July 5, 2013
The 3rd week with Rebecca and Becca began with our five-day trip to Berlin, Germany….another Girl Trip, sans Mark. Little did I know when I traveled to Israel with two girlfriends in April that I would go on two more trips without him in the next three months.
Since my sister and niece were visiting for four weeks, I wanted to take them to another country while they were here. So I looked for a city that would be new to me and also easy get to from Warsaw….and found that Berlin would fill that order.
Our train ride to Berlin would be just over five hours. Mark took us to Warsaw's Central Train station for our 5:55 am (!) departure. Since the train station is next door to Mark's office, he just went to work after seeing us off.
We passed through beautiful little towns and countrysides as we traveled west across Poland.
We had some refreshing rain….
….and a little more than half way to Berlin we came to Poznan.…a Polish city that we want to visit, but have not been to yet. It is the largest city between Warsaw and Berlin, but we were only passing through.
The train ride went rather quickly as we talked, read, journaled, and rested.
Before long we were crossing into Germany….the only noticeable differences were that German conductors re-checked our tickets, and the announcements on the train and signs outside were now in German.
We arrived at Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station) right on schedule (11:15am). This train station opened in 2006 and is Europe's largest and most modern train station.
It is beautiful….with 5 levels for train traffic.
We were excited to have to have arrived in Germany….and now we just needed to find our way to the S-Bahn lines (the regional tram line) and then to a bus….before getting to our hotel.
We were excited to have to have arrived in Germany….and now we just needed to find our way to the S-Bahn lines (the regional tram line) and then to a bus….before getting to our hotel.
Before leaving the train station we needed to get some Euros. On all our other trips Mark has been the one to exchange our currency….but I was able to manage at the ATM.
Berlin is not only Germany's capital and largest city….it is a cosmopolitan city….culturally rich, spacious, and of course very busy.
In the afternoon, we took a "Hop On - Hop Off" bus tour around the city. It was a good way to get an overall feel of the city and see some popular and historical sties. Here were just a few of the interesting places we saw...
This is called "the Berlin Structure". It was created in 1985 by a pair of artists and subsequently purchased and erected by the city. It depicts a broken chain, symbolizing the broken connection between West and East Berlin due to the construction of the Berlin Wall.
This is called "the Berlin Structure". It was created in 1985 by a pair of artists and subsequently purchased and erected by the city. It depicts a broken chain, symbolizing the broken connection between West and East Berlin due to the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Ka Da We (Kaufhaus des Westens=Department Store of the West)….the second-largest department store in all of Europe. I would have enjoyed spending more time here….but so little time!
A section of The Berlin Wall….in each wall section, the chunks of the wall are broken or chipped off. People did this to get a remembrance of the wall….and they came to be called "woodpeckers"!
This is a beautiful monument! It is possible to climb the 285-step circular stairway to the top (and we did), where there is a great overall view of the city. This monument was created after a Prussian victory over France in the late 1800's.
This towering TV tower can be seen all over the city of Berlin. It is called The Berliner Feinsehturm, and stands 368 meters tall.
The Brandenburg Gate
I loved coming to this part of Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most famous German landmarks. It is a former city gate that led to the Prussian Palace. It was built in the late 1700s and still stands in its original size and design. It was almost completely destroyed during WWII, but was later restored.
The American Embassy is a neighboring building just to the right of the Brandenburg Gate. It is always nice to see the American flag in any of the cities we visit.
The Holocaust Memorial…located across from the American Embassy and Brandenburg Gate. This is a memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust that consists of 2,711 concrete slabs built on a sloping field.
The TV tower just behind a church steeple. I liked this shot as a nice contrast between the old and new in downtown Berlin.
The first "Buddy Bear" we saw in Berlin….we would come to see many more colorful, life-size bears around the city. Buddy Bears started as an artistic event in Berlin in 2001…bringing art to the streets in a creative and fun way!
We walked by Embassy Row and this creative structure was in the courtyard of one of the embassies ….birds flying, shaped in a sphere.
There were interesting buildings….this one had numerous faces from long ago.
This is not a window reflection from inside our tour bus….it is a building that truly looks like it has an eye!
Checkpoint Charlie….is one of the most famous symbols of the Cold War. It was the name given by the Western allies for the best-known crossing point between East and West Berlin, through the Berlin Wall.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints….the church we would attend while in Berlin. What a fun surprise to come across the church building we would need to find for Sunday…right on our tour on the very first day we were in Berlin!
We had a lovely first tour of the beautiful city of Berlin! It was good to be in a new city with my family and we looked forward to revisiting these sites over the next few days.
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." --Jawaharlal Nehru
I think this was our experience on our first day in Berlin….a beautiful and charming city!
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