Final Stop - Berlin

Up early we had a 7:45AM train to Berlin from Cologne.  We used the German Railroad, U Bahn, which was very nice.  Even nicer than the Eurostar, except we did not have a meal.  We did wind up with free beverages though due to a delay part the way through our trip.  We arrived in Berlin about 1.5 hours late, which was fine by us as it put us closer to our hotel check-in time.

The train station in Berlin was HUGE so much so it took us a bit to figure out which way was which to secure an Uber.  It took about 15 minutes to get to our hotel, a chain we used a fair amount overseas when the kids were little, Novotel.  This was the Novotel Berlin Mitte, located within a couple minutes’ walk of the famous Museum Island.

I had planned most of the trip, so I put Andy in charge of the afternoon and then I took over dinner.  For the afternoon we would head over to the island and to a museum tucked pretty much underground along river, the DDR Museum.  This museum was mostly hands-on exhibits where you learned the history and the lifestyle during the German Democratic Republic - The Wall - The Stassi - and much more.  It was very crowded, but we took our time and soaked it all in.  It covered everything from the standard political and governmental aspects to education, home life, vacation, shopping, environment, and economy.  We stood in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living room of one of the apartments that people were allotted under the regime and then in a cell where people were locked away for the smallest of things. It was all very surreal

After we were done, we grabbed a quick ice cream, as we had skipped lunch, and were planning a good dinner.  A easy 5-minute walk back to the hotel Alec hit the gym and Andy, and I hit the hotel bar for a cocktail.  Our dinner this evening was about a 15-minute walk to the amazing Zur Gerichtslaube.  We opted for one more truly authentic German restaurant, and this one did not disappoint.  It is ranked #80 on Trip Advisor out of 9445 restaurants in Berlin.  This place was wonderful.  The Gerichtslaube (courtyard arcade) was built around 1270 in Gothic brick style and was repeatedly remodeled over the following centuries. Originally built in the Middle Ages and primarily used for the often extremely gruesome administration of justice, the Gerichtslaube (courtyard arcade) has had various functions over the centuries until it finally became a restaurant in the 20th century. We opted for outside seating as the weather was beautiful, and it was very lively.  This time both Alec and I got schnitzel, and the boys tried the beers made just for this restaurant.  The service was also very good.  We didn't finish until nearly 10PM, in typical European dining style.

The next morning we enjoyed a buffet breakfast at the hotel.  Very plentiful as it should be for 25 euros.  Then we had a 20-minute walk to meet our guide for another Get Your Guide booking.  This time it was a 4-hour tour entitled "Berlin: Discover Berlin Walking Tour."  We knew with a very cheap price it would be more crowded, but the reviews were quite good.  Sure enough about 20 people tagged along with our guide Eran (who was Israeli, but got to Germany via... Isreal --> US --> Amsterdam...fell in love with a German --> Germany...divorced, hated his IT job, loved history, so there you have it ...a tour guide). 

We crammed a lot into our 3.5 hours (given a 30 min break for snack, etc).  We visited Museum Island and learned all about the buildings and their former intentions.  We also re-learned most of the buildings are replicas as 90% of the city was destroyed in the war.  We saw bullet holes everywhere.  We stood at the site and saw the memorial for the famous 1933 pro-Nazi book burning.  We visited Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous of the east west crossing points. A little further and we came upon one of the three stretches of the Berlin wall that is still standing.  Less than 5-minute walk from there and we stood on the parking lot which covers the cement filled bunker where Hitler, along with several others, committed suicide.  I will admit I prefer the way Germany has chosen to note these historical places.  There are simple placards with information in German and English.  There is nothing big about any of it...while they do not wish to forget, they also do not wish to create larger scale markers which may be more inviting to those who still support the teachings and ideologies of Hitler and the Nazis.  

It was very poignant to go from there to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.  Made up of 2711 dark gray slabs that are the exact same length and width their heights all vary...getting taller towards the center and shorter on the outsides.  They also are set in rows that undulate as well as slant.  They also are placed such that only one person can walk through on their own.  You cannot walk side by side, only single file.  Our guide had us walk through and talk about the experience on the other side.  It "felt like drowning," "felt like being buried," "alone," and so on.  It was definitely a very powerful and thought-provoking piece.  We ended at the Brandenburg Gate. All along our tour our guide had photos of the various sites put to use in Hitler's speeches, parades, etc.  It was so strange to be in such a place.

A long and emotional day we returned to our hotel after a little shopping and packed a bit before heading out to Rotisserie Weingrün.  Another top rated restaurant #112 in the city, this place was more California in style, and the food was amazing.  All of our meats...chicken, steak, sausages were cooked perfectly.  I enjoyed black truffle mashed potatoes...the best mashed potatoes I have ever had (sorry Grams).  And the cocktails, wine, and beer selections also did not disappoint.  An incredible meal to end an incredible trip on as the next day we would head home via a stop in Frankfort.