Monday was our big walking day. We started at the Television Tower to take in the gorgeous view of Berlin from above. Sarah kept us entertained with some fun facts about the tower and even made up a little fun facts dance...it has already caught on. Being on this trip with architecture students has made me notice things about Berlin that I would not otherwise notice. One student pointed out that you can see a stark contrast, even from above, between what used to be East and West Berlin just by looking at the roofs.
After the Television Tower we walked to Neptune's Fountain and the Marx/Engels statue, then journeyed to the old church and I learned that the area around it is considered by locals to be a "Disneyland" area in that the buildings surrounding the church were designed to look like a vintage European street however, these buildings are relatively new. This type of urban design (look at me whipping out the architecture terms) is typical of Berlin. So many things have been destroyed by war or torn down by a new German government coming to power that many buildings are relatively new replicas of what has been destroyed, so one could argue that many places in Berlin have the same "Disneyland" effect as the area around the old church. Key example: they are rebuilding the Royal Palace that was torn down by the DDR. The facades of the new palace will look identical to the original but the inside will be completely different. Such is Berlin! It's hard to tell sometimes what is original and what is a copy.
Monday was also our scavenger hunt day. Alex, Jaymon, Meghan, and I scurried around Berlin having our photos (Machen Sie Photo bitte?) taken in front of various Berlin sites. We were not even close to winning but we weren't last, didn't get lost, had to talk to complete strangers, and got along great. A very good day!
Total walking distance (including scavenger hunt): 10.15 miles
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Yes, my "fun facts" shall forever remain with the Berlin trip. Today, we ventured out to Potsdam and viewed the Einsteinturm, which was absolutely amazing. I think this is the best architectual design/display expressionist style. Afterwards, the group "mall walked" back to the bus and ride over to the Neues Palais; I did not grasp the age and historical meanings and where I was until I walked in there. This palace trully represented to me the showcasing the power of the Prussian Empire, and I did not know that. Also, the crown prince married for love to the british princess around this time and live in the Neues Palais for 34 years. This palace had the most magnificent architecture. And it was also fun to walk around and explore the grounds (which is absolutely huge).
ReplyDeleteAfterwards, the group headed to Potsdam for the tour of the Potsdam prison. I was not sure how to take it; it was very hard for to walk around there and look at everything even though it was empty--it still put chills down my spine.