Walking Through Berlin

Our hotel in Berlin was located by Museum Island. While I had researched various hotels in a multitude of locations for days, Tom searched for about five minutes and came up with the perfect one. Go figure. We drove the six hours to Berlin on a Friday afternoon and settled into our hotel. Hangry and unsure of where to go in the area, we ate at the Indian restaurant next door. The food was flavorful and the servings were huge. This created a perfect equation for a full night of sleep before getting off to an early start Saturday morning.

Believe it or not, we enjoyed our first rain free weekend in quite some time. We were able to take advantage of the weather and walk the thirty minutes to the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag Building just five minutes beyond that.

Brandenburg Gate

Reichstag Building

From the Reichstag we walked about twenty minutes to the Deutsches Historisches Museum, or the German History Museum. Before going inside, a nearby market caught our eye. As we walked through the tents, we glanced across the river and caught a glimpse of the Berliner Dom, the Berlin Cathedral. The Cathedral wasn't even on our list to see and made for a happy surprise as we realized it was a short walk across the bridge.

Berliner Dom and Fernsehturm

The Fernsehturm, the silver tower you can see beyond the cathedral roof, is a television tower in central Berlin. It is also an iconic landmark, I consider this picture to be quite a two for one view.

We finally made our way into the history museum where they give you a sticker as proof of entry instead of a ticket stub. While this method did not bode well for me, I lost mine halfway through and had to get another, I liked the idea. It seemed more environmentally friendly.

I have, understandably, learned a great deal about European history since arriving here. This museum was particularly awesome. Displays began in the 500's, but there was an animated map to show the shifting country lines throughout the preceding centuries.

"Discord in Marriage"

Art work was featured throughout a number of exhibits and I consider the above piece to be my favorite by far. The marriage piece is humorous and descriptive. I may consider requesting a replica for my own decor.

The museum spanned two floors, I lost my sticker after floor one, and concluded with a glimpse into the lives of East/West Berlin residents. We spent a significant portion of time walking through that display. We left the museum around three and I was beyond starving. I had yet to eat and all of that walking and education was draining me quickly.

Fortunately we were just up the road from a long strip of restaurants. We perused some menu choices before settling on one advertising more traditional German fare.

By now, I like to believe I know my way around a menu. I knew I ordered something with pork, potatoes, and vegetables. I thought it would be a slab of pork with everything else on the side. Then, they brought out the above contraption. I devoured nearly the entire thing, and it tasted like a fusion of Mexican and American style cooking. From the restaurant we took the train out to the Berlin Wall, but that experience is for another post.