Berlin

We had a whirlwind weekend trip to Berlin and let me tell you, Berlin is too big for one weekend! We tried to see everything and it just wasn't possible. Berlin wasn't filled with huge cathedrals or traces of the medieval past that we've seen in other German cities, mainly because it was heavily damaged over the years. Berlin had so much more though, like traces of the Cold War and parts of the city that just haven't caught up with the more affluent side. We arrived early on a Friday afternoon and headed straight for the Brandenberg Gate and it was just as amazing as I had imagined it to be. Of course, we hit the local Starbucks to add to Aunt Nancy's growing collection of landmark mugs! The next morning was the start of our busy, busy day! We not only went back to the gate, to get Lollycakes pictures, but also visited the Berlin Wall memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, Tiergarten and the HUGE Berlin Zoo/Aquarium. Sunday we wrapped up the trip with a visit to the Sansoucci Palace grounds in Potsdam. I have to say this trip was so special for Dave and I to be able to share what happened in Berlin with Emma. She was full of questions all day and it was very hard for her to understand why things happened the way they did. Seeing the actual portions of the wall was breath taking, as well as seeing actual pictures of events surrounding the construction and demolishing of it. You would need an entire weekend to devote just to the history of the wall and seeing all that Berlin offers about it and we only had a few hours so I can't wait to go back and learn more. Checkpoint Charlie was the only access for foreigners into Berlin as well as the Allied Forces. I think Checkpoint Charlie is a must see just for the tourist photos, but there was also a museum and more wall history that we just didn't have time for, or children who really wanted to walk slowly and be quiet, lol. SO again, that is something to do if/when we go back! CC was followed by a LONG walk through the Tiergarten which is much like Berlin's version of Central Park. We headed to the Zoo from there, which the kids loved. Getting to visit the grounds of Sansoucci was a treat since we were all pooped from our Berlin visit but I'm glad we stopped! It was also very spread out and has been placed on our list of things to see again! All in all, it was a great weekend, just too short! So I will hush now and upload the pictures! :)