Some thoughts and a Soccer Video Clip

As you read this blog, keep in mind that I have hundreds of pictures and quick, little videos...but with limited internet time and lengthy download time, I may only get a few published. So if you see something that interests you, ask...I have photos and video.

A few observations...graffitti is everywhere. Yet, there are no gangs. It was put more to us as if a dog were marking his territory...yet there is no violence. Water, which Americans drink in abundance, must be ordered at a restaurant. You are asked if you want with or without gas (still) water. To me, it is "still" all the way. Yet, where we drink lots of water there is very little of it around and it is not really, really cold. In fact, if you want ice...you must ask for it. Maybe all of this is the reason there are so few restrooms around. In a huge museum or government building, mall, etc...there isn't one around every corner. AND, if you want to use the restroom in a public space, tipping is expected. Just a note from someone who is rarely thirsty (but is here) and must use the restroom every time I take a sip. So, for those of you who expect a souvenir...that money has gone down the toilet...so to speak.





This is a video clip of our first day and our time at the Olympic Stadium at the FIFA Women's Soccer World Cup. It is just a montage...I have much more video for later.

Cycling, The River, the Wall and a Concentration Camp

The dome of the Reichstag building. There is no air conditioning in most German buildings. This cone in the dome allows for natural light and pulls the warm air out.

Yesterday, we went to the Reichstag building. I talked about it a little in yesterday's blog, but as a reminder, the Reichstag is the seat of the German Parliament. We had a guided tour through the building and sat in this room hearing about where everyone sat and why they sat where they sat. I decided to take a chance and ask a silly question...of which I found out wasn't so silly. Since the colors of the German flag are black, red and yellow, I asked why the seats were purple. One cool part of the answer: people look good in this color :)

Along this line was the Berlin Wall. Canada (IA) is straddling the line, Nicole (PA) is jumping from East to West and Karen is still concerned about the possibility of riding a bike! West Berlin is on the side from which you can read the words.
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TUESDAY, June 28
Not having internet access everyday is frustrating. I have so much to say that I am afraid I will forget before I can hook up again.

On Tuesday, we went to a school that had just ended classes for the summer (6 weeks). It was called the Waldorf Centre and they are built on the principle of autonomous learning and focus on the pupils' own inclinations and interests. It is similar to a Montessori school. They are very much into movement, art, music and creativity. We saw some incredible artworks. One was made out of what looked like quilt batting. It was encouraged that the students not only look at it, but touch it, smell it, probably not taste it. We saw what 1st graders did with wood as well as what they got older. Being the mother of an artist, (pictured here...Zach Graves :))I know good art when I see it. http://www.zgraves.com/ and I was impressed.

ARG! I had just spent an hour at the Starbuck's and my free internet timed out on me...after I had written gobs and gobs.

After a quick lunch and I mean quick, we were at the train station and our guides said you have 15 minutes...get something and get back here. We did and we took the train to Potsdam-Griebnitzsee. We got went to the bicycle station and each of us got a bike and a basket. Let me remind some of you that I have a slight fear of bicycling on gravely hills and one of our groupmates had NEVER ridden a bicycle. Anyway, off we went. Germany has bicycle trails and you better not be standing in one. They will run you over...and cars and busses are moving right along side you. BTW...no helmets or pads! We rode until we came to Potsdam which had the status Windsor has in England. It was the residence of the Prussian kings, and thus the German Emperors, until 1918 (I must thank TOP Goethe for writing this...I take no credit for these blurbs that don't sound like me). Around the city there are the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, the German rivals of Versailles. As you are standing at one castle you can see others AND the Glienicke Bridge where spies were exchanged during the Cold War. The bridge lies in an isolated spot where US occupied West Berlin met Soviet occupied Potsdam in East Germany. The US and the Soviet Union used this point four times to exchange spies. The bridge became known as the "Bridge of Spies" by reporters. Ta-da...we were looking at the bridge from far away and now we are crossing over it! Ta-da

Cycling on...we ride and we ride and we slip and we slide. We arrive at a beautiful park with lots of people sunbathing. We are headed toward the river for a swim (we knew we were going to do this and we were hot and swimming sounded great). As we get closer, someone says it looks like Woodstock...there were that many people. Then, we notice that this is a clothing optional swimming experience. A first for most of us. There were people of all ages in all stages of dress and undress and no one seemed to care. So swim we did.
Klaus and Melissa (NY)

**If there is something in the video montage you would like to see in detail, please ask. I have hours of video.



Back on the bicycles with many giggles. Someone starts to sing songs from THE SOUND OF MUSIC...it was perfect. Now to more historical stuff.

We arrived at the Cecilienhof palace. It is were the Potsdam Conference was held and in attendance was Harry S Truman, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill. It was pretty cool to be in that very important decision making room. We were RIGHT THERE!! I saw the seats, the table and the flags!From the sign in front, "The star of red geraniums framed with blue hydrangeas was planned in July 1945 for the coming conference of the 'Big Three.' Therefore, it too is an historically relevant part of the external framework of the Potsdam Conference.
Now it is rush hour and we have more castles to see and we have to get back to the bike rental place. Scary. I was so glad to give up that bike. Cycling at 1 in the afternoon is great...no traffic. Six o'clock is another story.
We returned to Berlin and and had dinner at the Ampelmann restaurant. We sat outdoors on the river and it was beautiful. The food was Italian-ish and wonderful. Ampelmannche is the symbolic person shown on traffic lights at pedestrian crossings in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR-East Germany). The Ampelmannchen is a beloved symbol of East Germany and one of the few features of East Germany to have survived the reunification. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Ampelmann has acquired a favored status and is a popular souvenir for guests to Germany. I spent 48 Euro at the Ampelmann store, so it must be true.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29
Our morning started with the Commissioner of the District Lichtenberg for Issues of Integration and Migration. She spoke about the issues of new immigrants pouring into Lichtenberg. Most are from Turkey and Vietnam. Her task is to analyze and design measures to reduce barriers to the integration. She said that there are issues of discrimination, but they are working on it. She said there are neighborhoods that are working together in a Clint Eastwood GRAN TORINO way...without the gun, I suppose. I gave my Virginia gift to the lady who helped schedule our time and meetings in Berlin. I gave her a beach bag with Virginia peanuts, salt water taffy, a deck of cards with pictures of Virginia on them and a wine "cork" that had a pewter "Williamsburg" pineapple on it. The pineapple represents hospitality. She told me that she was growing grapes this year in the hopes of making wine. So BINGO!
From here, we went to Tempelhofer Park. This is a "park" under construction. This airfield played a huge role in the Berlin Airlift. According to www.german-way.com/airlift.html, the "Berlin Airlift was the Cuban Missile Crisis of its day. The Allied response to the Russian attempt to take over all of Berlin was one of the greatest events of the Cold War." After WWII, Berlin's western side was occupied by the United States, France and Great Britain. Each took care of their own sectors. This was a land island completely surrounded by East Germany. The eastern side of Berlin was occupied and ruled by the Soviet Union. It was Stalin's intent to take the western side. His plan was to "strangle the city into submission." President Truman had no intention of letting the Communist government take over West Berlin. West Berliners were prepared to not give in either. Within 48 hours of the blockade's start, the airlift into Tempelhof Airport was receiving supplies. The Allied aircrafts landed approximately every three minutes in a very organized pattern. They brought everything the West Berliners would need to survive - from food to gasoline. The blockade lasted 15 months and cost more than $224 million dollars.
We walked the airstrips and ate at the park.

After lunch, we went to Bundesrat, which is one of the five permanent constitutional bodies of the Federal Republic of Germany. Alongside the Federal President, the Bundestag, the Federal Government and the Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Council is the Federal body representing the regions. The building looked old from the outside...and was, but the architecture on the inside was all modern.Off we went in the HEAT...95+ to were the wall stood. Some of it was still there. We visited a memorial to those who had died trying to escape to the west and a church that was symbolically rebuilt. All of this was very moving and scary. The "wall" started literally overnight with barbed wire and guards. East Berliners had seen some activity like this before, so they didn't think it was "for real." Within weeks, the wall was up and the the West and East were separated. The steel bars are where the wall was. I am standing by part of the wall that remains standing. This is a panoramic view of the Berlin Wall Memorial (thank you Nicole) and another of Ben(AZ) and John(MA) trying to escape. Really? Right at the guard tower!




We then walked through the revitalized Prenzlauer Berg district in the former East Berlin. It is a hip redevelopment area ... full of shops and great looking apartments. They did not look like the pre-fabricated apartments of old East Berlin. We had dinner here. I had a pork leg with sauerkraut and potato dumplings. In German, it sounded fantastic. It was good and I know Tatem would have loved the bone.

THURSDAY, June 30
This morning I had until 9:30 to be ready, so I ran to Starbucks (about 2 blocks) to be ready for them to open at 8. I got there with my computer, plugged into their only socket and bought a Chai tea. I wrote and I wrote...and then I got timed out. ARG...time to go...no restarts. But, the tea was good. I'm back on...
We boarded a charter bus for Ravensbrueck Women's Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Ravensbrueck Concentration Camp was set up as a women's camp in 1939. There were women from at least 40 countries at this work camp. There later was a small men's camp and a young girl's camp. In April 1945, shortly before the camp's liberation, the International Red Cross succeed in evacuating 7, 500 women from the camp to Sweden and Switzerland. We walked through the empty paths were barracks designed for 300 but well over 1000 were housed. We heard stories of individual survivors. We walked through the prison and saw the crematorium. All unbelievable...yet, everyone needs to know about it. This picture is of the entry point for most prisoners. The large opening is for the truckloads of women and the door was for the guards. This statue stood outside of the prison. It says: "There's not a breathing of the common wind that will not forget thee: thou has great allies thy friends are exultations, agonies and love, and man's unconquerable mind." Well said. Everyone needs to see a place a memorial site like this.
www.ravensbrueck.de/mgr/neu/english/index.htm

Dinner was great tonight. We are in a new hotel. It is less "new" Germany than the last one, but still very nice. TOP Goethe knows how to treat us!

Here in Germany-a soccer game and history alive

SUNDAY, June 26
We started off to Germany after some more indoctrination about what to expect in Berlin. We broke into our two groups to better know one another and then went to the airport. We waited in line a long, long time...no worries...lots of time. Our flight left an hour after the first group. They were going to Frankfurt first.

We flew through Munich and switched planes to Berlin. After arriving, we were met by one of our lovely guides, Monika. We got our luggage and then waited for the bus. We squeezed, literally squeezed into a long bus...standing, sitting, bracing. All of this with the luggage in tow. Another story to add to this later. Ask.

Our hotel, the PARK INN, is a 40 story beautiful hotel.The best thing about this hotel is that it is next to this huge TV tower, so you can find your way to the hotel easily...from a long way off. It is a small room, but very efficient. However, it has no clock which I find difficult.

What's next? Laura(CO), me, Melissa(NY)

Remember this guy kids? JFK "ICH BIN EIN BERLINER" - this was the place.We were running late, so we met up with our other guide Gerrit and went to lunch and then we were on our way to the FIFA Women's Opening Soccer match
between Germany and France. There was black, red and yellow everywhere. Everyone, everywhere was so excited. Check out a bit of the opening ceremony at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNzWTtxDHu4 The Olympic stadium was so huge and the crowd was so loud. The Opening Ceremony was impressively BIG. For true soccer fans...this game was amazing. For the soccer novice...a wonderful spectacle. I failed to mention that the ride on the train to and from reminded me of my ride back from the base ball game in Tokyo. Packed, no air, yucky.
Slept like a rock...with no top sheet! That is a new one for me. I had not encountered that before.
This is Monika (second from left, next to Laura (CO)) and Gerrit, our other guide. They were marvelous from the very first minute we met them.

MONDAY, June 27
Today started early after a huge breakfast buffet in the hotel. I had my yogurt and granola, however, there were all kinds of regular breakfast foods plus all kinds of salads, cold cuts, breads, etc. You could have made a great sandwich to go! We started out with Gerrit and Monika in our dress clothes to go to meet with the Directorate-General for Culture and Communication. But, our first stop was to here a talk with Prof. Dr. Wolf Wagner. He gave a great talk about Germany Today.
He made many comparisons to the US and discussed changes in Germany culture and politics since WWII. He had a lot of personal incites that were very interesting.

Coffee break with Melissa (NY), Karen(MI), Regina(NY) and Nicole(PA)
On our way there, Gerrit and Monika pointed out the info on all the old, historic buildings we were seeing. We would come back to them later.

After the talk with the professor, we met Ms. Petra Stockl the Desk Officer for Cultural and Media Relations with USA/Canada. I sat across from her and Melissa (from Canada) sat next to her. Lunch was very good and she pointed out that she had chosed the menu. It was a beautiful salad followed by seasoned pork over sauteed peppers and nectarines with palenta. She talked about a lot of interesting things, but we talked a lot about the low cost of food in Germany and health care.
Lunch was over and we headed back over the cobblestones to change our clothes. Along the way, we looked at the spot where the Germans burned over 20,000 books during Hitler's reign. There was a spot where you could look under ground at the empty shelves were the books had been.Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4slCFB-msA

Many of us went to one of the many museums close by. I went to the Pergamon Museum. If I taught World History, it would have been extra awesome.Here is Regina (NY) in the museum. We had a self-guided tour.

We visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The architect Peter Eisenman made this memorial that consisted of a 4.7 acre site covered with 2, 711 concrete slabs arranded in a grid pattern on a sloping field. It was beautiful, scary, and painful. The feelings it was meant to stir...did just that.East Side of Memorial...looking toward the former GDR (German Democratic Republic) East Berlin
The West side of the memorial...the trees...freedom...West Berlin

This really made me sad, confused and scared as I walked further into it...especially when I could no longer see the trees.

Just as a note, during the war this area was the hub of Hitler's administration. In fact, his bunker is nearby. Today, it is covered by a parking lot.

We then visited the Memorial to the Murdered Homosexuals and the Memorial to the Murdered Gypsies. Interestingly, in all three places...if you looked to the building side you saw the former East Berlin and to the tree side, the former West Berlin.

Next, we went on a very "secure" guided tour of the Reichstag building (seat of the German Parliament) with information about the German parliamentary system.The German Bundestag has convened in the Reichstag building since 1999. It was built in the late 19th centure and was the first German parliament to be built. The building, itself, has a beautiful design and many art works. 1% of all of government building funds must be reserved for art work. All that I saw were amazing and being the mother of an artist...I consider myself an expert in what is "amazing." By the way Sami...there are lots of statues. Remember our trip to the Smithsonian Art Museums?