Berlin!

I decided to do a baby post about Berlin because it's just such an amazing city. There really is no other like it in Europe.

On Thursday afternoon, Jasmine (from Australia) and I spent the day touring Sachsenhausen concentration camp . We caught the train and took a 40 min ride from Berlin to Oranienburg, where it was located. It was scary to think afterwards that it was the same ride that prisoners had taken only 60 years before. Although it was my second trip to a camp, it was none the less shocking. Sachsenhausen was much larger than the first and had much more history and facts posted to read about. They had selected 20 prisoners to showcase and you could read their stories throughout all the rooms and buildings. Many items had been donated to the museum (like letters, uniforms and personal belongings) which made it all the more real. Jasmine and I didn't talk much throughout the afternoon and it took a little while to get back to normal after we had left. It was definately interesting to see, but I think that after 2, I've seen enough and dont need to go to any more.

Yesterday I was up bright and early to take a free walking tour of the city. We met up at Starbucks and headed out with our tour guide around 1130. It was so nice to wander without a map and hear about the history of the buildings and monuments without having to read! We saw Brandenburg Gate, Deutscher Bundestag (Parliment), the Holocaust Memorial and museum. We stood ontop of where Hitler had his hidden bunker and saw the square where the Nazis held the book burning. We saw parts of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. Many of the buildings on the tour had been destroyed then rebuilt or were littered with bullet holes from the war.

I thought Rome was large and impressive! But Berlin is far more incredible.

Brandenburger Gate

Holocaust Memorial

Bullet holes

Berlin Wall

Book burning site

Checkpoint Charlie

Today I head out to buy my bus ticket for Amsterdam and make a few last stops before I leave. I'd like to stay another day but im not sure I can take it. Sometimes a feeling of great sadness comes over me while walking through the city. Its especially hard when there is nobody to talk to! Luckily I met a great Canadian from Vancouver on the tour and we kept ourselves slightly distracted. I hope to meet him and another girl from Calgary today in Tiergarten. Then Ill take a trip down the Berlin wall. Apparently its covered in some of the nicest graffiti.
My bus should be leaving around 730 this evening and arriving in Amsterdam at 545 am!! YAY!! A long night on a shitty bus after spending 3 nights sleeping on the floor. I CANT WAIT.