A second chance for a first impression...

If anyone knows the importance of a second chance, it’s this girl. Second chances at a love, at experiences…at living. Now, had you asked me two years ago to give Berlin a second chance, I probably would have said “naaaaah…been there, done that, not impressed.” The truth is, I didn’t really “feel” Berlin when I visited it seven years ago. It was cold, rainy and not really my scene. But, in honor of my new outlook on life…what the heck, give it a whirl, right?

Of course, what made it easier this second time around was a knowledgeable tour guide—my friend, Jason, who knows a lot about Berlin, having lived just an hour away from it for the past five years. You know what, Berlin ain’t too bad (sorry for the grammar, dad)! Actually, I liked it a lot.

It started with the promise of a currywurst and a dream. OK, so it wasn’t that dramatic, but I did hear these whispers of currywurst at our first dinner Friday night. J

I spent Saturday morning exploring the history of the Berlin Wall, starting with the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. I learned a lot about how Germany came to be split after WWII. How, the U.S., Britain and France split their opinions with once ally, Russia, after the war ended. I learned about the oppression, the escapes, the persecution, and ultimately, the uprising against two Germanys.

I think this photo is most interesting because it features a Russian Soldier and the U.S. flag. This is the checkpoint where East Berlin and West Berlin meet. On one side, freedom, the other, communism.

JFK visited Germany during his presidency and spoke at the famous Brandenburg Gate. In order to avoid any eye contact being made through the pillars from people in East Germany to the West, a giant curtain was put over the Gate. This painting is called “The Biggest Curtain in the World” and really sums it all up.

This photo really captured the emotion and strife for those who were trying to escape for a better life. I learned that children of parents who tried to flee but were caught, were often put up for adoption to a “fitting” communist family.

Even though the wall fell over 20 years ago, its presence is still everywhere. And rightfully so. You don’t want to forget what you don’t want to happen again. You have to learn from the past…and teach future generations about it as well.

I took this at the second longest stretch of remaining wall in Berlin.

I loved this painting…looking ahead.

I was surprised to see the amount of American graffiti on bits of the wall throughout. Go USA!

Berlin does an amazing job of documenting history for future generations. I’ve studied WWII a lot and have visited so many Holocaust Memorials. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin may be the best memorial I’ve been to.

The memorial covers 19,000 m² and is made up of 2711 concrete blocks. Under this impressive monument(s) is an amazing exhibition that chronicles the persecution and extermination of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and the ill. It has final letters, family histories, real stories from victims of the concentration camps and a tribute to all the Holocaust memorials throughout Europe. The amount of work put into this memorial is astounding. I will leave my political commentary at the door about other genocides and injustices that are happening in this world right now, and just tell you If you come to Berlin, you have to come here…and you must think about the past and the present.

OK, onto brighter topics...it’s interesting living in Europe during the Eurozone Crisis, so it was especially interesting to visit the Reichstag building, or parliament of the German government. Jason had arranged for us to visit the “dome” for a very interesting view of Berlin.

Check this out:

The dome had “daylighting” technologies that not only light the parliament, but also make for an awesome picture.

We walked up the dome to the top, for this marvelous, blue view of the Berlin sky.

Proof that I was there J

So we saw the dome in “real life” but how about the dome in “chocolate!”

This chocolate shop, Fassbender & Rausch, was amazing!

OK, so obviously Berlin has some amazing chocolate artists, but to really experience Berlin, you have to go where the real artists live…Kunst Halle.

We came upon this “abandoned” building on the way to dinner on Saturday night. Berlin respects and honors free space, meaning that abandoned buildings that may be destroyed in other cities are made available to communities…like artists. The Kunst Halle was a kind of intimidating place. It was dark, it was murky, it was very “Candyman-esque,” but…it was also filled with artists and their life’s work. I have to tell you, this was my most favorite part of Berlin. Maybe because it felt a little forbidden and scary. Maybe it’s because I respect these people’s wishes to live their lives creating what they love. Either way, I was so grateful to have the chance to be here.

So, this just scratches the surface of my time in Berlin. I didn’t even touch on the Brandenburg Gate, the room of silence (can you believe I did it!), the amazing Indian food, the masses of Englishmen visiting for a wild weekend, or the reaction both Jason and I had simultaneously when a tourist from the U.S. said…”OOOOOOOHHHH, another American!” In a nutshell, we both groaned (please forgive me my fellow Americans).

Berlin ain’t all that bad…and the currywurst? That wasn’t either.