Our first full day in Berlin was a very busy one! We got things started with a visit to the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall. Artists from all over the world were invited to paint murals on the east side of this 1.3km wall segment as both a celebration of the fall of the wall and a reflection on the earlier division of the city. From there, we moved on to the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße, where we were able to see how the wall was constructed and guarded and where some groups managed to build tunnels to escape from the East to the West. Then we stopped for a quick lunch at the Berlin Pavilion, where we were joined by CA alum Addie E., who is currently doing a research project at the Bundestag. After lunch we headed to the Reichstag building for a tour, including a visit to the building’s glass dome where we were able to take in some nice views of the city. Our next stop was the Brandenburg Gate area and the nearby Holocaust Memorial. From there, we took a stroll down Unter den Linden, the grand boulevard leading from the Brandenburg Gate to the city palace and cathedral. Along the way we popped into the Ampelmann Shop, Berlin’s famous brand featuring the beloved East German pedestrian crossing figure. Later in the evening we took a short stroll along the Spree river and enjoyed a group dinner and some gelato in the lively Hackescher Markt district. We are looking forward to more adventures tomorrow, including a WWII bunker tour and a theater performance.
Viele liebe Grüße von uns allen aus Berlin! ~Frau Greene
Thanks so much for your endless efforts for the team!