Berlin

Bauhaus style, perhaps?  I have no education in architecture,
but this reminds me of the architecture in Tel Aviv.

We left for Berlin a little before noon, and that was a lesson for me. I had wanted to leave at 1000. We couldn't seem to make it out the door. Then we had to stop 50 billion times on the way there, and of course we hit traffic. I think it was 1930 by the time we got there. No sightseeing for us the first night. From now on, it's an early morning departure or it's a bedtime departure, depending on the length of the drive.

We stayed at an adorable AirBnB that was big enough for all of us with no crowding, and I would highly recommend for anyone. The proprietor seemed to be a sweet German lady (see, they do exist!), who had five dogs that the kids just loved. We were outside of the city a bit but close to the bus and train station, so I downloaded the Berlin app (Bus and Bahn) and had no issues getting around.

Checkpoint Charlie was highest on my list, so we went there first. I was quite disappointed by it because there were some German boys dressed up in German and American uniforms and you could pay them to have your picture taken. It ended up being quite corny.

Probably my "favorite" thing we saw (in quotes because of the nature of the subject) was the Topography of Terror. It was a section of the Berlin Wall that was still standing, and below it were photographs with descriptions in a timeline of how things progressed. I could have stayed there long enough to read every word. Of course, not with the kids. But what I saw was a very good exhibit.

And that plus a very quick walk through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and a stop at a cafe in Berlin was it for the day.  Well, we tried to go into the church, but they closed early.

So we went to the church the next day, and then we took the kids to the Berlin Zoo. I'm not usually a fan of zoos, but the Berlin Zoo was one of the best zoos I've ever been to. It didn't make me feel bad for the animals for being caged up too much. It was very nice, and the kids seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. We didn't spend a whole lot of time there because we had to hit the road and get back home, but watching the kids enjoy it has made me decide to check out the Frankfurt zoo, too. Even Lilly kept saying, "Awwww," every time we saw a new animal. Very cute! One thing to note about it though, is that we spent a lot more on our cafeteria-style dinner than we did on the tickets to get in. So don't go in there hungry.

I get a second chance at Berlin, because I'm planning to go there with my friend Melissa when she comes. I can't wait! Just me and her, and we're staying in the city, so it's going to be easy. We're only staying one night because we have other things to do, but I think we'll leave early and come home late. I'm looking forward to it!

After Berlin, we went to the pool that I mentioned in my previous post. Then the next day, I took Michelle to the airport. That was hard and sad. I was already trying to convince her to come again before I leave. Having her here was therapeutic, and I needed her without even realizing it. I miss her so much. But thankfully, three of my good friends are coming to visit me in August, and I'm so excited to see them!

Checkpoint Charlie, with a McDonald's right behind it.

From the Topography of Terror, which was a very interesting exhibit.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe around 1330.

A concert outside of Brandenburg Gate.  Concert was neat.
Couldn't get close to the gate, though.

But, Mom!  (I'm so corny but I can't help myself.)

The Berlin Cathedral

Alex and I were breezing through the crypt, and then Alex
noticed this crown on the tomb.  Then we went back around
and looked at all of the king's and queen's tombs.  He had a sudden
deep interest in it after that.  I had to read everyone's names and tell him
how long ago they had lived.

This was not a caged bird at the zoo, but I like the picture, and
these birds have a surprisingly pleasant song.

Bison bison