More Berlin...

6-26-08

Hello loved ones big and small, one and all!

We have spent yet another day in Berlin. Today we woke up a bit later and got going pretty quickly after breakfast.

The first thing we did today was we walked from our Hostel to Checkpoint Charlie. We did a tour at the Check point Charlie Museum. the man who did our tour was a bit crabby, and I did not really care for him. He kept trying to rush us, We basically saw like 5 things in the entire museum, which is saying something, because the last time I was there I am sure I spent at least an hour and a half if not more. We saw like nothing of the Museum and I really thought it was a shame.

After the tour, we decided to try to barter with stands people for stuff from the USSR and the GDR. Neither Matthew or I bought anything, but a lot of our friends bought the Russian fur hats with the flaps that tie up that you can untie and put around your ears when it is really cold out. Most of the hats are made from real fur, I was tempted, but didn't.

After some bartering, we decided to head over to the Berlin Hbf to make our seat reservations for our overnight train from Berlin to Mayen Ost Sunday night. We got a train going out at 12:30 am. So basically we will just have to try to sleep on the train. At least this way, we will get to see the Euro Cup final. Tonight Russia played against Spain and Spain won. So it will be Spain against Germany for the Euro Cup on Sunday!!!!! YAY!!!!

While there, we also waited with John to pick up his girlfriend. She had flew in, and had taken the train from like Stuttgart to Berlin. When he saw her, he threw down his things and ran to her. I must admit, I did get misty, it was such a sweet reunion for them after having been apart since May 15th.

So after the reunion, Matt, Tyler, and I grabbed a quick thing to eat at Ditsch, and then we were off for Potsdamer Platz and the Sony Center. At the Sony Center there is a History Museum of German Film and T.V. It was very interesting. We also got a guided tour through this one, and our tour guide was 15 mins, late, but in his defense his other group had showed up late and so he had just finished a tour and ran to meet up with us.

We only did the Film part of the Museum with our tour guide. We could have done the T.V. part on our own after the tour if we wanted, but we still had other things to do. The tour was very good, it detailed black and white silent, black and white, and color movies. There were 3 rooms dedicated to Marlene Dietrich alone.

This place was really cool because it really spent a lot of time on old films, and only at the end did it get into modern day films. After the tour, he told us that we could go through the special effects part of the museum. Matthew and I did that with a few others and Matthew enjoyed that part the most. They had a costume from Alien (one of the Aliens), the Darth Vader Suit from Empire Strikes back, and the body suit from Robo Cop.

Matthew has been preaching this whole trip about how he will not leave Germany without seeing an opera. Well, it just so happens that La Boheme is playing at the Deutsche Oper on Saturday night, and we were able to get reduced tickets for around something like 17-18€ per person. We are both really looking forward to it.

After getting tickets, we decided to go to Ka De We, which I basically dragged Matthew to, we went to the 6th floor of 7, this is the food level. Matthew and I basically bolted through it, and Matthew kinda complained that this wasn't really his thing, so after that we left.

Maybe we will go back sometime when we have more time, he was just feeling too pressed for time to stay and look at the levels. So we got on the subway,came back to the hostel, and got ready for our farewell dinner tonight. We all went to the Cafe Orange on Oronionburger strasse. Felecia paid for all the food, which included dessert, the only thing we had to pay for were drinks.

For dinner, I had veal cutlets in a mushroom sauce, with vegetable rice and a side salad. Matthew had a rump roast steak with scalloped potatoes and a side salad. For dessert I had a fruit ice cream bowl and Matthew had Chocolate Mousse.

We really wanted to go to the Reichstag tonight with our friends so we busted our butts to get there in time. We got there at 5 to 10 and there was still a line out side, but there was a man standing there and he had roped the remaining people off and would not let us in, even though it was 5 to 10pm and they stop letting people in at 10 sharp. JERK!!!!! I was so pissed. We were all upset.

We took some pictures of the Reichstag, went to the Brandenbuger Tor, took pictures there, went to the Jewish memorial, and then we spent time walking through that. Overall, the night wasn't Completely ruined, though Matthew and I both had stomach aches from walking so fast just after eating and we both have numerous blisters on either feet now.

The day was pretty ok overall, we got a lot accomplished. Tomorrow, our program ends at 7:30 am after we have breakfast. We are relieved but saddened at the same time.

Tomorrow we plan to take the train out to Potsdam to see the Sansoucci palas, the Neues Palas, and the house where the Potsdam agreement was signed. Hopefully we can squeeze it all in.

Hope you are all doing well, I will update later tomorrow!

Biss Dann ;)