Berlin

We arrived in Berlin yesterday but had some issues with the Internet at the hotel. Thankfully it is working now :) It is called Hotel Transit and is actually more like a hostel than a hotel. There are a lot of groups of teenagers staying here. The room is very simple, but clean (no TV). The included breakfast was good. So once again after awhile we adjusted to our new accommodations and all is well. The hotel was chosen because it is in walking distance from my cousin, Inga's apartment and that is very handy. She lives there with her boyfriend Ozcan and their 11 month sweet little girl, Elif.

Yesterday we spent some time visiting and went to a Greek restaurant where we all found our meal to be delicious. It has been so nice catching up with Inga. It feels so natural to be together and it has been nice getting to know Ozcan. He is super friendly and easy to get along with.

Today, Inga and Ozcan were our tour guides in Berlin. We saw Checkpoint Charlie, which was the main customs station between East and West Berlin. From there went to see the remains of the Berlin Wall. Parts of it were on display with artwork. The holes in the wall are where people took pieces of it when it first came down. There is a memorial for those who died during the war. There is much symbolism in it. It is made of many different sizes and heights of rectangular cement blocks. We also saw the Brandenburger Tor, the famous entry gate into Berlin and went to see the Reichstag, the parliament building. Take note of the interesting team bicycle in front of the Brandenburger Tor. Then we took a short drive through the former East Berlin to see the difference in architecture. They say there is still a different atmosphere in this area.

We had fun at the Rittersport Store. We thought it was a factory where we could see how the chocolate is made, but it's more like a museum. They had pictures and explanations showing how it is done. Nonetheless, we were able to choose three toppings to add to chocolate to custome make our own Rittesport chocolate bar. Yum!

Tonight we are going to try a curry wurst, which is the typical thing to eat in Berlin. It's nice to have connections to where the best ones are- Curry 36. Apparently it doesn't have curry in it and it isn't too spicy! Stay tuned for the review.....