Berlin, Germany

BERLIN! Have I mentioned yet that I *love* Germany. Just a quick recap as to why. 1. It's beautiful. 2. The people are amazing. 3. The people are beautiful. 4. I don't have a four but there should be one (just go with it). Here is the Spree river in Berlin to give you an idea.

So I've spent the past few days in Berlin, capitol city with a shit-ton of history. I spent my first evening just de-stressing from the train ride and wandering. The next day I went on a free tour (this company had some fliers in our hostel in Munich and so far none of their tours have let me down. I've done five now and am doing at least one in Prague.) I wish I could say I did more but... it rained. And I got soaked. soaked. So I did homework (one night doing homework and I don't even have a dent in the list of school-related things I need to do).

That was me seeing a portion of the Berlin Wall on the free tour. Sunday I did a blitz of the city. I visited the information center of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Then I hit a flea market. Oh the Berlin flea market. Have I mentioned the people in Germany are beautiful? Well the people in Berlin are particularly beautiful. Pierced, tattooed and other wise alternative (and proving once again some white-people can pull of dreads, and some can't). Let me just say it one more time. The Berliner hipsters are. gorgeous. gorgeous. And the flea market was full of them. Then I hit the Germany history museum before making my way to the East Side Gallery. Then to a pub crawl. One good thing about organized pub crawls is that you're always in a safe place. And the alcohol is a great way to make people to talk to you. Here, for your visual stimulation, is part of the Dom and the... shit I never did actually learn what that was called... the television tour at Alexander Platz.
Today did an alternative tour of Berlin's street art and squatter culture. Awesome. Then I hit the DDR museum which is all about life in the DDR. I didn't get to everything in Berlin (it's a huuuge city... plus there is stuff outside the city, like the entire city of Potsdam) but you have to pick and choose and realize you can't see everything. Tomorrow I'm off to Prague. Everyone says it's an amazing city but no one really says why. Guess we'll find out.