strasse - the previous name was "Adolf Hitler Strasse"!

Deutsches Historisches Museum

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As we walked over the bridge we looked back at the Deutsches Historisches Museum which is in the Zeughaus, the oldest building along the Unter den Linden. Inside are historical documents, miltary artifacts and collections of items from everyday life. The museum has only been around since 1987 but is dedicated to becoming the German version of the Smithsonian. We probably should have visited since the admission is only 5 Euro, but over the years I have become a bit bored by museums.

Up the Spree without a Paddle

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Just a little further up the Spree, and to the left of this view, the river acted as the dividing line between the Communist and Western powers.

Berlin

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I suppose you could say we were walking in the middle of Berlin's Museum Row. As we came off the bridge we walked by the Lustgarten, a big grassy square. At the opposite end of the Lustgarten is the Altes Museum. This museum houses ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman artifacts, including the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti.

Berliner Dom

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Berlin's main cathedral only dates from the 1890's and was extensively damaged during World War II. When it was reconstructed a less ornate dome was placed on top. The church was built using elements of the same themes present in St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican. The Lutherans in Germany had dreams of it becoming the central hub of their religion. We would have gone inside if they hadn't charged such a high admission price. I have a problem with churches charging admission. Put in a contribution box so that the tourists can give what they deem reasonable.

Two Dom-Doms

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While we stood around trying to decide if we wanted to spend almost $10 each to go into the church, we got our first glimpse of Tyler's blossoming obsession with travel photography. While we debated he and Gen ran around the Lustgarten trying to get the perfect shot of the Dom.

A Closer Look

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From the end of WW II until 1993 the Dom was closed. Reconstruction is still ongoing. I guess part of the reason they charge so much for admission is to not only to pay for the completed work but for the much-needed clean-up on the outside. Even though we didn't pay to go inside we helped defray some of their costs when we went downstairs into the huge giftshop. $50 and 45 minutes later we continued our stroll.

Hats Off to the Russkies

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As we headed for the second bridge taking us off the museum island, we came upon a street corner merchant selling Soviet-era memorabilia. Tyler showed interest in the fur hats with giant ear flaps. For the next 15 minutes the two negotiated the price of the hat from 85 Euro down to 35. I was about to get in on the deal myself if the price dropped below 30, but to his credit, Tyler drew the line at 20 Euro and wouldn't budge. We then proceeded across the bridge which led to the DDR Museum. Once again we didn't go in, but after reading more about this institution dedicated to depicting life under the Communist regime, I plan to stop in next time we visit Berlin.

Shopping Arcade Along the Karl Liebknecht Strasse

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The contrast between the many old greying buildings on the island of museums and the much newer row of buildings we were now passing was startling. Just past the DDR Museum and near the Radisson Hotel we passed this amazing shopping center. Somewhere nearby was the Aqua Dom - a huge glass indoor aquarium holding 2600 fish. That will have to be seen on our next trip also.

We're Getting Hungry

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As it started to get dark just after 4:00pm and as the fog and cold began to effect us, we decided to start looking for somewhere to eat dinner. We continued a few more blocks up the street. Almost directly across the street from the huge TV tower, we spotted the Kartoffelhaus #1. We had eaten at another Kartoffelhaus (potato house) years ago in Bielefelld and greatly enjoyed it. It turned out that this was not part of a chain of potato houses, but because we were starting to get more than a little cold and hungry, we decided to give it a try.

Looks Cozy

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We stumbled inside not really accustomed to the European custom of finding your own seat. While we stood around like idiots in the foyer of the empty restaurant waiting for the maitre 'd, a customer at the bar observed our plight and directed us to a cozy table for six.

Doug's Dinner

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I ordered the pork Schnitzel served on a bed of potato pancakes with a nice big side dish of those excellent German French Fries. Gail had a baked potato with broccoli and a cheese souffle. Cassie had a chicken salad.

Sampling the Local Brews

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First order of business after coming in from the cold was too get some liquid refreshment. We started with tall glasses of Harke, then followed-up with Wittinger Premium. Both were very good like all German beers.

Not as Late as You Might Think

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Dinner was delicious and reasonably priced. We were in and out of the restaurant in less than two hours which is darn quick for Europe. Finally after 30 years of traveling there we have got the "come here Herr Ober" gesture down pat. We used to sit for hours in restaurants waiting for our waiter to bring the check. Exiting the restaurant we briefly had a decent view across the street toward the Marienkirche. It was getting very cold and it felt like it was midnight even though our watches indicated it was just after six. Of course, it had been 30 hours since we had last slept.