Berlin

Notes from the travel journal, 3/18-3/20

March 18, 2008 I have a problem with authority, so I never eat the last bite.

Leaving Praha, early in the morning, and riding the train out in my first snow while being on the continent. Complete with my new fur hat and a crusty baguette, I sit on this train, attempting to be productive and take in the beautiful Czech scenery at the same time. I wonder what Berlin holds for me. There’s so much painful history in this city, and I’m worried about what I will find and what I will feel while I’m there. Another city and a completely different outlook on life.

***

The train ride here went very well—I was fairly productive, ate too much and had a nice conversation with Robbie in the dining car. We arrived in Berlin, spent a little bit of time sorting out tickets and destinations, and proceeded to our hotel in Eat Berlin. Already, I had a different feeling in Germany. Unlike Prague, Berlin is more cosmopolitan, more urban, less historic and well-preserved. Buildings are covered in graffiti and industrialization fills the air. And, already, I have a feeling of rebuilding and renewal.

Regardless of these feelings, Berlin is completely fascinating. Simon took us on a walking tour of several areas of Berlin—Museum Island, which is home to the Pergamon Museum and a place I’ll surely visit again; past old Nazi headquarters and Holburne (?) University, named after a famous geographer; and ending up at Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag.

Seeing the Gate and the postcards Simon showed us of the entire area completely desolated, save for the gate, up until a few decades ago (and reconstruction is still going on) brought back my earlier feelings—Berlin was completely devastated by war and Communist rule, two separate issues that I think I’ve sometimes lumped together into one long span of oppression.

Being in Berlin makes World War II, the Cold War, Hitler, fascism, communism—all of it—once again seem more real to me than these ideas and events and people have ever been before. I think as Americans we often (OFTEN) forget that there are horrible, horrible things happening around the world, even though they aren’t happening to us. We feel immune to it all; we all think we’re completely invincible, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I think some people may say that studying abroad in the UK/Europe is leas of an eye-opening experience than studying in an African or South American country, for instance. However, I completely disagree; after being on the European continent for less than a week, my perspectives about myself, my country, my surroundings, have widened so much. And I don’t think this would’ve been possible without these opportunities, like seeing a photo of a Russian soldier hoisting the Soviet flag over an obliterated Reichstag building, and then seeing the same building rebuilt today.
These experiences of seeing the effects of war and all of the history in these European cities.

***

After Brandenburg, Kelsey, Robbie and I had hot chocolate at the Hotel Adlon (where Michael Jackson very famously dangled his child out off the balcony of his hotel room) before meeting up again for dinner. Simon came into the hotel for hot chocolate as well, so we had a really great time talking, sipping €11 drinks and staring at the ridiculously good-looking wait-staff at the hotel. Getting to know Simon, we asked him what he was like when he was our age, what regrets, if any he had, what he would do over. He told us the only regret he ever had was worrying about money too much and depriving himself of experiences he could’ve relished in purely because he didn’t want to spend the money. And this is probably the best advice we could’ve received on this trip, where we are all so conscious of how much money we’re spending, particularly since the dollar keeps getting shittier and shittier. Granted, it isn’t really my money I’ve been spending, but I feel like I can’t worry so much about paying a few euros to have the experience of a lifetime. And, though I still need to be careful and plan on it, I can’t worry so much about it; the time for doing things is now, when I’m young and free enough to experiment and appreciate. The time is now.

***

Dinner was a delicious German meal: pumpkin soup; roasted pork, sauerkraut and potatoes; and warm cherries and ice cream. I went home with Spence and the other boys, but of course Bob and Robbie, who stopped to get chocolate-covered strawberries, beat us home because the imbeciles and I got lost on the trains for a bit—it turns out we were at the right station all along, just needed to go downstairs to the U-bahn.

Though terribly exhausted, a bunch of us decided to rally and go out—MISTAKE! I got all dolled up, got a little tipsy, and we discovered that (apparently) Berliners don’t go out on Tuesday nights. Ha—lesson learned. Tomorrow, we try again.

March 19, 2008 Do you speak English?

Woke up in Berlin and went running around the area near our hotel. Tomorrow I’ll definitely try to find a prettier jogging route—East Berlin isn’t very picturesque where we’re situated.

We departed Unter Den Linden station once again and walked through Brandenburg Gate, admiring the Victory Tower (which was built to commemorate Prussian victory and not Hitler’s reign, although it has since become a symbol synonymous with the Nazi regime) and the Tiergarten, a park that Simon said would be a good place for us to go running in the mornings. Mental note made.

We bypassed the Reichstag and headed towards the Holocaust Memorial, which spans the length of two football (soccer) pitches and sits right in the middle of the city to constantly remind Berliners of the great crimes against humanity committed during World War II. The memorial is a labyrinth of concrete blocks, different sizes and placed at different levels because the ground slopes; when going through the maze, you get lost in some senses, and you can’t tell who’s around you, where everyone else. You have the same experience as the Jewish victims in interment camps whom the memorial commemorates.

Which is part of the controversy of the monument: it only remembers the Jews, but what about the millions of others persecuted and murdered by the Nazis? Walking through the monument, I couldn’t help be ponder this question. From elementary school on, we always learned about Anne Frank, Hitler’s extermination of the Jews, etc, but it was never really until later that we learned about the gypsies, homosexuals, and disabled people, among other groups, whom he had killed. But I still don’t agree with the arguments surrounding the memorial; Simon said more memorials to honor other victims are being planned, so maybe the debates will subside soon.

What I found more interesting was the creation of this memorial. The city government had a contest to decide what sort of memorial to do—one idea was to have bus tour around the city..? But the current monument was chosen and erected. To assure the concrete blocks wouldn’t be vandalized, they were sprayed with an anti-graffiti layer. However, apparently, when the chemical used comes in contact with air, it gives of toxic, gaseous fumes. It turns out the anti-graffiti spray was developed/manufactures by the same company that created Hitler’s gas chambers!!! So there was an extreme uproar about this as well. The blocks had already been sprayed, so it couldn’t be reversed. I guess, though, that this company was also the first group to take responsibility for its actions following the war, apologizing and offering reparations to families of victims of concentration camps, which appeased the situation a bit. And, now, the monument is falling apart—some of the concrete blocks are cracking—about only five years after it was finished. So a lot of problems surrounding the Holocaust Memorial, I guess…

We next made our way over to the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, both remnants of Communist Germany. Standing across from the Berlin Wall, and having our God damned photo taken in front of it was one of the most mind-boggling experiences of my life.
1. I cannot believe this wall once caged East Berliners in the Communist Sector like animals, and, when my dad was in college, Berlin was a divided city. When I was born, Berlin was a divided city. Surreal.
2. I cannot BELIEVE I posed for a fucking group photo in front of the Berlin Wall. Honestly, how are you supposed to handle a situation like that? Smile? Look somber? I felt as awkward as those people I see at museums, posing in front of the Mona Lisas and Last Suppers. It just cheapens the entire experience and the significance of the event. Never again.

***

After Checkpoint Charlie, we broke for lunch and a visit to a delicious chocolate store the first of a couple instances where I chose to do something frivolous rather than see something historic. But after two hours of wandering with Bob and Robbie, I met up with Simon and the group and went to Museum Island to visit the Pergamon Museum.

And Pergamon was AMAZING. I learned about the altar at Pergamon in HA150, but seeing it in person was such a different experience than seeing it in a textbook. Firstly, it seemed smaller than I had imagined, though the friezes were imposing and magnificent. Also, I thought that more of the altar had been preserved, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

We then had plans to visit the National Gallery and climb the Reichstag, but late afternoon snow, though mystical, ruined our morale. A quick peak into H&M, searching for the coveted yellow jacket and badly needed duffel bag, and we headed home, though not without receiving a bit of bad news beforehand: Athens, Greece, had broken out in horrible riots, ruining Bob’s and my plans to go there next week. So we had to spend the next couple of hours re-planning our trip, which actually turned out for the best. Now we’re spending almost two weeks in Italy! I hope it’s warm…:)

Around 9 PM, we decided to go to dinner, but I suddenly started feeling really sick, so I skipped foodies and went downstairs to bed, only to be woken up by Bob and Robbie a little while later, and they came bearing leftovers. I thought maybe I’d be able rally, but when Robbie, and later Bob and Robbie, came bombarding back in to get me, I absolutely refused.

I guess my whole second day in Berlin turned out to be a bit of a failure in some respects. I didn’t see as much as I wanted, or should have, and I didn’t even go out. I keep thinking that I’m not taking enough away from these experiences. I’ve been given the opportunity to travel Europe for five weeks, but am I getting everything out of it I possibly can? It would be one thing if I had spent the afternoon walking around without going in anywhere, or even at a café people-watching. But, instead, I let myself get sick and angry because people wouldn’t respect my wished and leave me to my bed in peace. Two more days—well, only one, really, and it’s to be spent in Potsdam—to correct the mistakes I’ve obviously been making. Two more days.

March 20, 2008 This is only the foothills of a mountain of shame that is unraveling before you.

Day trip to Potsdam, the palaces of the last Prussian emperors, today, and it was like being in France; I’m so excited to visit Versailles!!

The palace at Sans Soucci (French for “without worry”) was built by Friedrich the Great, the greatest Prussian king, and was absolutely immaculate. However, we didn’t tour this castle; instead, we went in the much larger New Palace, which is only a short distance from Sans Soucci, both of which lie on beautiful grounds, filled with a windmill, picture galleries, Chinese tea garden, and more.

New Palace was absolutely grand and well-preserved. Our extremely knowledgeable tour guide, Dagmar, gave us a two-hour tour, which ended with a private showing through the castle.

To preserve the palace, we had to wear these giant slippers that fit over our shoes and allowed us to slide across the marble floors like ice skaters. We only saw a few rooms, including one large ballroom decorated entirely with seashells, but the impression left by Potsdam was everlasting.

However, the day was a bit difficult to get through, particularly because most of our group had grown a bit tour happy and were actually acting really immature and rude to Simon. I couldn’t help but feel like I was on a middle-school field trip to the aquarium with some of the antics that were being pulled, and it only made me more excited to break away from this group and travel around Europe in a smaller bunch, although it looks like, because of the troubles in Athens, my travel group will be larger than desired.

Dinner at a Medieval restaurant was our last outing as a complete group, and it was absolutely amazing. Dinner was long and delicious and FILLING—four courses, but you could have as much of each course as you wanted. Needless to say, Robbie and I ate about 30 loaves of bread. And the entertainment was hilarious: a minstrel between courses who sounded suspiciously like the Swedish chef from the Muppets; a knight in shining armor who kissed Maddie Rockstar; and a VERY drunk Simon Law, our tour guide!

I knew Simon was going to rage with us on the last night because he told us about past Prague and Berlin trips when we were with him in London. However, I didn’t think the night would be quite this out of control and hilarious!! Images of Simon drinking from a giant beer stein, shakily attempting to translate German while “thinking of virgins,” and continually apologizing because he thought we weren’t having a fun time once the group left the restaurant will forever be burned in my memory.

From the snippits of information I learned about Simon’s life on this trip, I really hope this week won’t be our last encounter with him. He’s such an interesting, intelligent and funny man, a bit overwhelming, but in a good way. For some reason, I sometimes feel sorry for him—probably because the London bitches treat him like SHIT—but it’s not like he needs my sympathy. I get the impression that he’s never really grown up—something he told us himself—and I think that’s refreshing and great. He very obviously enjoys his job, and he’s awesome at it, even if he does get a bit confused sometimes. I hope someday I can enjoy my life as much as he does and in a similar nonchalant, worry-free, albeit very aware, way.

***

I leave Berlin tomorrow, heading west towards Amsterdam and to an expensive hotel and what will most likely be two VERY different takes on being an Amsterdam tourist.

Week one is over.