After a breakfast fit for kings (seriously, the best that we have had yet...again), we head out into the world ready to get our history lesson on.
The Sandeman's New Europe Tours have always been a fantastic way to learn the history and layout of a city; New Berlin is no exception. Perhaps the most fascinating piece of information that we learn - and are reminded of throughout the tour - is the above quote by the French prime minister. Berlin has a sordid past, but rather than try to run from it, they embrace it as fact and move forward. Their war memorials are set up by their architects such that you can't avoid seeing them; you have to remember the atrocities. Meanwhile, they are growing, with their economy having become the third largest in the world (right behind the US and Japan). All day long we see monuments from WWI, WWII, and of course, the Cold War (the Berlin Wall is not what we were expecting), and yet we are still reminded of how Berlin is growing in spite of their past. It is quite moving and motivating.
After the tour, we meet some friends and decide to go out for a bit of conversation. Conversation turns into dinner, and before long we have stayed out all night. Our melting pot of friends at this table was a sort of metaphor for Berlin's acceptance of other cultures now. Irishmen, Englishmen, Aussie's, Americans, and Berliners all at the same table, having dinner, laughing, and finding out about the culture of the other. The experience was wonderful. We leave late, and head back to the hotel wishing that we didn't have to check out tomorrow; today was a grand day.
Drew and Nicole
Interesting factoid about all the monuments to WWII. A teacher who was there recently told me last week that the history books (she saw this) teach that the Holocaust was just American propaganda. She was stunned because there was a concentration camp 5 KM from the school. Continue learning and enjoying your trip of a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that somewhere you have had a way of documenting the pictures that you are posting so you will remember to tell us what each site is when you return. I really have enjoyed the history lessons from each place! Love mama
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