Today I was just missing Germany. There were some loud bangs outside kind of like what I'd hear constantly from the canons that would go off in Germany. And it made me wish i was back there...
I miss the people....my neighbors especially.
I miss the library and storytime and the best librarians that ever lived...
I miss the green trees and grass and countryside I drove through.
I miss the red roofs.
I miss the pretzels
I miss the speed limit on the autobahn...
I miss going to a small town and walking the pedestrian zones.
I miss the church bells
I miss castles
I miss alot about that place. I'm so lucky to have lived there for 3 years.
We've been told that once you've been its unlikely you'll be sent back. Boo. I guess I'll just have to push for Korea. :)
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Friday, February 08, 2013
Funtucky Family of Four...
September 11, 2012...do you know what you were doing? I was flying on a military jet from Ramstein, Germany to Baltimore, MD. It was the final stage of our move from germany back to the states...a move that was both heartbreakingly difficult and exhausting.
What did I love about Germany. Pretty much everything. I am partial to the European way of life. I love NOT having walmarts, 7-elevens and Walgreens on every corner. I love open markets and stores that close on Sundays. I love the quiet town we lived in and the awesome best friend neighbors that we had...I loved my German friends, we loved the library and librarians. I miss the cute towns that we'd drive through, red roofs, churches in the town square, crazy statues honoring some random person, fountains, ornate designs on random buildings. I miss cobblestone, and pedestrian zones, and the "feed the deer" park, the autobahn and driving fast. I miss spatzle and brats. I miss my backyard and watching the kids play. I miss being able to walk wherever I want and having the shopette about 4 blocks away for those last minute treat needs. I miss random festivals or holidays that seem to happen just about every week. I miss a weekend trip to Prague or Munich. I miss stumbling through their language and sorting euros from dollars... I just miss Germany.
And now we've relocated to K.E.N.T.U.C.K.Y. 0_o a.k.a...Funtucky!
It was the best choice out of the final four options. We were offered Fort Drum, NY (and 8 feet of snow 8 months out of the year), Fort Hood, TX (in the middle of nothing and nowhere), Fort Riley, KS (Even more in the middle of nowhere.) and Fort Campbell, KY...and what came out of my mouth is something I never thought I'd say...."I think Kentucky is the best choice."
But, being here now I realize that it actually is a pretty great military base and a town full of cool things to discover. First of all, its not really Kentucky. We are smack dab in the middle of the border of Kentucky and Tennessee. Our house is actually in Tennessee, but we live on base and the post office is in Kentucky so thats what our address is. There is a road just a few blocks from us called State Line Road. And that is literally what it is. The state line. I wonder if you are being chased by Kentucky cops and cross that line if they have to stop because they lose jurisdiction....? Hmmmm....not something I'll run out and try, but its an interesting thought.
Clarksville, TN is the main town attached to the base. Its essentially a 20-mile long strip mall. I'm not kidding and there are not 1....2...or 3...but FOUR Walmarts from one end to the other. The other thing they have a plethora of is Waffle House, which is kind of like a Denny's diner, but think smaller and greasier. There must be 10 Waffle Houses along the main drag. I'm not kidding. We do have Nashville just an hour away, Land Between the Lakes just an hour the other direction and I'm kind of excited to see what the South has to offer. I've seen the Opryland hotel and driven past Dollywood. I hear the summers here are fantastic with more than enough to do.
So....I guess we've become a Funtucky family of four at this point and as military families do...we'll make the best and the most out of the opportunity we've been given to see new things, meet new people and have new adventures.
I do promise that we won't encourage inbreeding or start making moonshine, however I can't promise my kids won't run barefoot all summer long and that some of those redneck jokes won't hit close to home.
You might be a redneck if...
You got stopped by a state trooper.
He asked you if you had an I.D.
And you said, 'Bout What?'
The centerpiece on your dining room table
is an original signed work
by a famous taxidermist.
What did I love about Germany. Pretty much everything. I am partial to the European way of life. I love NOT having walmarts, 7-elevens and Walgreens on every corner. I love open markets and stores that close on Sundays. I love the quiet town we lived in and the awesome best friend neighbors that we had...I loved my German friends, we loved the library and librarians. I miss the cute towns that we'd drive through, red roofs, churches in the town square, crazy statues honoring some random person, fountains, ornate designs on random buildings. I miss cobblestone, and pedestrian zones, and the "feed the deer" park, the autobahn and driving fast. I miss spatzle and brats. I miss my backyard and watching the kids play. I miss being able to walk wherever I want and having the shopette about 4 blocks away for those last minute treat needs. I miss random festivals or holidays that seem to happen just about every week. I miss a weekend trip to Prague or Munich. I miss stumbling through their language and sorting euros from dollars... I just miss Germany.
And now we've relocated to K.E.N.T.U.C.K.Y. 0_o a.k.a...Funtucky!
It was the best choice out of the final four options. We were offered Fort Drum, NY (and 8 feet of snow 8 months out of the year), Fort Hood, TX (in the middle of nothing and nowhere), Fort Riley, KS (Even more in the middle of nowhere.) and Fort Campbell, KY...and what came out of my mouth is something I never thought I'd say...."I think Kentucky is the best choice."
But, being here now I realize that it actually is a pretty great military base and a town full of cool things to discover. First of all, its not really Kentucky. We are smack dab in the middle of the border of Kentucky and Tennessee. Our house is actually in Tennessee, but we live on base and the post office is in Kentucky so thats what our address is. There is a road just a few blocks from us called State Line Road. And that is literally what it is. The state line. I wonder if you are being chased by Kentucky cops and cross that line if they have to stop because they lose jurisdiction....? Hmmmm....not something I'll run out and try, but its an interesting thought.
Clarksville, TN is the main town attached to the base. Its essentially a 20-mile long strip mall. I'm not kidding and there are not 1....2...or 3...but FOUR Walmarts from one end to the other. The other thing they have a plethora of is Waffle House, which is kind of like a Denny's diner, but think smaller and greasier. There must be 10 Waffle Houses along the main drag. I'm not kidding. We do have Nashville just an hour away, Land Between the Lakes just an hour the other direction and I'm kind of excited to see what the South has to offer. I've seen the Opryland hotel and driven past Dollywood. I hear the summers here are fantastic with more than enough to do.
So....I guess we've become a Funtucky family of four at this point and as military families do...we'll make the best and the most out of the opportunity we've been given to see new things, meet new people and have new adventures.
I do promise that we won't encourage inbreeding or start making moonshine, however I can't promise my kids won't run barefoot all summer long and that some of those redneck jokes won't hit close to home.
You might be a redneck if...
He asked you if you had an I.D.
And you said, 'Bout What?'
Your state's got a new law that says
when a couple get divorced,
they are still legally brother and sister.
when a couple get divorced,
they are still legally brother and sister.
Your sister is the third
generation
of women in your family to conceive
a baby as a result of an alien abduction.
of women in your family to conceive
a baby as a result of an alien abduction.
is an original signed work
by a famous taxidermist.
You've got more than
one brother named 'Darryl'.
one brother named 'Darryl'.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
After the pumpkin patch...
So there is a story about what happened AFTER the pumpkin patch last weekend. I know...who would have thought a day could be more thrilling than what I've already described?!!!
Well, poorly planned that it was...we headed to the pumpkin patch right at lunch time....without eating first. So by the time we'd picked our pumpkins and paid for them we were all starving. We stopped in a small town on the way back home and parked and ate. Well, we ate...Bella played (literally) with her food...
And then she took random photos of us....
Anywho...when we were done eating, playing and posing...we went to get in our car and discovered that a Kirwa Festival was going on. Perhaps you remember the Kirwa post from a few years ago? Its when they spend hours raising a huge 100 foot tree into upright position through the manual labor of the males? And girls flounce around pouring beer into mugs for the laboring fellows to drink from...
Well, yep not only did we find a Kirwa Festival, but the tree was blocking our car from leaving the lot.
FOUR HOURS LATER...I drove us home because John had decided to help raise the Kirwa tree thus negating his ability to drive (remember beer?)
And to top it all off...Bella had a potty accident and I didn't have any extra clothes so I wrapped her in my sweater and made them look like MC Hammer pants. Oh...you should have seen the looks us crazy Americans got on this cold day watching the Kirwa with a little girl in MC Hammer pants playing in the dirt with no shoes/socks. I truly felt like I'd grown up in the smallest of towns in Oregon...
Oh wait...I did.
Well, poorly planned that it was...we headed to the pumpkin patch right at lunch time....without eating first. So by the time we'd picked our pumpkins and paid for them we were all starving. We stopped in a small town on the way back home and parked and ate. Well, we ate...Bella played (literally) with her food...
And then she took random photos of us....
Anywho...when we were done eating, playing and posing...we went to get in our car and discovered that a Kirwa Festival was going on. Perhaps you remember the Kirwa post from a few years ago? Its when they spend hours raising a huge 100 foot tree into upright position through the manual labor of the males? And girls flounce around pouring beer into mugs for the laboring fellows to drink from...
Well, yep not only did we find a Kirwa Festival, but the tree was blocking our car from leaving the lot.
FOUR HOURS LATER...I drove us home because John had decided to help raise the Kirwa tree thus negating his ability to drive (remember beer?)
And to top it all off...Bella had a potty accident and I didn't have any extra clothes so I wrapped her in my sweater and made them look like MC Hammer pants. Oh...you should have seen the looks us crazy Americans got on this cold day watching the Kirwa with a little girl in MC Hammer pants playing in the dirt with no shoes/socks. I truly felt like I'd grown up in the smallest of towns in Oregon...
Oh wait...I did.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Brandenburg Gate
And so the final chapter in our Berlin trip...its about time, right?
The Brandenburg Gate...here is what I know about it...
1. Its a well known landmark in Berlin that marks entrance into Berlin.
2. Its in East Berlin...or was...now its just in "Berlin." :)
And here is what it looks like...
From the front....
From the back....
My favorite shot of us with the gate. ha ha ha.....
And the big colums...they were giant. And yes, thats me geekily peeking out from behind it. We THOUGHT it would be a cute photo, but now I just see it was pretty dumb. As penance I'm including it in my blog. :)
Last, but not least...when I did some research about the Brandenburg Gate I realized that it...like so many other wonderful buildings, monuments, statues, squares, etc. are huge symbols of the East/West...The Iron Curtain...Communism...Liberation....hope....peace....and it really is overwhelming to think I had the chance to go and experience THAT...not just see the gate...not just take a picture of a well known monument. Makes one stop and say..."Woah."
From Wikipedia...
Vehicles and pedestrians could travel freely through the gate, located in East Berlin, until the Berlin Wall was built, 13 August 1961. Then one of altogether eight Berlin Wall crossings was opened on the eastern side of the gate, usually not open for East Berliners and East Germans, who from then on needed a hard-to-obtain exit visa. On 14 August West Berliners gathered on the western side of the gate to demonstrate against the Berlin Wall, among them West Berlin's governing Mayor Willy Brandt, who had spontaneously returned from a federal election campaigning tour in West Germany earlier on the same day.
Under the pretext that Western demonstrations required it, the East closed the checkpoint at the Brandenburg Gate the same day, 'until further notice', a situation that was to last until 22 December 1989.
The Brandenburg Gate...here is what I know about it...
1. Its a well known landmark in Berlin that marks entrance into Berlin.
2. Its in East Berlin...or was...now its just in "Berlin." :)
And here is what it looks like...
From the front....
From the back....
My favorite shot of us with the gate. ha ha ha.....
And the big colums...they were giant. And yes, thats me geekily peeking out from behind it. We THOUGHT it would be a cute photo, but now I just see it was pretty dumb. As penance I'm including it in my blog. :)
Last, but not least...when I did some research about the Brandenburg Gate I realized that it...like so many other wonderful buildings, monuments, statues, squares, etc. are huge symbols of the East/West...The Iron Curtain...Communism...Liberation....hope....peace....and it really is overwhelming to think I had the chance to go and experience THAT...not just see the gate...not just take a picture of a well known monument. Makes one stop and say..."Woah."
From Wikipedia...
Vehicles and pedestrians could travel freely through the gate, located in East Berlin, until the Berlin Wall was built, 13 August 1961. Then one of altogether eight Berlin Wall crossings was opened on the eastern side of the gate, usually not open for East Berliners and East Germans, who from then on needed a hard-to-obtain exit visa. On 14 August West Berliners gathered on the western side of the gate to demonstrate against the Berlin Wall, among them West Berlin's governing Mayor Willy Brandt, who had spontaneously returned from a federal election campaigning tour in West Germany earlier on the same day.
Under the pretext that Western demonstrations required it, the East closed the checkpoint at the Brandenburg Gate the same day, 'until further notice', a situation that was to last until 22 December 1989.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Berlin Wall
Good grief...I've got to catch up or before I know it October will be over and done with and I still won't have even posted our pumpkin patch photos!
So...back to Berlin...and the wall. Actually...better said as The Wall. With capitals because when you talk about The Wall people always seem to know what wall you are referring to...
So...I got to touch it. See it...touch it...kind of experience it...
The most surprising thing about it was how short it was. Short as in "not tall" as opposed to the length...because that wall went on FOREVER. When I saw The Wall for the first time it was not intimidating at all...not even a tiny bit. I imagine way back when there was razor wire and stuff on top maybe? It might be time for another history lesson.
From Wikipedia...
"The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin.
The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses.
The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period."
Ok...so no razor wire...but the "death strip" sounds and looks pretty daunting from pre-fall of the wall photos.
And now for the big reveal of MY experience at the Berlin wall. I'm starting with my absolute favorite photo from that day...
And then looking down one side of the wall....
And then the other....
And me touching the wall. :)
And then just some interesting other works of art on the wall...
And in the infamous words of Arnold Schwarzenegger..."I'll be back."
So...back to Berlin...and the wall. Actually...better said as The Wall. With capitals because when you talk about The Wall people always seem to know what wall you are referring to...
So...I got to touch it. See it...touch it...kind of experience it...
The most surprising thing about it was how short it was. Short as in "not tall" as opposed to the length...because that wall went on FOREVER. When I saw The Wall for the first time it was not intimidating at all...not even a tiny bit. I imagine way back when there was razor wire and stuff on top maybe? It might be time for another history lesson.
From Wikipedia...
"The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin.
The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses.
The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period."
Ok...so no razor wire...but the "death strip" sounds and looks pretty daunting from pre-fall of the wall photos.
And now for the big reveal of MY experience at the Berlin wall. I'm starting with my absolute favorite photo from that day...
And then looking down one side of the wall....
And then the other....
And me touching the wall. :)
And then just some interesting other works of art on the wall...
And in the infamous words of Arnold Schwarzenegger..."I'll be back."
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Checkpoint Charlie
Imagine waking up to the announcement that your city was divided in half and during the night 6 foot high barbed wire fences were erected to stop you from going to work or visiting your family or friends...and even more troubling was the fact that it stayed that way for 30 years.
That is essentially what happened to the people of Berlin on August 13, 1961.
Its also one of the reasons I really wanted to go to Berlin and see first hand some of the remnants of the cold war era...and the division of the beautiful city of Berlin.
One of our first stops on our tour was Checkpoint Charlie. Named "Checkpoint C" - the Charlie came from the phonetic alphabet and it has forever been the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War and the only crossing location for Allied troops.
I was a little surprised at how "insignificant" Checkpoint Charlie looked at first. I think it was less "impressive" because it was lacking the East Berlin guard tower...the rows of barbed wire and blockades and the heavily armed soldiers...instead I saw this...
That little white thing that looks kind of like a trailer? Yeah...thats Checkpoint Charlie....and a little closer view... (can you see John standing there in the front?)
These "soldiers" are actors and you pay them to take a photo with them...
Now interestingly enough...I learned in my research of this place that the original guard shack is located in a museum and is significantly larger than this little replica. Plus...just for full disclosure...it also didn't have those sand bags in front of it. It looked more like this...
Apparently there was also an eatery there called the "Eagle's Nest" that allowed the allied forces to peer over the wall into the border area of East Berlin. Now they've since transformed it into this newer more modern restaurant that doesn't feel the need to be secretive about their customers...
Just kidding...but it did make John and I laugh when we saw the name of this restaurant.
Back to more important things....This sign is also a replica of the original. I guess they wanted to make sure everyone knew that there was no friendly American faces once they crossed over...
And while walking around I got to see and touch pieces of the Berlin Wall. I found these absolutely fascinating...
But...I'm just putting these here as a little teaser...I've got a bunch more to say about the Berlin wall. Meanwhile...stop and think what you'd want your family to know if you couldnt see or talk to them for the next 30 years and maybe make a phone call or write an email today...? Just thinking outloud here...
That is essentially what happened to the people of Berlin on August 13, 1961.
Its also one of the reasons I really wanted to go to Berlin and see first hand some of the remnants of the cold war era...and the division of the beautiful city of Berlin.
One of our first stops on our tour was Checkpoint Charlie. Named "Checkpoint C" - the Charlie came from the phonetic alphabet and it has forever been the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War and the only crossing location for Allied troops.
I was a little surprised at how "insignificant" Checkpoint Charlie looked at first. I think it was less "impressive" because it was lacking the East Berlin guard tower...the rows of barbed wire and blockades and the heavily armed soldiers...instead I saw this...
That little white thing that looks kind of like a trailer? Yeah...thats Checkpoint Charlie....and a little closer view... (can you see John standing there in the front?)
These "soldiers" are actors and you pay them to take a photo with them...
Now interestingly enough...I learned in my research of this place that the original guard shack is located in a museum and is significantly larger than this little replica. Plus...just for full disclosure...it also didn't have those sand bags in front of it. It looked more like this...
 |
| Photo borrowed from here |
 |
| Photo rights and permission here |
Just kidding...but it did make John and I laugh when we saw the name of this restaurant.
Back to more important things....This sign is also a replica of the original. I guess they wanted to make sure everyone knew that there was no friendly American faces once they crossed over...
And while walking around I got to see and touch pieces of the Berlin Wall. I found these absolutely fascinating...
But...I'm just putting these here as a little teaser...I've got a bunch more to say about the Berlin wall. Meanwhile...stop and think what you'd want your family to know if you couldnt see or talk to them for the next 30 years and maybe make a phone call or write an email today...? Just thinking outloud here...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Berlin
This weekend I took an MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) trip to Berlin. I took the MWR bus for two reasons.
1. Someone else got to drive the 5 hours to Berlin.
2. There was a tour of the major sightseeing spots.
We left at 3AM from Rose Barracks one one of those plush seat buses...here is what they don't tell you about those buses...they are WORSE than airplanes. The seating, I mean. The lady in front of me put her seat back...because the lady in front of her put her seat back and so I had to put my seat back because there was less than a hand span between the seat and me if I didn't.
Lets just say it was pretty uncomfortable for the 5 hours of driving...but luckily leaving at 3AM means I got to sleep through most of it.
Anyhow...
Berlin...giant town. I was glad we had the initial bus tour even though we got way too little time at each of the major parts of the town. I consider this trip my "Berlin primer."
I'm going to blog seperately about the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate...all the rest of my Berlin experience will go here. Are you on the edge of your seat yet? If not...let me entice you with this list of 10 things we saw other than the major sights I just listed...in no particular order...
I call this the "drive by" photography. Remember I was in a bus looking through the window so please forgive the quality of photo...just enjoy the sentiment behind them...
10. The existence of the 3rd Reich. It wasn't super obvious...but little pieces like this were all over the city. I found them extremely disturbing and interesting at the same time. This little gem was on the side of the original Berlin Airport. Located directly in the city center it was supposed to be the largest building in the city and from the sky shaped like an eagle with outspread wings. The construction was never completely finished...but there is still a massive building completely shut down right in the center of Berlin.
9. The artwork...from buildings to statues...
I fell in love with this old lady face statue. I totally want it in MY garden. Seriously.
And then some nameless statue that we found significant at the time...but I can't, for the life of me...remember who it is. I suppose someone is very disappointed in me. Either way...now you get to share this completely insignificant moment with me.
Plus we were excited to find some "punk" for which Berlin is famous for....this is about as close as we got to finding it...
8. Sex shops. Yep...they are on ever corner...kind of like Starbucks or McDonalds. I was pretty amazed at how...errrr....busy? they were. People coming in and out of these stores nonstop.
And if that isn't enough...my dear Nacho Libre had to pose on the steps to the World of Sex. The stairs kept listing exactly how much further until you reached their nirvana. Its a little disturbing...
7. Men's Pissoir. This made me laugh. That is a bathroom....unfortunately...women were not given the same consideration way back when the iron curtain was up. I guess we were expected to go before we left home...?
6. The difference between buildings in the west and east parts of the city. Buildings in West Berlin are ornate...decorated...flowing with flowers on the balconies...
Buildings in East Berlin are stiff steel construction with no imagination. Build like a cubicle...considered efficient and ugly.
5. American influence. Quite a few of the memorial sites or significant buildings were designed by American architects, scultptures, etc. This is the holocaust memorial. We tried to run back to get better photos, but alas...our tour guide was on a schedule and it didn't allow for John and I to run all the way back to this in time to get something other than the drive by shot...
And, of course...always know where your embassy is...
And your PX...
4. The palace(s)...Their queen Charlotte had her regular palace and a summer home palace all located within Berlin city limits. I suppose if you've got the money why NOT have a winter/summer palace....
3. Dunkin' Donuts. We couldn't resist this little taste of home.
2. Little Safari cars...because you know its a jungle out there.
1. Spending time with my honey bunny at Captain Shillows where I ate the best perch EVER...on a boat.
I'll bet thats the side of Berlin you never thought you'd see... :)
1. Someone else got to drive the 5 hours to Berlin.
2. There was a tour of the major sightseeing spots.
We left at 3AM from Rose Barracks one one of those plush seat buses...here is what they don't tell you about those buses...they are WORSE than airplanes. The seating, I mean. The lady in front of me put her seat back...because the lady in front of her put her seat back and so I had to put my seat back because there was less than a hand span between the seat and me if I didn't.
Lets just say it was pretty uncomfortable for the 5 hours of driving...but luckily leaving at 3AM means I got to sleep through most of it.
Anyhow...
Berlin...giant town. I was glad we had the initial bus tour even though we got way too little time at each of the major parts of the town. I consider this trip my "Berlin primer."
I'm going to blog seperately about the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate...all the rest of my Berlin experience will go here. Are you on the edge of your seat yet? If not...let me entice you with this list of 10 things we saw other than the major sights I just listed...in no particular order...
I call this the "drive by" photography. Remember I was in a bus looking through the window so please forgive the quality of photo...just enjoy the sentiment behind them...
10. The existence of the 3rd Reich. It wasn't super obvious...but little pieces like this were all over the city. I found them extremely disturbing and interesting at the same time. This little gem was on the side of the original Berlin Airport. Located directly in the city center it was supposed to be the largest building in the city and from the sky shaped like an eagle with outspread wings. The construction was never completely finished...but there is still a massive building completely shut down right in the center of Berlin.
9. The artwork...from buildings to statues...
I fell in love with this old lady face statue. I totally want it in MY garden. Seriously.
Plus we were excited to find some "punk" for which Berlin is famous for....this is about as close as we got to finding it...
8. Sex shops. Yep...they are on ever corner...kind of like Starbucks or McDonalds. I was pretty amazed at how...errrr....busy? they were. People coming in and out of these stores nonstop.
And if that isn't enough...my dear Nacho Libre had to pose on the steps to the World of Sex. The stairs kept listing exactly how much further until you reached their nirvana. Its a little disturbing...
7. Men's Pissoir. This made me laugh. That is a bathroom....unfortunately...women were not given the same consideration way back when the iron curtain was up. I guess we were expected to go before we left home...?
6. The difference between buildings in the west and east parts of the city. Buildings in West Berlin are ornate...decorated...flowing with flowers on the balconies...
Buildings in East Berlin are stiff steel construction with no imagination. Build like a cubicle...considered efficient and ugly.
5. American influence. Quite a few of the memorial sites or significant buildings were designed by American architects, scultptures, etc. This is the holocaust memorial. We tried to run back to get better photos, but alas...our tour guide was on a schedule and it didn't allow for John and I to run all the way back to this in time to get something other than the drive by shot...
And, of course...always know where your embassy is...
And your PX...
4. The palace(s)...Their queen Charlotte had her regular palace and a summer home palace all located within Berlin city limits. I suppose if you've got the money why NOT have a winter/summer palace....
3. Dunkin' Donuts. We couldn't resist this little taste of home.
2. Little Safari cars...because you know its a jungle out there.
1. Spending time with my honey bunny at Captain Shillows where I ate the best perch EVER...on a boat.
I'll bet thats the side of Berlin you never thought you'd see... :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)