Berlin Day 2 :Jordan

Today Nathan went to Goppingen to visit the Marklin Museum (trains), and I stayed here in Berlin.

I woke up this morning, checked out of the hostel, checked right back in, moved my stuff to my new room and left. I went down to the train station, bought a quick breakfast and lunch at this cool little sandwich place, and then went over to the DB Deutchse Bahn office to figure out how I am going to get to Paris by Friday morning. I spoke the woman behind the counter and found a train leaving Berlin tomorrow night at 8:00 and getting to Paris at 9:30. Perfect. I reserved my spot on the train, and then went to hunt down the S Bahn (above ground public transport that I use for free with my euaril pass) I needed to take to get to Museum Island. It was a surprisingly painless task. I found my train, hopped on, and was on Museum Island in ten minutes.

I didn't exactly have a plan so I headed up the steps of the Berliner Dom, and for 3 euro, decided it was worth a visit. I walked inside and could have sworn that I had just entered one of the great catholic cathedrals of Spain or Italy. Instead, I found out from the very nice English speaking guide that it was a protestant church built for the Kaiser in 1894 and finished in 1905. The church has a history as interesting as Berlins. During WWII a bomb fell through the huge dome of the church. Because the church is located in what was then East Berlin, ther area became communist after the war, and following their atheist ideals, the communist government refused to fix the church. For ten years, the main sancuatary of the church and part of the crypt below were left totally open to the elements which nearly destroyed all of the beautiful plaster and mosaic work. Finally in 1977 the rebuilding and restoration of the church were finished.

The church is beatiful with ornate gold and beautiful mosaic work. The stained glass is different than in most churches, but still adds to the beauty of the altar. After my tour of the main sanctuary I walked down into the crypts which was a little eerie. I didn't stay long. Instead I climbed up a million flights of stairs (Germany doesn't really have public elevators or escalators), some windy and hidden, up to the dome gallery. The view from the dome was well worth the ridiculous climb. The 360 degree panoramic view of the city is stunning. You can see everything. After hanging out on the dome and enjoying the view I climbed back down and found a comfortable spot on the grass in the square outside of the Berliner Dom. I ate a quick lunch and enjoyed the warmth and wonderful breeze. Afterwards, I headed to the Pergamonmuseum, a museum that house works of ancient Greek and Roman origin, Islamic art, and a reconstruction of temples, gates, and city areas using the actual found remnants.

I have to admit I was not all together that excited about coming to Berlin. The Germanic culture has never really interested me, and I saw very little reason to come. I now see how horribly wrong I was. Berling is an increcible city with a crazy history. What I love most about it here is that while they remember, commemorate and memorialize their twisted past, they are also working to move into the future to become a great city. I have found the German people to be kind, helpful, and understanding even if they have no clue what I am saying, and they have no clue what I am saying. I found out that if I just followed people hand motions and voice inflections as they talked I could get the gist of what they were saying. I've really enjoyed it here and I'm glad I still have one more day to explore.

Next up: Paris