On our first full day in Berlin Germany…the weather was fantastic with plenty of blue sky and sunshine!
We were ready to explore and enjoy!
We rode on Berlin's Metro …. and learned quickly how to navigate around the city.
We spotted another Buddy Bear…as we crossed through the tunnels of a metro line. Rebecca and I are pointing to where we started from and to where we wanted to go...
A few more bears we saw throughout the day….
The "bear" has been a part of Berlin's symbol for many years…
We exited the metro line at the beautiful Alexanderplatz area….
We saw this beautiful and most interesting fountain
We had a great view of the TV tower
and saw a beautiful chalk drawing….
Our first glimpse of the Ampelman….the street crossing sign!
I was so intrigued by this little man….we later learned there was a store with all Ampelman products!
We took a one hour boat ride down the Spree River which flows through Berlin. We saw beautiful hotels, homes, and churches,….both old and very modern.
Our Saturday weather was simply beautiful ! We enjoyed learning about Berlin as we traveled down the river on our 1 hour cruise.
Beautiful Cathedral
Beautiful bridges
Reichtung…is one of Berlin's most historic landmark. It houses the German Parliament.
The "bear"…a Berlin symbol even on the walls of the Spree River
After our boat cruise we found our way to
the Brandenburg Gate area…this time for a longer visit.
Last summer marked the 25th anniversary when President Reagan stood in front of the gate and said his famous words "...tear down this wall"
"General Secretary if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe…Mr. Gobachev, open this gate….tear down this wall."
We were here….
Right next door to the Brandenburg gate is the American Embassy….there was a "Statue of Liberty" Buddy Bear... inside a room seen only from the outside. Our Becca poses beside it.
Right across the street from the American Embassy is the Memorial to the Jews
This is quite a unique memorial area….the design, layout and structures were most interesting to walk through….
There were many other people wandering around…and yet at times it appeared as if we were the only ones there.
We returned to the Victory Column…situated in the Tiergarten (the large public gardens close to our hotel). We were going to climb to the highest point and get a great view of the city!
The roundabout can be very busy with traffic, so the only way to get to the column is to go underground and walk through a tunnel.
We climbed the 285 steps….up and down and we were not disappointed.
At the first level is a beautiful mosiac mural created in the late 1800s.
I love this scene….
Made it to the top!
Here is one of our views…. on a summer day in Berlin!
Another view….the Spree River….and Berlin beyond.
My climbing buddies….
The Victory Column was built in 1873 and moved to the Tiergarten area in 1938.
The column is beautiful and the view was amazing!
We walked through the lovely Tiergarten after our climb up the Victory Column
We then traveled to see Checkpoint Charlie….
a very interesting mural display is erected on the sidewalks with great photographs telling the story of
this area of Berlin.
Standing at the point of Checkpoint Charlie
The bricks below mark the area where the actual Berlin Wall was erected
I used to think…there is a wall….but how could one wall keep so many people separated ? The picture below shows that not only was there 1) a wall….but also 6 more barriers after the wall….that kept people separated from crossing.
A map showing the areas of west and east Berlin with the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie in the middle
This portion of the Berlin Wall….is in the same exact position where it was originally erected.
Checkpoint Charlie….on the "east German" side.
We left the Checkpoint Charlie and walked towards a large portion of the Berlin Wall ...still in its same location
Standing together on one side of the Berlin Wall
One of our favorite and final activities for our first full day, was finding the Ritters Chocolate Shop!
We had intended to come to the shop on Monday, but when we saw signs pointing the way, it appeared to be quite close to us. Little did we know, we would have a long walk….but we were on a mission to find Ritters…so glad we did!
We had intended to come to the shop on Monday, but when we saw signs pointing the way, it appeared to be quite close to us. Little did we know, we would have a long walk….but we were on a mission to find Ritters…so glad we did!
Ritters Chocolate can be found in the US…and in Poland….and throughout the world. In Poland we might have 8-9 varieties but here in Germany…there are always "25"regular flavors in addition to the seasonal flavors. A whole shop devoted to chocolate!
We had so much fun looking and buying chocolates for friends, family, and ourselves!
We would return on Monday to the shop…but we were so happy we found the shop before closing hours.
This is a happy place
Another Buddy Bear…covered with all the flavors of Ritter's Chocolate
Summertime in Berlin brings long daylight hours….it was nearing 9pm and yet still so much sunlight here also.
Lovely Berlin
We are learning and creating great memories….I only wish Mark could have been with us to experience all that we enjoyed today.
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