Hauptstadt Berlin

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Guten Tag everyone and greetings from Berlin.....
I don't want to make this an unabashed advert but believe me, there is more going on in this city than any other city in Europe. Even after 17 years, construction cranes are all over the landscape....especially in the eastern part. New buildings are going up, old buildings are being rehabbed, wall areas are turned into parks. Even areas that you'd think would never improve are being gentrified. It's not just in one area, but all over the place. There is a feeling, an atmosphere of growth, but also personality in all parts of the city. You can go to Kreuzberg, which has a big multi-cultural fair and parade this weekend; go to Prenzlauer Berg, an upcoming former part of the east and see all the alternative lifestyles. Ride the U-bahn (underground) or the S-Bahn (above ground) or the buses and you see how blaze people are with sometimes bizzare looking people.

Want to party? There is a place for you. In all parts of the city. At all hours of the day. Some places don't close until 6 AM....and then the folks go nearby for breakfast before going home to go to bed !!!!!

From visits past, I have done pretty much all the tourist spots so this visit is to places I had not seen. An example is the Russian/German War Museum. This place is deep within the eastern part of the city and starting in May 1945 became the Soviet occupation center out of what had been a German Army officer's club. The Soviet/Russians had not been a party to the capitulation of the Nazi Government on May 7th at Reims, so they demanded that another ceremony take place at their Berlin Headquarters the next day. So the US Army flew everyone to Berlin and the Soviet headquarters at Karlshorst for another signing of capitulation papers on May 8th!!! I think there were about 6 people touring the place when I was there. Of course there is an American occupation museum in Willmersdorf which was US headquarters until reunification. The real Checkpoint Charlie hut is there, so if you go to Berlin and see the hut, just remember that tis a duplicate. And don't try to sneak a pic of the German and Soviet soldiers there cause they will demand money!!!! Don't know if the Brits or the French have museums.

Price wise....things are less expensive in Kreuzberg or Prenzlauer Berg than in the sections of the city that were in the west. I was able to buy a shirt in Prenz for only 4 Euros (about $USD5.00) and would have paid about twice that in the Saturday market just up the street at Winterfeldplatz. That applies to food and restaurants as well. I am in a very nice studio apartment just 2 blocks from Nollendorfplatz that came with coffee, cereal, micro, toaster, etc....and a market only 6 minutes walk away to fill my little office size refrigerator.

I want to go to Wittenberg, the Luther city, on Tuesday so I went to the new (inaugurated this past October) Hauptbahnhof (main train station). This is now the largest train station in Europe and there are as many sightseers here as there are travelers. The lower levels handle long distance trains, there are 3 levels of shops and food and the top level is not only long distance trains, but also the local S-Bahn system. I'll train to upload some pics.

Tomorrow, I have to be up early cause I want to get on a tour to the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp. I'll make time before I leave for London to give you all a report on both places.

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Photos

a demonstration
a Turkish manifestation

capitulation room
Soviet/German museum

Hauptbahnhof
big window at the train station

big place
differentlevels at the Hauptbahnhof