Day Two - Friday in Berlin

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I must've been really tired last night because I slept straight through until morning. Normally my internal clock forces me to wake up around 2:00 am when I first get to Europe. This morning I woke up well-rested and even refreshed. Waking up Tyler was another story. I'm not sure he ever adjusted to the time change.

I'm not normally a breakfast person, but when visiting Europe I take every advantage of the bountiful breakfasts we usually get in Germany. The breakfast at the Agon Frankfurter Allee was no different. Just look at the pictures! Nobody makes hard rolls like they serve in these European hotels. Absolutely delicious.

Today we would be taking full advantage of our BVG transport passes. I decided not to rent a car for the days we were in Berlin figuring that the cost for parking would be ridiculous. When I realized just how much territory we could cover with these transport passesI was really glad we took advantage. The Berlin transport system is fantastic and very easy to figure out even if you can't speak German. One of the added benefits of the 48 hour pass was that it also gave you a discount on various guided tours. I originally planned for us to head to the Kurfurstendamm where we would spend around $20 each for a two hour sightseeing tour. Somewhere along the line I completely forgot about that plan. We found plenty of things to see and do on our own. When we decided to head up to the Bundestag building before seeking out the tour buses, little did we realize that we would find loads of things to see just walking around on our own. The only disappointment was that we didn't get to see anything in the old West Berlin. A bus tour might have given us a better idea of the major highlights that we had to see. Add a guided tour to the list of things to do next trip to Berlin.

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Photos

Not as Scary as it Looks
This was the view out our hotel room window. As I said before, this wasn't the loveliest neighborhood I'd ever been to, but it was safe. This was where I first got a sense of just how depressing life in the old East Berlin might have been. The architecture of the Soviet-era buildings was completely devoid of personality and were simply functional. Perhaps the overwhelming drabness is what inspired so many graffitti artists to deface them,

The First of Many Great Fruhstucks
Breakfast was down in the basement of the hotel. I was expecting a good hearty breakfast but was really surprised by the variety and quantity.

Not a Pretty Sight
As you can see, I truly loved this breakfast. Remnants of the first round lie scattered all around. Note the shell of my delicious soft-boiled egg. The sandwich on my plate was made from the large selection of cold cuts and cheese which were stuffed into one of those fabulous hard rolls. Breakfasts like this usually kept us satiated until late in the afternoon.

Time for Some Sightseeing
The bounteous breakfast was followed by a quick return to our rooms where we made our final preps before heading out into the cold for the day. Cassie decided at this point that she really liked my new fuzzy hat. Sorry, but I offered to get her one before we flew over. She would have to find something for herself over here.

Touring on Our Own
We headed up the street to the U-Bahn where we once again travelled to Alexanderplatz. Here we exited the Underground and crossed the street to the bus stop. We were lucky enough to find a nearly deserted double decker heading down Karl-Liebknecht Strasse to Unter den Linden.

First Stop: Reichstag
As I remember it now, I don't think we really had a plan in mind as we rode the bus. We just decided to stumble out when we reached the Reichstag.

Home of Germany's Leaders
The Reichstag is where the German legislature meets. This building is full of history - prior to Hitler's rise to power this was where the elected German representatives met much like our Congress. As Hitler began to gain power, the Reichstag "mysteriously" caught on fire which gave Hitler the excuse to arrest many of his enemies. He blamed the fire on the Communists and Jews. As World War II ended, this was the scene of the last stand by German troops as they attempted to fend off the conquering Russians. .

A Rather Stupid Assumption
When I first saw this row of what looked to be upturned flagstones, I thought it was a fancy bike rack for government employees working in the Reichstag. Closer inspection revealed that each upright stone carried the name of a victiim of the Nazis.

The German People
The sign above the Reichstag is translated as "To the German People". When Germany and Berlin were divided following WWII, the building was in ruins. Bonn was made capital of West Germany and the Bundestag met there. Meanwhile the Reichstag building sat unused within West Berlin. The Wall ran directly behind the building. With reunification the seat of government for the new Germany was moved to Berlin and the Reichstag was reopened.

Waiting and Freezing in Line
We brought along our Berlin tourbook which said that we could go inside the building free. The price was right so we headed for the front door. Unfortunately we spent so much time taking pictures that a large group of school kids and other tourists got to the front door first. As a result we ended up waiting almost half an hour to get inside.

A Dizzying Ride Up
To get inside we had to pass through stringent security then ride an elevator up to the roof. It seems the only thing we would be permitted to tour would be the roof and the glass dome on top of the Reichstag. This turned-out to be a great introduction to Berlin.

Inside the Dome
After passing from the catwalk on to the room, we headed inside the huge glass globe sitting on top of the building. In this picture we are gazing into the wall of mirrors set in the center of the dome.

Winding Our Way Up Inside the Dome
Inside the dome there is a gently sloping walkway that curls its way up to the top. Skateboarders would love this.

Gazing Out of Our Big Glass Room
As we headed toward the top of the dome we were able to get some great views of Berlin. Unfortunately the weather was rather overcast. Here we can see the Chancellery in the background. This is the office complex for the Chancellor and his staff.

We Made It to the Top
Cassie takes a breather on the top of the dome. We didn't spend much time up here because the tiny windows gave a worse view of the city. Also there was a hole in the top which made it darn cold up there. Add in the pigeons that were roosting inside and we soon found ourselves heading back down.

River Spree
I tried being a little artsy zooming in on this section of the river that wends through the city. Facing in this direction from the Reichstag we are looking from the old West Berlin down into the East.

Brandenburg Gate
Coming down the ramp and now curling SE we got a nice view of Berlin's most famous landmark - the Brandenburg Gate. This is the last remaining gate dating back to the days when Berlin was a walled city. As bad as the weather appears, it was dry and not too cold. Around 35 Fahrenheit.

The Princess Finds Her Way Down
Cassie, the roller coaster enthusiast, felt uncomfortable on the ramp and hurried down to the more stable rooftop.

Government Office Buildings Next to the Reichstag
After exiting the glass dome we spent a few more minutes getting a less obstructed, but lower elevation, view of Berlin.

Another Look at the Brandenburg Gate
Beyond the gate, the odd-looking curved roof is the Akademie der Kunste (the Academy of the Arts). Apparently it's a think tank for the artsy-fartsy crowd.

Reichstag Cupola
What I've been calling the "dome" is actually a cupola according to Wikipedia. Whatever it is that stands here today is a modern interpretation of a far different adornment atop the building. When Berlin was reunified and the Reichstag selected to be the seat of the German parliament, the building was almost completely gutted. About the only original parts are the outer walls. Even these are plastered over where Russian bullets and shrapnel scarred the walls.