Berlin! (Happy Holidays)

Nothing is quite like Berlin close to the winter holidays.  Christmas markets all over the city full of fun German trinkets, lights, lots of people, and gluwein!  No matter how exhausted you are from a day exploring the city and its history these markets make you feel better.  They have music, plays, beer halls, and much more.  It turns out that Mike's German is just as bad as his French but he does think he's bilingual after enough of the gluwein (warm wine, with amaretto and cinnamon).

Even more amazing was the history of Berlin.  The amazing amount of artifacts the German's collected in the early 1900's from all over the world makes some of their museums some of the most impressive we've seen.  The fact that they had to hide many of them away as Berlin was bombed to pieces during WWII, even sinking quite a few to the bottom of the Spree River to protect them at that time makes it that more fascinating.

With that, it is the history of Berlin since the 30's and the everyday reminders that are what really capture your attention.  Bullet holes in buildings and other damage from the bombings of World War II, a sign marking where Hitler's bunker was found, parts of the Berlin Wall that still remain, and just the amount of work that is being done to make this city whole again from it being reunited only 23 years ago.

It's the first time the name Egger didn't need to be spelled out to people as we checked into hotels or went places (Egger is a very German surname). We also had the best Mexican food in a long time (we got this from a restaurant in the base of the Canadian embassy).  We got the chance to be guided around by a woman who grew up in East Berlin, ride a ferris wheel, snow tube down a fake slope in the middle of the city, test currywurst, and much more.

Jolene, Fuzzy Hat, and the Berlin Wall

Mike once again quickly linked back in with his roots and has fallen for the Berlin Bears which can be found all around the city.

Mike Berlin Bear Collage