Berlin!!!

Finally!! I decided to take the train straight from Vienna to Berlin (and skip Prague, even though we actually went straight through it) because I just wanted to get to Germany! My friend Maddy is studying in Berlin and I stayed with her and her host mothers at their apartment -- it was sooo cool! But when I got off the train and found my way through the station I met Maddy and we began what would be an amazing three and a half days!

The first night we really just strolled around. She took me to the Holocaust memorial:


But the next day I set off on my own to check out some museums and such.

Berlin's mascot is the bear and they have this exhibit of bears from around the world. Here is the United States bear!


Here is the Brandenburg Gate, which can be found on their euro coins and is on the edge of east and west Berlin.


I visited the Reichstag, the German House of Parliament. This building is in west Berlin and was the center of the movement to unify Berlin and Germany:


I went to Checkpoint Charlie, a checkpoint that divided the American and Soviet sectors of Berlin. A museum is now there:

Romanian rebel flag with the crest torn out (this is now the official Romanian flag except the middle is all yellow, symbolizing the absence of oppression by the Soviets):




Reconstruction of Checkpoint Charlie:


Later that same day I met up with Maddy and we explored down the Berlin wall:






After that it was off to the Altes Museum where I found a world-class Egyptian collection:




and then the Pergamon:


I was all museumed out for the day so we got some dinner and went to sleep. The plans were to wake up early(ish) the next day and trek out to the zoo! On the way we found this church, bombed out from World War 2:



And then the zoo!















silly turtle:


My last day in Berlin was my birthday actually and Maddy and I spent it by going to the store, buying a bunch of food, and then going to a park and sitting by the water and pigging out/lying in the sun. It was amazing!





Berlin was definitely one of my favorite stops! It was so cool to see Maddy (and hear her speak German!) and just actually relax and get to know a city. Whew! That night I was back off to Rome where I spent the night at a friend's apartment only to wake up the next morning and board a train for Sicily!