Berlin

Tuesday, June 25

Although flying to Europe is technically fewer hours than flying to Australia, but it just seems longer. We met DH2’s friends at the airport (friend from Utah was on sabbatical) and we rook a train into Mitte. Our dinner on the river consisted of a curry dog and beer. The soccer match was blaring and the Dutch visitors were visible in bright orange.

Wednesday, June 26

We were up early and wandered the empty city where we saw the Gate, Holocaust Memorial, Berlin wall remnants, Checkpoint Charlie.

After our friends’ teens rose for the day, we walked to the site of the 1933 book burning, Parliament, ate an Asian lunch, went up TV tower, and finished with an Italian dinner.

Thursday, June 27

We walked through the Holocaust memorial, viewed more wall, and Hitler’s bunker. After breakfast with our hosts, we all went to the Nues museum where we saw Nefertiti bust and learned about Elephantine. We ate lunch at train Station before boarding a train to Prague.

Riding thru the German countryside, ww2 seems too close. I’ve read so much but feel like I know nothing. What happened in this field, or this copse of trees? What happened whether witnessed or unobserved? Everything that happened left an invisible imprint that permanently exists in the ether. My imagination is heavy with ghosts.