BERLIN
I am back again with today's blog entry, but if you haven't logged on recently you might want to check the previous entry as well, since that was delayed by wifi failure.
Another beautiful day of sunshine in Berlin. After fumbling with the lobby computer for a while (Europeans use a different keyboard than Americans; “z” and “y” are transposed and you have to belong to a secret society to find the right key for “@”), I give up and head out for my last day in the city. I am actually looking forward to a restful day on the train to Amsterdam tomorrow.
Berlin is actually a collection of small communities that have joined over the years to make up the larger city. Each neighborhood has its own identity and cultural history and it would be nice to spend a few days in each, exploring local shops, restaurants, and back streets—but the 21st century tourist must make the most of five days.
Today I explore the area southwest of Alexanderplatz, the old Nicholasviertel. Formerly in East Berlin, these old streets have been restored to their historic “look” and Sundays are obviously the time for locals to enjoy the festive atmosphere of cafes, street musicians, and shops. The River Spree has been cleaned up and tourist boats make the rounds of canals and locks, with tourists thinking they might have dreamed themselves to Amsterdam.
My next stop is the Scheunenviertel, the old Jewish quarter north of the city center. In addition to the “New Synagogue” (opened in 1866), whose exterior has been lovingly restored (the interior was gutted after the War and has yet to be rebuilt), and the old DorotheenstädtishcerCemetery (home to Bertolt Brecht, Heinrich Mann, GWF Hegel, and Herbert Marcuse), the highlight of this part of town is Hackesche Hofe. This is a series of apartment blocks built around connecting courtyards that now contain restaurants and shops. The courtyards are decorated with glazed tiles in fabulous colors and designs that have been restored to their original 1906 luster. It’s a good place for lunch (grilled lamb salad with iced coffee for dessert).
But fun must end and it’s back to the hotel to pack and consolidate everything into two bags plus my computer so that I can maneuver it all onto the train tomorrow. Since the web seems to be working really quickly tonight, I'll add some more pictures from the past several days. Enjoy:
Philharmonic Hall
Mies van der Rohe's Modern Art Gallery
A Section of the Berlin Wall
Daniel Liebeskind's Jewish Museum
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