First Couple Days in Berlin

Sorry for the lack of posts so far, but the first few days have been fairly hectic. Here are the highlights so far. But first I just want to make a few observations about the city of Berlin.

- Bikes, Bikes, Bikes - The first thing I noticed about Berlin was the amazing extent to which this country goes to be green. The easiest thing to notice, in that regard, is the astronomical number of bikes you see on a daily basis. I have also been pleasantly surprised by the types of people who used bikes as a primary method of transport; to be simple, there is no type. You can see everyone from businessmen in suits to gypsys in rags all peddling away.

- No A/C anywhere - Being from the US this has been kinda crazy. The first couple of days have been pretty hot so needless to say it could be pretty uncomfortable at times, although a cold front has started to come in and it is already feeling much better.

- Man's Best Friend - From what I have seen, Berliners can take their pets with them just about anywhere. Ex. When we went to the grocery yesterday there was a huge German Shepard laying just inside the entrance where his owner had tied him. Also many dogs I have seen are not even on a leash. The whole atmosphere is much more relaxed than in America where many of the laws seem to be in place to prevent litigation.

- No Ice for You - A large majority of Berliners drink very little ice in their drinks (I'm talking like 1 maybe 2 small pieces of ice). This has probably seemed worst due to the unusually hot weather.

Now to my favorite stops so far.....

Right next to where we are staying is the Holocaust Memorial designed by American architect Peter Eisenman. The memorial is a field of these large monolithic concrete boxes that each vary height allowing visitors the opportunity to experience the space on a few different levels. When I first saw a picture of this memorial while still in the US, to be honest, I thought it was OK; After being able to experience the space, it has started to grow on me. I have a whole new appreciation and understanding of what the architect was trying to accomplish.

The way this memorial is arranged reminds me of the cemeteries in south Louisiana.

The Berlin Hauptbohnhof is one of the largest train stations in Europe. It is a mult-leveled structure that is covered by a large glass and steel canopy. I found the details of the glass to be very interesting.

We also visited the Reichstag Dome by British architect Norman Foster. It was nice to be able to get up so high and see a large majority of the city. The dome was recently rebuilt after the original was decimated in WWII.

The Akademie der Kunst (Academy of Art) by German architect Gunter Behnisch is an amazingly hectic building, but you really wouldn't notice from the outside.

Those are just a couple of my favorites in the brief time we've been here. Stay tuned.