Monday, October 22, 2007
We Made It Home...Craig's Thoughts
We arrived safely in Vacaville after a long day of travel, even though we left at 9:40 AM from Berlin and arrived in San Francisco at 4:30 PM! But we have been up for 26 hours. Funny how that works. It was a great trip with lots of memories and experiences. Ending in Berlin was fitting for me, because I got to spend some time with my best friend from high school, David Fayram, and his wife Nancy who are teaching high school in Berlin this year. And Berlin is such an amazing city. I found it so moving to see how the city has suffered so much, but is so vibrant and alive. During WWII, 70% of the city was destroyed. While many reminders remain, so much has been rebuilt. Even now, construction continues all around, and and we saw an eclectic but poignant mixture of architecture from the Nazi's, the communists, as well as old original buildings reconstructed and new ultra modern structures. Reminders of how horrible we can be stand side by side with examples of how good we can be. I think I will need a few more days to reflect on what we learned so that it has a chance to really sink in. Check back for some final thoughts from Carol and me, and in a few days I will get some photos uploaded for you viewing pleasure--I will provide a link here in the blog.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Hi from Berlin, Germany and Craig's friends Dave and Nancy Fayram!
Hi everyone, well this is our last evening in Berlin. Off back to the good old US of A tomorrow morning and 10 hours of coach seating. But it will be worth it.
Yesterday after we saw Karen and Stan off on the bus to the airport, we decided to go walking and we found ourselves outside the Charlottenburg Palace after a 45 minute walk. We went in and did the tour. They had the audioguide M3P players with earphones and explain everything. By the way I stand corrected. This palace along with pretty much all of Berlin was leveled during WWII. But they had done such an incredible job of reconstruction, it was hard to tell. the palace was huge but not ornate. Most was reconstructed and most of the furnishings were lost, but the rooms that were saved and the room saved were beautiful. This was the home of Queen Sophie Charlotta, the first queen of Prussia in the 1700's. We saw a lot of black and white pictures of what it looked like before the war and their attempts of reconstruction and replicating the beautiful designs were amazing. But it just goes to show you that in war no one is the winner at it was our bombs against the Nazi empire that destroyed such a beautiful treasure. We then walked outside and walked around the gardens. Even though this is the middle of October it is bloody cold and I mean cold here, especially when the wind blows. I am wearing several layers with two jackets, mittens, a scarf and hat and the cold wind cuts right through you.
About 2 p.m. after we got back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. (We walked for 5 hours and was I pooped), we got a call from Dave and Nancy who were returning from an Italy vacation and we were going to meet them in front of the Russian Embassy and then go to their house together. 3 trains later we finally found them and headed south to their house. They have a lovely apt. south in a suburb of Berlin. Thats all I can tell you. We watched some of the Rugby World Cup. South Africa won. I think I am going to check out Rugby at home. It looks like a cool sport.
Today we got up and Dave and Nancy wanted to take us on a walking tour. So we started out with a train back up to the huge glass covered Sony Center. We found out that it is hollow inside with a huge covering that kind of looked like a huge tent out of fabric material. But the center is a monster with restaurants and shops around the bottom on the inside and offices above. Then we headed back over to the Brannenburg gate via the Jewish memorial. this memorial was soooo coool. From the street it just look like several gray slabs of cement of various heights which were suppose to represent tombstones over Jewish graves. But what you don't realize is that when you walk down inside, there are rows and rows of these, no two are exactly the same shape and the paths inside drop down to where the stones are a good 5 feet higher than your head (whereas at the sidewalk they are just a slab about 6 inches high.) So when you walk down inside, you are surrounded by these grey stone structures. All I could think of what it represented how the Jewish people must have felt locked up in the concentration camps, considered to be all alike as a people. but if you looked closely, the stones were all slightly different demensions and shapes. Thus the Jewish people maintained their own identity while locked in a unified prison camp. It gave you goosebumps to think beyond the immediate impressions.
We then walked over to the Brannenburg gate and saw in stones in the street where the Berlin war wall ran through the street.
We walked over to the Reichstadt building. This is their central government building and the other day didn't have time to stop to check it out. But today we stood in line and got to walk up to the observation glass dome they have in the center on top. From the outside you can see that its a circular ramp you can walk up several feet above the building for a fantastic view of the city all around you. The first thing that struck me was how many cranes are around the city with construction or reconstruction. And on a business day, you can look down the center into the chambers of their government and watch them at work.
By this time even Craig is freezing and so was Dave and I, so we found a tourist shop and the three of us bought Berlin black pullover sweatshirts to add to the layers. I finally started to feel warm but the wind is so cold. While we were standing in line to go up the Reichstadt, there were a few snowflakes. They are afraid they will have a very hard winter.
They then took us to the Bebelplatz square where before WWII in the 1930's in front of the Humbolt University (where Einstein worked before moving Harvard in 1932) the government encouraged students to burn any and all books that was contrary to the facists theme of government that was taking hold in the country. There is now a plaque there of a famous poet who made a statement a hundred years earlier, "Once you start to burn books, next will come the burning of human beings." How prophetic, that this poet had no idea what was to come with the WWII.
We then saw a famous sculpture Kathekollwitz sculpture. You walk in this big empty building except for the marble mom sitting holding a huddling dead son with a saying in the ground in front of her "There is sacrifice with war and violence". what is interesting is that above her in the building there is a round hole in the roof so that when it rains only on her statue, it looks like she is crying. the public have put flowers in front of her on the ground. its quite something.
Then they took us to the Pergamon Museum. We didn't stay long but we went in and saw huge statues, sculptures and artifacts from Assyria, Babylon, Greek and Roman times.
It was a definite wow.
Then we walked over to where they are restoring a walkway made from old pillars of stone, but what was amazing was that these stones had not yet been patched. The patching is to cover the bullet holes left over from the fighting during WWII.
Then they took us over to a part of what was East Berlin behind the wall and saw an ally way of old apts. that showed how runned down, drab and trashy it was to live in East Berlin, then they showed us an alley way that had been refurbished with decorative tiles and fresh paint. The difference was amazing.
Finally we ended up at the Gendarmait plaza with two domed churches and the concert house in the center. near by we found a famous chocolate store. I was in heaven.
They took us to a good German Cafe to eat dinner. Our waitress was from Boston and was moving to Tempe Arizona next week. She was so exited to get out of the cold!
Finally, its about 11 p.m. here and our wonderful hosts are tucked into bed. They are here for two years teaching English in the local school system and need to get up early for work tomorrow. But they were very proud to show us Berlin and we are very grateful for our stay with them.
I can't believe 5 weeks has come to a close. Our lives have been so enriched by all we have seen, experienced, tasted, and heard. It's obvious that we want to come back and learn more about Europe. We are so grateful for all of our wonderful travels and shared it with Karen and Stan. We had a great trip and look forward to coming home and seeing our dear family and friends!
Talk to you soon. For now, much needed sleep and rest our weary traveling feet!
Love from Carol and Craig to all of you at home. See you tomorrow!
Yesterday after we saw Karen and Stan off on the bus to the airport, we decided to go walking and we found ourselves outside the Charlottenburg Palace after a 45 minute walk. We went in and did the tour. They had the audioguide M3P players with earphones and explain everything. By the way I stand corrected. This palace along with pretty much all of Berlin was leveled during WWII. But they had done such an incredible job of reconstruction, it was hard to tell. the palace was huge but not ornate. Most was reconstructed and most of the furnishings were lost, but the rooms that were saved and the room saved were beautiful. This was the home of Queen Sophie Charlotta, the first queen of Prussia in the 1700's. We saw a lot of black and white pictures of what it looked like before the war and their attempts of reconstruction and replicating the beautiful designs were amazing. But it just goes to show you that in war no one is the winner at it was our bombs against the Nazi empire that destroyed such a beautiful treasure. We then walked outside and walked around the gardens. Even though this is the middle of October it is bloody cold and I mean cold here, especially when the wind blows. I am wearing several layers with two jackets, mittens, a scarf and hat and the cold wind cuts right through you.
About 2 p.m. after we got back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. (We walked for 5 hours and was I pooped), we got a call from Dave and Nancy who were returning from an Italy vacation and we were going to meet them in front of the Russian Embassy and then go to their house together. 3 trains later we finally found them and headed south to their house. They have a lovely apt. south in a suburb of Berlin. Thats all I can tell you. We watched some of the Rugby World Cup. South Africa won. I think I am going to check out Rugby at home. It looks like a cool sport.
Today we got up and Dave and Nancy wanted to take us on a walking tour. So we started out with a train back up to the huge glass covered Sony Center. We found out that it is hollow inside with a huge covering that kind of looked like a huge tent out of fabric material. But the center is a monster with restaurants and shops around the bottom on the inside and offices above. Then we headed back over to the Brannenburg gate via the Jewish memorial. this memorial was soooo coool. From the street it just look like several gray slabs of cement of various heights which were suppose to represent tombstones over Jewish graves. But what you don't realize is that when you walk down inside, there are rows and rows of these, no two are exactly the same shape and the paths inside drop down to where the stones are a good 5 feet higher than your head (whereas at the sidewalk they are just a slab about 6 inches high.) So when you walk down inside, you are surrounded by these grey stone structures. All I could think of what it represented how the Jewish people must have felt locked up in the concentration camps, considered to be all alike as a people. but if you looked closely, the stones were all slightly different demensions and shapes. Thus the Jewish people maintained their own identity while locked in a unified prison camp. It gave you goosebumps to think beyond the immediate impressions.
We then walked over to the Brannenburg gate and saw in stones in the street where the Berlin war wall ran through the street.
We walked over to the Reichstadt building. This is their central government building and the other day didn't have time to stop to check it out. But today we stood in line and got to walk up to the observation glass dome they have in the center on top. From the outside you can see that its a circular ramp you can walk up several feet above the building for a fantastic view of the city all around you. The first thing that struck me was how many cranes are around the city with construction or reconstruction. And on a business day, you can look down the center into the chambers of their government and watch them at work.
By this time even Craig is freezing and so was Dave and I, so we found a tourist shop and the three of us bought Berlin black pullover sweatshirts to add to the layers. I finally started to feel warm but the wind is so cold. While we were standing in line to go up the Reichstadt, there were a few snowflakes. They are afraid they will have a very hard winter.
They then took us to the Bebelplatz square where before WWII in the 1930's in front of the Humbolt University (where Einstein worked before moving Harvard in 1932) the government encouraged students to burn any and all books that was contrary to the facists theme of government that was taking hold in the country. There is now a plaque there of a famous poet who made a statement a hundred years earlier, "Once you start to burn books, next will come the burning of human beings." How prophetic, that this poet had no idea what was to come with the WWII.
We then saw a famous sculpture Kathekollwitz sculpture. You walk in this big empty building except for the marble mom sitting holding a huddling dead son with a saying in the ground in front of her "There is sacrifice with war and violence". what is interesting is that above her in the building there is a round hole in the roof so that when it rains only on her statue, it looks like she is crying. the public have put flowers in front of her on the ground. its quite something.
Then they took us to the Pergamon Museum. We didn't stay long but we went in and saw huge statues, sculptures and artifacts from Assyria, Babylon, Greek and Roman times.
It was a definite wow.
Then we walked over to where they are restoring a walkway made from old pillars of stone, but what was amazing was that these stones had not yet been patched. The patching is to cover the bullet holes left over from the fighting during WWII.
Then they took us over to a part of what was East Berlin behind the wall and saw an ally way of old apts. that showed how runned down, drab and trashy it was to live in East Berlin, then they showed us an alley way that had been refurbished with decorative tiles and fresh paint. The difference was amazing.
Finally we ended up at the Gendarmait plaza with two domed churches and the concert house in the center. near by we found a famous chocolate store. I was in heaven.
They took us to a good German Cafe to eat dinner. Our waitress was from Boston and was moving to Tempe Arizona next week. She was so exited to get out of the cold!
Finally, its about 11 p.m. here and our wonderful hosts are tucked into bed. They are here for two years teaching English in the local school system and need to get up early for work tomorrow. But they were very proud to show us Berlin and we are very grateful for our stay with them.
I can't believe 5 weeks has come to a close. Our lives have been so enriched by all we have seen, experienced, tasted, and heard. It's obvious that we want to come back and learn more about Europe. We are so grateful for all of our wonderful travels and shared it with Karen and Stan. We had a great trip and look forward to coming home and seeing our dear family and friends!
Talk to you soon. For now, much needed sleep and rest our weary traveling feet!
Love from Carol and Craig to all of you at home. See you tomorrow!
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