Berlin

Next stop, Berlin! I was really surprised by how much I loved Berlin as I really did not have too many expectations for the city. We had one absolutely gorgeous day in the middle of a string of rainy weather and that was enough to for us to have a fantastic time here. We did a walking tour of the city, and although I've never been too interested in it before, learning about the history of Berlin was amazing. The city really has cleaned up its act after starting 2 world wars, and almost a third. I was very impressed at how open the Germans are about the war and how well it was presented in the museums and monuments. The panorama of the city is very interesting, you can clearly see the differences in the East and the West and the city is still trying to unite the two sides. It was haunting to stand on the site of Hitler's bunker, and the book burning sight was cleverly marked with a quote dating back long before Hitler, "When you start by burning books, you end by burning people."

German Parliament topped now topped by a clear dome where the Germans (or thousands of tourists) can down at the progress and the congress is constantly reminded of the people as they stare down at them.

The moving memorial for the Jews - hundreds of blocks rise up at different heights. Walking though is something you have to experience first hand. The architect left the meaning of the memorial up to the individual, but after walking through it, you sure do feel lost and disoriented.

On a happier note - The Berlin Bear!

Ulbricts' Last Erection, more formally known as the Berlin TV tower

Doing Yagermeister shots like the locals!

Inside the parliament

Church ruins, one of the many reminders of war in Berlin.

That's all for now, we're moving on to Prague.