I am a jelly donut

We began our final two weeks in Europe traveling to three different countries.  Each was unique and interesting.

We started off in Berlin, Germany.  This is a fascinating city given the history of both the Holocaust and the Berlin Wall.  The city truly embraces that history, telling the story without compromise.  It's really interesting to see the German people self-reflect about the horrors its leaders inflicted on so many people.  We met a guy on the street and ended up chatting with him for about 30 minutes about that history.  The Germans spend a whole year in school learning about the Holocaust, and the teachers present the true story.  (This is quite a contrast to the very end of our trip to Morocco, when the security guard checking our passports told us that Hilter was not that bad and that it was all "just politics").  Acknowledging the atrocities is very much a part of the fabric of German culture.

But before we look at pictures of the solemn sites, there's, of course, the food (sampling the local fare is one of my favorite parts of traveling)!

Donor kabob--very tasty.

Caitlyn most enjoyed the schnitzel!

We found this great beer garden that also had a playground.  Fun for the adults and the kid!

Berlin is home to some beautiful sites.  I really liked the Reichstag building (the German parliament).

Although we did not have advance tickets, we convinced a security guard to let us climb the tower of the Reichstag at night (it helps having a cute kid with you!)  This was a really fun experience with great views over the city.

Caitlyn enjoying the audio tour of the walk

View of the Brandenburg Gate from the Reichstag Dome

We spent a lot of time walking around the city.  Here is us in front of the Brandenburg Gate:

Throughout the city there is a brick path that marks where the Berlin Wall once stood.

And there are parts of the Wall still standing.  This was really fascinating given that I remember when the Wall fell.

We visited the Jewish Museum of Berlin, which tells the full story of the Holocaust.  The museum itself is underground, beneath the outdoor memorial, pictured here:

We also took a day trip to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.  This was a solemn and memorable experience to see where thousands of Jews were brought and eventually killed.  Seeing the crematorium was chilling.  Here are a few pictures from Sachsenhausen:

The entry gate where thousands of Jews passed through
before they were eventually killed

There were several houses still standing that presented the living conditions.
Horrid does not begin to describe it

Our final stop in Berlin was the Pergamon Museum, on Museum Island, which houses the Pergamon Alter and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.  These were really impressive.

Berlin was a fascinating place--not our favorite city to visit, but interesting nonetheless. I'm glad we took the opportunity to see these sites and learn more about how the Germans deal with their storied past.