Europe 2015 – July 10th

Our last day in Berlin started with a quick breakfast at a little bakery/cafe we’d spotted just down the street from the hotel. We were looking forward to some coffee and pastries before heading out for more sightseeing. However, the cafe in and of itself was quite an experience due to the comically rude clerk, who was angry and exasperated that we had the audacity to purchase items in her cafe. Her audible sighs and complete disregard for our food (she put one plate down on the counter so hard the pretzel flew off of it) were the worst rudeness we encountered the whole trip.

We finally escaped the cafe and set out for our first real destination, the Berlin Wall Memorial. Our guidebook rated it as a must-see, and we were certainly glad we went. Across from the visitors center, there is a long stretch of the wall and various informational signs in the surrounding land.

IMG_0522

IMG_0521

This monument called “Window of Remembrance” honors those who were killed trying to escape.

IMG_0528

Once we made our way over to the visitors center, we climbed up several flights of stairs to see the recreation of what the wall actually looked like.

IMG_0541

We read that the guard tower shown here actually came from a different area of the wall, and that it was purchased on eBay (!) in order to recreate the scene.

When we were done at the memorial, we decided to take the train and went to the nearest station, which was another of the “ghost stations.”

IMG_0546

Our next destination was the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was badly damaged in 1943. The ground floor is now a memorial.

IMG_0553

IMG_0556

There is a new church right next to the old one; the new church doesn’t look much like a church from the outside.

IMG_0559

However, it was quite striking on the inside.

IMG_0558

On our walk around this part of Western Berlin, we came upon a row of these, which reminded us why all the hotels had been booked.

IMG_0550

These were in front of the posh Waldor Astoria.

The last thing we had on our agenda before leaving Berlin was to try the currywurst. We’d walked by a little stand the day before, so we went back to it.

IMG_0563

It’s a little sweet and a little spicy and was a big hit with all of us. Even though Finn’s face in this photo seems to indicate the opposite, he loved it!

IMG_0561

On the way back to the hotel to get our bags we bought some more of the delicious raspberries at a corner market.

IMG_0564

And I took a picture of the outside of our hotel for posterity’s sake.

IMG_0565

Unfortunately, we set the raspberries down to grab the bags and forgot to pick them up again. We were extremely sad, but we drowned our sorrows in some gummy candy and screen time at the train station.

IMG_0566

On the way back, the German countryside whizzed by since we were on the super fast train.

IMG_2751

And we had no problems making it back “home” to Jokke and Merja’s. That evening Jokke gave us a forging demonstration. The boys had great fun dressing up in all of the safety gear.

IMG_0574

IMG_0580

They got to pound on some hot metal and learn about how the process works.

IMG_0605

IMG_0604

I’m just glad Finn’s hair didn’t catch on fire.

Here’s a video of Jokke at work.

It was a busy and great day! All of my photos from that day are here: