Berlin, "The Wall", Ty and I

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Arrived in Berlin pretty late, tired and without any knowledge of German, hoping that my long lost neighbor/childhood PLAYMATE, fellow Fox Chapel alumni and co-explorer Tyler Mossman could help me out (having studied in Austria and traveled the previous months in Eastern and Central Europe).

The city was amazing a lot more modern and bright than I had anticipated. My outdated STEREOTYPES were shattered. Every street oozed with history and impressive new constructions (thanks in part to the recent World Cup mayhem).

Highlights Included:
THE BERLIN WALL. As you walk along the wall they have a written and pictorial history explaining the significance of The Iron Curtain. Really puts things in perspective. A total trip.

"CHECKPOINT CHARLIE", where the US controlled their section of the East/West Berlin border. Preserved just as it was less than a century ago.

THE BRANDENBURG GATE, where Napoleon marched through and stole the "QUADRIGA" statue on top on his way to back to France after defeating the Deutsch on German soil, only to have the favor returned in coming years by the Germans. Napoleon stole the triumphant statue that sits atop the Gate, had it mounted in Paris and then later had it re-stolen by the Berliners, who added a new "victory angel" and wreath to the statue and had the plaza where it resides renamed "PARISERPLATZ" as a reminding taunt to the French.

BABELPLATZ, where the notorious Nazi BOOKBURNINGS took place. There is now a reflective window in the ground at the site where you can look down into an EMPTY library, which would store a quantity of 20,000 books, the number supposedly burned that night in the square. In the DARK you can look down into the empty library window and see a FLAME below and the reflection of your own FACE.
*The flame is supposed to remind you that although you can burn a book, you can't burn ideas. As you look into the past (window) you are reflected back to the present by your own reflection.*

SOCIALIST Workers PARTY rally in the picturesque fall scenery of the "Tiergarten" (giant central park). The demonstration featured lots of red propaganda, wursts and music by an Elton John impersonator.

Couchsurfed with "Annika" from Milan who had a very nice apartment in Charlottenburg, outside the center of the city, but near a metro, food, calm fall scenery and the Charlottenburg Palace. I had my own giant room with a comfy double bed, TV, DVD and book collection. Great host, made me feel right at home.

CUISINE. Enjoyed some local "boletes" (like a meatball), currywursts and brats, strudel, German wheat beer and some of Annika's red wine (I got the cork stuck using one of those excessively futuristic new corkscrews).

PUB CRAWL. On our last night Tyler, Annika and I went on a "pub crawl" (a discounted bar and club tour usually for college students, tourists gap year travelers and creepy old people trying to meet GIRLS GONE WILD). Real good times. Tyler and I met some cool young Colombian chicks and a pair of hot twins from New Zealand (Kiwis). The pub crawl featured one euro shots of Jägermeister, free entrance to far out clubs and trendy outdoor bars with fancy dancers. By the end of the long hazy night we had all lost each other and I didn't see Tyler again.

After three solid days in Berlin I was ready to head south towards the sun, kind of.

Next stop: MUNCHEN (Munich), home of Hitler and his party headquarters, OKTOBERFEST and Bavarian delights.

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