Berlin, Germany 3/26/10

Arrived in Berlin late last night at about 11. Not quite sure how to get to Landsberger Allee station, which is right by our hostel, The Generator (the place can house 1000 and the hallways are bathed in blue lights). Luckily, a German man, who sat near us on the train coming here, caught up with Cambria and I while we looked at a map and had his American friend give us a lead in the right direction. Very fortunate. I really like cities with metro stations as well. Easy to get around.

After breakfast today, we decided to take the “free” tour of Berlin’s major sites with a tips for tour guide. We started at the Brandenberg Gate (the dividing point between East and West Berlin). Right near that is the Hotel Adlon which is where Michael Jackson “presented” his baby to the crowd. We then moved to Potsdamer Platz where we saw many cubic stones that formed a sort of maze. I, like other tourists I saw, started walking across them until the guide informed me that this was the Jewish Holocaust Memorial. Whoops.

We then walked to a dirt parking lot which turned out to be the ground above the bunker where Hitler married Eva Braun and committed suicide. It’s pretty well-overlooked if not for the tours that pass by there. There’s even a shabby park nearby. We then saw the Luftwaffe HQ which is one of the last Nazi-built buildings that is still standing. It’s now a financial office after once housing the Socialist government, ironic.

Checkpoint Charlie is like Disneyland: pretty much a replica of what it once was and high priced. There are some fake American guards in front of the checkpoint in the street, while towering pics of an American and Soviet soldier tower over, each staring at the opposing side. The sign announcing what sector we were leaving was also present. We didn’t stick around that long, but only about 20 minutes is probably needed to get a feel for it.

Afterwards, we saw a section of the Berlin Wall which was interesting. Other sites included the spot where the infamous book burning took place (there’s now a monument underneath with empty bookcases), and Gendarmen Markt (so named for the Swedish soldiers that occupied it). We ended on Museum Island where Lauren, Christina, Cambria and I decided to check out the nearby Berliner Dom for the “great” view of the city. It would be “great” had not we been restricted to seeing the city through windows because the outside walkway was closed.

We decided to take the S-Bahn to the Olympic Stadium, the site of the 1936 Olympics where Hitler refused to recognize Jesse Owens. It’s pretty plain and definitely Nazi-built, but now hosts the Berlin football team. Aside from the stadium, we saw the spot where the Olympic flame was lit, the old Nazi bell from the tower that was blown up, various statues, and other facilities like the pool with high dives. The stadium also is home to the largest screen…in Europe. America obviously subscribes more frequently to the philosophy of “bigger is better.”

On the U-Bahn back, a musician with a violin and his friend with hidden speakers in his bag started performing. Cambria and I made the mistake of applauding, however, so we were subject to give a tip. We took the U-Bahn to Alexanderplatz (Bourne meets Nikki here in Supremacy) which had various stands set up with shops and foods (probably due to the warm weather today, woot!). Therefore, it looks nothing like it did in The Bourne Supremacy. I got the currywurst from a stand which was actually tasty. Essentially, I just put curry-flavored ketchup on my brat. Earlier in the day I also got a brat from a seller with a backpack cooking contraption.

I decided to go to Friedrichstrasse station afterwards to see the bridge that crosses the river. Why you may ask? This happens to be the bridge that Bourne jumps off of onto the garbage barge while escaping the police. A fine capstone to my day and I was happy.