Deutschland

Thanks largely to American and British bomber pilots, Berlin is a relatively new city. We followed the course of the former Berlin Wall—of which only small fragments remain (I mailed one home to myself)—until we reached a temporary elevated observation deck at Potsdamer Platz. This former no-mans-land between East and West was being fully developed with a small city of new skyscrapers. The sounds of construction were everywhere in Berlin, and I had never seen so many hammerhead cranes in one city. At Sara's suggestion, we detoured to Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, an intriguing, emotionally charged museum at the former border crossing that commemorates non-violent protest, and the many people who tried to sneak out of the Soviet block by way of West Berlin. I was impressed, and Sara passionately proclaimed it the best museum she had ever been to. Read more

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin