Catching up...
After forgetting to set my alarm, I woke up slightly late (8:30, not THAT late) but later than I intended. I breakfasted at 9 and headed out around quarter to 10. First stop was a trip a little out of central Berlin, to the Olympia Stadion where, in the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens kicked some Nazi ass and showed up Hitler by winning 4 medals. It was really eerie to be in a place that was designed to propagate the idea of Aryan superiority.
I only saw the outside because, honestly, I didn't see the point in paying 4 Euros to see the inside of a stadium. So I hopped back on the U-Bahn and headed to the Deutsche Guggenheim, which I was actually rather disappointed with. For one thing it's tiny, so there's no permanent collection. It's basically an exhibition space, and the exhibit turned out to be abstract protest films from India. I enjoyed reading the texts that went along with the films, but the films themselves were wasted on me. Not to say they weren't good, I just didn't understand, and didn't have the patience to watch flashing images of abandoned factories. But I ended up learning a lot about the lack of human rights in Burma, so I guess it wasn't for nothing.
Another benefit was that, by wandering around Berlin Mitte after the Guggenheim, I stumbled upon the Französische Dom and Tower, which are hardly on the map I have. They were built by French Hugenots, and while the church was closed, for 2 Euro 50, which is cheaper than admission to the Olympia Stadion, I was able to climb to the top of the tower and have a beautiful glimpse of Berlin.
Französische Dom
After the Tower, I headed back the Nikolai Viertel to get another good look around, including the Nikolai Kirche. I managed to snap a few photos of the interior from the foyer before someone told me that I needed to pay to enter the church. Oops.
After this, I went back to Prenzlauerberg, since I love it so much, and got a cup of coffee at an ice cream shop that sells home made ice cream. Delicious! And cheap - my coffee was 1,50, was delicious and strong, and even came with a glass of water that good strong coffee is supposed to come with. I was tempted by many shops, but I don't have room in my suitcase, nor the muscle strength to lug everything to Munich, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt with me! But I stumbled upon (literally, it's not on my map and wasn't in my guidebook) the Berlin Wall Park, which I find to be, yet again, a very poignant recognition of Berlin's past.
On my way back to the Pension, I walked through Tiergarten, saw the Schloss where Angela Merkel, as President of Germany, lives (named Bellevue, coincidentally), and saw my first nude sunbather. Then I picked up some Chinese - cheap comfort food! - ate it in the comfort of my room, packed, and slept for a solid 8 hours. It was tough to say goodbye to Berlin this morning. It's a great city! But at the same time, I was ready for Munich. I caught my 9:52 AM express train and was in Munich by 4:30.
I'll update on Munich tomorrow. I didn't do a whole lot today besides wander around the Altstadt. Time to finish unpacking, do some knitting, and call it a night. Bis Morgen!
Katharine
On my way back to the Pension, I walked through Tiergarten, saw the Schloss where Angela Merkel, as President of Germany, lives (named Bellevue, coincidentally), and saw my first nude sunbather. Then I picked up some Chinese - cheap comfort food! - ate it in the comfort of my room, packed, and slept for a solid 8 hours. It was tough to say goodbye to Berlin this morning. It's a great city! But at the same time, I was ready for Munich. I caught my 9:52 AM express train and was in Munich by 4:30.
I'll update on Munich tomorrow. I didn't do a whole lot today besides wander around the Altstadt. Time to finish unpacking, do some knitting, and call it a night. Bis Morgen!
Katharine
