Philip and I arrived early on Monday and have kept ourselves very busy since our arrival.
On our first day, we dropped our luggage off at our hostel (which is very cute) and began by visiting the Pergamon Museum. It was very impressive - particularly the HUGE reconstructed architectural pieces, including the title piece: the Pergamon Altar (see below).
We spent the remainder of the day visiting Christmas Markets, all of which I fell in love with. They are full of delicious food, pretty lights, and cute items to ooh and aah over. I think touring the Christmas Markets has been my favorite activity in Berlin, not just because they are a happy and pretty place, but also because even though they are somewhat commercial, they don't feel inauthentic. Even on December 23rd, the majority of people there seemed to be locals who were meeting friends for a drink or a bite to eat, or who were there with family. It felt like an embodiment of "Holiday Spirit" and it was lovely to be part of.
The items above and below are called "Christmas Pyramids" in English. Above are the real items for sale in a Christmas Market shop. Below is a representation of one at the center of a Christmas Market. The windmill at the top is made to turn around by the heat from the candles placed on the bottom. They are beautiful and everywhere here.
Philip and me at a Christmas Market.
Our favorite Christmas Market, which was surrounded by beautiful old buildings.
Our second day was spent primarily learning about the Berlin Wall. We went to the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse, which was the main road split in half by the Berlin Wall. Berlin is full of so much history and this was the beginning of a three-day crash course in European History. Other historical sites we visited included the Brandenburg Gate, which also stood at the separation of East and West Berlin, the Reichstag, the Holocaust Memorial, and Checkpoint Charlie. It was a history-packed day and at the end we were happy to have a Christmas Eve dinner in our hostel.
In front of the Reichstag.
The Brandenburg Gate (with a huge Christmas Tree).
The Holocaust Memorial.
Philip in the middle of the Holocaust Memorial - so you can see just how tall the blocks get. It really does become pretty overwhelming, which I believe was the intent.
Our third day was Christmas, so it was somewhat less productive. We began the day on a very sobering note with a visit to the Topography of Terror before journeying over to the Bauhaus Museum. The main event of the day, however, was our Christmas dinner in our hostel. There were people there from all over the world (at our table Australia, Israel, and the United States were represented). It was a new way to spend Christmas and we missed family, but it was very nice. The hostel's cafe was decorated and lit with candles, so it all felt very festive. Merry Christmas!!
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