Bearlin

The past two days have been a whirlwind of new experiences and memories.  Yesterday, we travelled from the United States to Amsterdam and then finally to Berlin.  It was one of the longest journeys I have ever made, and it has been well worth it!  On our first day here we walked around the neighborhood and drank some Gluehwein and explored the city.  We saw the largest department store in Europe which is known as KaDeWe and we visited an Irish pub.  The day was long and tiring but great fun!

Today we took an amazing bus tour of the entire city.  We saw many different sites and the architecture was beautiful.  I am impressed by the contrast between the old an new that is present throughout the city.  There are some very old buildings that were not destroyed in the war.  These buildings have ornate sculptures, columns and domes.  The newer buildings are much more modern and constructed of cement and glass.  Each is beautiful in their own unique way.  The contrast between styles demonstrates the ability of the German people to remember and cherish the past, but also to look forward to the future and continue innovating.  We also visited the Brandenburg gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the remnants of the Berlin wall.  Each of these monuments is a symbol of the past.  They are important aspects of German culture and history that should be remembered.


This has been an amazing experience thus far and I am looking forward to the adventures that are to come!