3-5 July, Berlin.

The train ride to Berlin from Amsterdam was pleasant. We met three regular blokes from England who entertained us with their verbal banter as only the British can. On our way from the train station we crossed the lawn of the Reichstag, Germany's Parliamentary building. As we were taking pictures of ourselves using the Riechstag as a backdrop, we observed a very distinguished and attractive woman on a bicycle being repeatedly photographed by an equally attractive younger woman. As we passed them the older women, Professor Monika Grutters, a recently elected new member to the German Parliament, (Bundestag) greeted us to her country and even graciously posed for a picture. Prof. Grutters was being photographed by her assistant riding her bicycle to work for her first term in the traditional manner. As we were taking our leave, Prof. Grutters wished us a happy 4^th of July and informed us of the American Embassy dedication ceremony taking place the next day (4^th) so we made plans for a brief visit.

We passed through the Tiergarten on our way to our hotel enjoying the forested oasis in the middle of the city,(more on this later). Well, after an hour of hiking, we never did find the hotel I had booked on-line but found a nice room in the Berlin Hotel where we asked our last time for directions, (I promptly cancelled our previous reservation). It turned out the Berlin Hotel was central to everywhere we wanted to go. To our north, the Reichstag, US embassy, and the Spree river. To our southeast, the KaDeVe, Berlin Zoo, and most of the restaurants. And being located on the fringe of the Tiergarten, we got to enjoy it during every trip. Once again, the European mass transit system was excellent, and once again, cyclists rode throughout the city.

Day two in Berlin was the polar opposite of day one weather-wise, the first being sunny and bright, the second wet and drab. This seemed appropriate however as we visited Checkpoint Charlie on this day. The inclement weather added a city-under-siege feel to the pictures of the once oppressive soviet controlled area. Ironically, there was a monument to the soviet soldiers killed during the war in the Tiergarten area depicting the graves of the slain as liberators of Berlin. I can see through the political machinations of such a gesture, but it still seems odd. It must be my American bias toward freely elected societies; My bad. I also found irony in sitting in a Starbucks, out of the rain, looking directly across the street at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the last soviet flag hanging in disrepair on the wall. East, meet West; How about a nice over-priced cup o' joe? After the CPC tour, we decided to avoid the weather by visiting the KaDeVe, touted as the largest single department store in Europe. The only thing, in my opinion, that was unique here (being a true child of the consumer-driven US) was the gourmet foods floor. Not only could one find just about any type of food in variety and quality, but there were small cooking kiosks distributed liberally throughout which provided on-the-spot preparation and service of meals for nearly any taste and category. Alas, we did not eat there having already eaten prior to our visit and the timing being off. I recommend making it your plan to have one meal here in conjunction with your visit. On that subject, our favorite meal was that same evening at an Argentinian steakhouse called Rosada' s where we both had very tender and tasty steaks. We did not visit the US embassy on the 4^th because the weather was poor and we were told the celebration was planned for the 5^th as well. We put it off in hopes of better conditions, wisely it turns out.

Day three was our most ambitious to date. We began with a trip to the Reichstag but the lines were ridiculously long. We got an excellent tip from a local gent to revisit in the evening around 6 to 8 pm when the lines would be smaller, the wait less and the photo opportunities enhanced by the setting of the sun. With that in mind, we immediately redirected our course to enjoy a boat trip down the Spree river. A helpful tip here, do not waste your time with the English audio-tour headphones. They went from worthless to annoying to aggravating in less than one hundred yards. Just follow along with a good map and you get the highlights. We left the cruise for a nice stroll through the Tiergarten to the Berlin Zoo. Along the way Carter climbed one the many stone sculptures for a photo op, which to the chagrin of frenzied parents, inspired a group of small children to attempt the same. Hey Berliners, that's how we roll; adding a little danger to our Saturday romp in the park. Next we visited the Berlin Zoo which was, a zoo in Berlin. It was not remarkable in any way but was a nice way to pass a few hours. Not to say it was not a well planned and executed zoo, it was, just nothing of significance. After a short late afternoon rest back at the hotel, we returned to the Reichstag for a short wait and eventual admission. The big draw to the Reichstag, other than the impressive facade, is the dome in the center. It provides a 360 degree view high above the city and the center, cone-shaped funnel that looks directly onto the floor of the Bundestag's plenary chamber below. This was intended to reinforce the dedication on the front that the Reichstag is “To the German People.” To round out the day we visited the US embassy just behind and near the Brandenburg Gate. There we enjoyed some live music and some American camaraderie before heading out for dinner and retiring after an exhausting but thoroughly enjoyable day. In the morning it is on to Czechoslovakia.