The flight was as expected, long, and so was the line at customs. Just when I was about to hit boredom overload behind at least 100 people ahead of me and the time change was setting-in (6:30am London time, 1:30am back home), I looked up and saw a familiar face ahead of me... Heidi! She had missed her flight the day before and found herself on my flight, only she had no idea it was the same. What a relief to have someone to help navigate the Tube, survive rush hour and get through the maze of stairs with six heavy bags between us. I did find an unexpected perk that even during rush hour people will help you get your bags up and down the stairs. Every time I thought I might have to go it alone, someone was there. It was wonderful!
When we finally reached the Study Center around 9am after over an hour in the Tube and found that they not only let us store our largest bags until check-in, but they were so hospitable. After a quick repacking, we went to find coffee and food.
Bloomsbury, our neighborhood for the summer, is very centrally located. We found a friendly spot for food and a Starbucks across from the British Museum with free wifi where I took a well-deserved nap (Heidi owed me from the Tube).
Heidi and I parted ways, her to stay in London a few days and I was off to Berlin. After an exhaustingly long wait at Heathrow, by 7pm London time I was finally on my way to meet up with my brother, Hans.
I managed to navigate the bus system to get to our hotel on the east side of Berlin by around 10:30pm Berlin time (4:30pm at home). Hans took me to a delicious kabob stand. I got to my room and was finally able to pass out around 2am Berlin time. This might be my longest travel day ever finally hitting the pillow after only napping across a 36-hour day.
Breakfast came too soon, but it was delicious. So good in fact that a nap came directly after almost by accident. Hans let me sleep and woke me up in time to save the day. We took the train from Ostbahnhof (the former central railway station of East Berlin) west to Alexanderplatz and visit to the mall for a watch replacement for Hans and an Ampelmann t-shirt (the East German traffic light man) for me. We grabbed some bubble tea (mmm...mango) after stopping at the World Time Clock, Weltzeituhr, in the middle of the square, and hoped back on the train to head to Potsdamer Platz and the German Film and Television Museum (Museum für Film und Fersehen). It was mostly meant to embrace thepositive contributions, but did not gloss over the East German versus West German differences as well as citing those in film and television forced out of the country like true Hollywood star, Marlene Dietrich who became a US citizen just before the outbreak of WWII.
We set out for the Brandenburg Gate, or Brandenburger Tor station. On the way, we decided to stop at Oranienburger Strasse to see the Neue Synagoge, or the New Synagogue. Although it is now a Museum, built between 1859-1866, this building has seen a lot history. In fact, it is probably a miracle that any of it is left standing. I cannot begin to explain the feeling inside. Hans and I found a spot in the remaining structure that was acoustically amplified (a point of resonance). It was so refreshing to know that a part of the beauty of the old structure had survived.
While traveling on the trains around Berlin, one of the first things that Hans brought to my attention was how the names had been changed. In some cases, the old name is still present in Old English font from when the Nazi’s held control of the city. The process of updating and changing the stations is still ongoing, but it is a testament, along with the broken structures and unfilled bullet holes, that wars leave marks that are not easily erased.
The Brandenburg Gate is a significant marker of the war this city had survived. Walking across the same ground that was marched upon in allegiance with the Nazi regime taking power in Berlin feels surreal. You look around at the normalcy of the area. The gate is clearly the centerpiece of the embassies of so many countries, France, the United States, Hungary, Britain, that have recently reestablished residency in their former locations from before WWII. The street has a line in the pavement two bricks wide as a placeholder to remind anyone who walks there of where the Berlin Wall once stood. The Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten) was built in 1945 and sits clearly on the Western side of the city. Once the wall was raised, a Russian soldier was tasked to move from East Berlin to West Berlin throughout the Cold War until the wall fell in 1989.
Hans, the excellent-historically-well-rounded-tour-guide-brother-of-mine, lead us to two places that I cannot do any justice to in writing. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, or Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas, consists of concrete slabs arranged on a sloping field in a grid pattern. Walking between each slab, you slip further into the maze of taller, and taller structures.; cold, anonymous and seemingly identical. In the middle of a bustling city at what seems to be just a typical intersection in Friedrichstadt, you can lose yourself. But then, maybe add to the overwhelming effect of this vast exhibition, sits the site of Hitler’s bunker. There is a single sign that provides the history of the site, but it now serves as a parking lot. No glorification. No value. Just enough to never forget. I will always appreciate Hans for taking me here. But he also knows that you cannot spend every moment in Berlin remembering these dark times.
This outing was in need of some lighter moments and some dinner. A bratwurst seemed the most traditional answer, and it was quickly followed by a trip to Museum Island – five museums on an island in the River Spree. I was happy to explore the Greek and Roman collections of the Altes Museum (Old Museum). At this point, the day had caught up to me. After being chased by a bee who thought my scarf was a giant flower and being mistaken for a native, Hans and I called it a night.
Breakfast the next morning was, again, delicious and followed by a long nap. Finding ourselves in mid-afternoon, we headed out for Museum Island. First, I found myself drawn to the 19th Century German and impressionist paintings of the Alte National Galerie (Old National Gallery). Manet, Monet and Renoir; it was like taking a deep breath. One of the highlights of my day came after weaving through the maze that is the Neues Museum to find the bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. She sits alone in her own room gazing into the distance. She seems present somehow, and beautiful, living up to her reputation.
Hans and I met back up to explore the Berliner Dom and the crypt full of German royals and aristocracy. We grabbed some dinner and took a short trip to the DDR Museum that focuses on life behind the wall. It’s so interactive that the picture of daily life in Socialism is very real. So real, in fact, that a trip to H&M and the current world of Capitalism was necessary. An evening in with The King’s Speech (highly recommended) and some sleep meant one day left in Berlin.
After breakfast, Hans and I split up. He spent the day at the German History Museum while I traversed the maze of Hackescher Markt and the wonderfully illogical address numbering I discovered great restaurants and shopping for about an hour and then stumbled upon the museum I was looking for, the Anne Frank Zentrum. It is a celebration of her life with honest parallels to teenagers living in Berlin now. Considering that the film they presented was in German, I was pretty proud of my self for following. As I left, it was rainy and cold. Vietnamese food and a new jacket helped, but missing Hans at the station and finding my way back to the hotel on my own proved easier than I thought (thank goodness).
My brother has seemingly endless energy, and he wanted me to experience Berlin at night. We went to one of the most exclusive dance clubs in Europe. It was shocking we even made it in after waiting in line over an hour. It’s a converted warehouse from East Germany. All the original structure remains and the club is built around it. We stayed long enough to stay awake until it was time to leave for the airport. I truly believe Hans has a reserve energy source I don’t know about. It was another long travel day with a plane full of German school children. But, we landed in London where we had to say goodbye all too soon.
The days leading up to check-in at the student center I’ve been spending in Crystal Palace on top of Gipsy Hill. My wonderful host, Michael, has been very hospitable and the town, just south of London, is beautiful. Lovely restaurants and shops, plus plenty of time to write my blog, catch up with everyone and rest. I’ve learned that dresses are not intended for windy days. So finding a thrift shop and spending less than 10 pounds for a shirt and pants was great. It made the trip into London through Covent Garden (theater-land), Soho, Regent Street passed Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, Trafalgar’s Square, the horse guards where the royals came out for the wedding, and the residence of the Prime Minister a lot warmer .
My advice: don’t forget to pack for Berlin AND London when you drop-off your suitcase!
