Blogs from Berlin, Berlin, Germany, Europe - page 9

We started the day with a tour of the Jewish Museum. For those of you who know me, you know I wouldn’t visit Berlin without visiting this museum. It was not at all what I expected. I expected exhibits that showed what happened to the Jews, instead I found a building that evocated the feelings of what happened to the Jews. Walking through the building the architecture made you feel the unsettled reality of Jews who were fortunate enough to emigrate, the emptiness of the Jews who were murdered and the uncertain reality of the future of Jews who survived. There was virtually no signage or displays that either explained or showed what happened, rather the building itself enabled you to feel what had happened. For example, there was a small outside area with 49 tall ... read more

It’s dificult to pigeon-hole Berlin, as it is a diverse mix of old and new, is very multicultural and heavily steeped in history. We bought daily transport passes and changed from buses to trams to trains very regularly. The main points of interest are quite spread out and there doesn’t seem to be the congestion that we experienced in Budapest. Obviously, due to its part in WW2 and the destruction of most of Berlin in 1945, the buildings are relatively recent and many are reproductions of what stood there before. It makes for an interesting mix of socialist modernist styles, Soviet architecture in the East and newer buildings highlighting modern Germany and its place in the modern world. You can’t visit Berlin without commenting on its role in WW2 and the Holocaust but I think it ... read more

img=https://attachment.outlook.office.net/owa/golfkat@hotmail.com/service.svc/s/GetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATExAGQ3NwAtYmNiZi0zNzNkLTAwAi0wMAoARgAAA7edubVVKlhNiaZqJG%2FCMEMHAJoKUytVtFlFsmsux%2FxQTcgAAAJH0wAAAJoKUytVtFlFsmsux%2FxQTcgAAU798e0AAAABEgAQAL7u0Yc49vYAS6NJNzyTcawJ&X-OWA-CANARY=vQzDJqly3Uqt7gsVFgC7mECZPCI0d9UYSxzowPTj-qEA95CiNVnbLzKpmu3Bd3hI-0RO5dTd4YU.&token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsIng1dCI6ImVuaDlCSnJWUFU1aWpWMXFqWmpWLWZMMmJjbyJ9.eyJ2ZXIiOiJFeGNoYW5nZS5DYWxsYmFjay5WMSIsImFwcGN0eHNlbmRlciI6Ik93YURvd25sb2FkQDg0ZGY5ZTdmLWU5ZjYtNDBhZi1iNDM1LWFhYWFhYWFhYWFhYSIsImFwcGN0eCI6IntcIm1zZXhjaHByb3RcIjpcIm93YVwiLFwicHJpbWFyeXNpZFwiOlwiUy0xLTI4MjctNzMwNzktMzE2NjY0ODEyNVwiLFwicHVpZFwiOlwiMzEzODc1MDgxNjcyNTA5XCIsXCJvaWRcIjpcIjAwMDExZDc3LWJjYmYtMzczZC0wMDAwLTAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMFwiLFwic2NvcGVc... read more

So, nach dem meine alte Travelblog-Heimat geschlossen wurde, habe ich mir ein netues Zuhause gesucht, um abermals der Wanderlust zu fröhnen. Wer dachte, dass meine fußläufigen Abenteuer mit dem Erreichen von Finisterre vorbei waren, der hat sich getäuscht.... gerade so wie ich. Kaum zurück, juckte es schon wieder in den Fingern / Füßen und ich war hin und her gerissen zwischen Japan und einem weiteren Jakobsweg-Abenteuer. Jakobsweg hat gewonnen und diesmal werde ich Ende März den portugiesischen Abschnitt von Porto nach Santiago bewandern. Weniger Hochleistung, dafür mehr Meditation, denn in der Zwischenzeit hat sich viel ereignet, das sortiert sein möchte.... read more

A rainy weekend in Berlin Last fall we went to Berlin for a weekend. Over the last year or so we have had some bad luck with the weather when we have made short trips to cities in Europe. It rained a lot in Vilnius in October in 2016 and it wasn't much better in Amsterdam in March 2017. This weekend trip in Berlin completed a full triple of short trips to cities in Europe coinciding with bad weather. Fortunately we don't think it matters much that it rains when we visit cities. Often the things we plan to do can be enjoyed indoors or it is possible to do the sightseeing in between the rain showers. Rain or sunshine, we can have a great time no matter what. We love the city Berlin and we ... read more