One of the perks to what I do is that I get to see the world, and I often get to bring my friends with me. Well, this past summer, we traveled a lot. It was fantastic. I thought I’d share some interesting details about our trip to Berlin, courtesy of myself, Brian of Denver, and J-Money. (I’ve uploaded several pics here to my Facebook page, if you’d like to have a look.) Highlights for us included the Holocaust Memorial, some sites related to the Berlin Wall, and some incredible art and architecture at various churches.
Entering Berlin, we were a bit worn out. It was a two-hour train ride in the dead of summer, and the train had no air conditioning, but we did get to see lots of great views of the German countryside. Once we arrived, we knew how important it would be to learn some of the history of the Holocaust, so that’s one of the first things we did. The Holocaust Memorial itself was eye-opening. Of course, we all know of the frightening horror that six million Jews were murdered in Nazi Germany, but the Memorial itself provided some additional eye-opening information. Plus, it was truly a site to see 2,711 concrete slabs on display.
After some reflection, it was time to move on to the Berlin Wall, which divided East and West Germany from 1961 to 1989. What a site! It was strange – and sad – to think that this wall used to be heavily guarded, and that so many died here. Did you know that there were only nine border crossings between East and West Berlin during this time? The most famous one is called ‘Checkpoint Charlie,’ so of course, we had to have a look at this place too.
Now, I don’t want you to think our visit was entirely solemn – we did have time to enjoy lots of food, beer, and fun. We even saw the famous hotel where Michael Jackson held his kid out of the window at Pariser Platz, lol. But far more impressive than that were the countless churches we visited. The architecture was breathtaking (so old!) and the art was some of the most beautiful and elaborate we’ve ever seen.
It would certainly be great to return someday! But for now, BoD, J-Money, and I have other places to see and other things to do. Still, if you’ve never had the opportunity to visit Berlin, I hope this short read has given you a bit of insight, and perhaps it will even encourage you to experience it yourself.