Today was the obligatory jet lag catch up day. After being awake for 36 hours, I finally went to sleep at 1am. I awoke to the sunshine (yes, sunshine) outside my window feeling refreshed. I looked at my watch to see that it was...6am?!?! Yes, I got a whopping five hours of sleep and could not seem to sleep any longer. We spent the day walking down Unter den Linden, examining various sights, but the highlight of the day was, by far, the Reichstag. The Reichstag has such a powerful, multi-faceted history. The guide that we had this year discussed things that our guide last year did not and the glass dome on top of the structure was open, unlike last year, so I got to see a nighttime view of the city from above. While sitting in the gallery of the I felt the drowsiness start to take over. Several times I felt my head bob as I started to drift off. I feel terrible when I do this on trips where jet lag is involved. I'm afraid that my intense sleepiness comes off as disinterest but I just can't help it! As Dr. Youngman says, I am terrible at hiding when I am tired, which is also why tonight's entry is on the short side. I need sleep!
Walking distance today with group: 6.24 miles
Total walking distance: 8.83 miles
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Do they sell Red Bull in Germany?
ReplyDeleteThe trip so far has been absolutely amazing. Cultural differences I have noticed are that Germans are less social than americans and when on public transportation are quiet and keep to themselves. When you expect to push a door, you probably should pull, when you think to pull, most likely you should push. Germans also do not care about fashion like Americans with cold weather, they dress for warmth. Berlin is very dog friendly, dogs come into almost every store, the mall, on the U-bahn, buses, almost anywhere a human can go. Germans love carbs, at every corner or block there are multiple bakeries, pretzel stands, and other snack options. I feel as if I have eaten immensely more than I do at home. Thank you Margaret for keeping up with the walking so I don't feel as guilty!
ReplyDeleteToday thus far was my favorite most importantly because we visited Sachsenhausen concentration camp which was absolutely surreal. The fact that I walked on grounds where tens of thousands died, stood in areas where human remains were burned, and connected with a world wide known area in history created a new sense of empathy for me. I am forever greatful.
P.S. the weather was slightly warmer too-that did not hurt!
I am having a fantastic time on the trip, much more than I anticipated. My assumption would be the typical tourist trip, but we actually make our schedules (outside of the mandatory tours) and explore the city!! Everyday that I am here, I´m learning new cultural differences, which catches me by surprise at every turn it seems. Also, my german speaking skills are slightly improving, which is just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI dont want this trip to end, its been an amazing experience, but I must go rest to soak everything in.
Berlin has been such an amazing experience for me so far!! My favorite exhibit so far is the the Jewish memorial. it has so much meaning behind it. You can take it in pretty much any way you want! but this has been my favorite vacation! Athough my feet are absolutely killing me but it is worth every minute of this trip.
ReplyDeleteJet lag is a very interesting thing, I also did not manage to sleep at all on the plane trip over so I found myself accidentally falling asleep on the U-bahn and the bus. One of the first things that I noticed about Berlin was the huge amount of graffiti and tag art. I do not exactly know why there is so much, but I would imagine it could be traced back to the graffiti made in west berlin during the cold war but I could be completly wrong. Anyway I spent most of the day I arrived exploring and teaching myself the U-Bahn system and hunting down tickets for the football match.
ReplyDeleteI usually need about 13 hours of sleep but I have only been getting about 5 here on average. I don´t think I feel as tired because we have just been walking everywhere and doing so many things that I don´t really have time to be tired! Today we went to the memorial for the murdered Jews of Europe. While I don´t entirely understand the layout of it, it was still unlike anything I have ever seen and was definitely very moving. The museum underneath the memorial was also an experience. Being able to read the words of actual victims of the Holocaust was unbelievably sad, and I think that it has had more of an impact on me than any other thing we did today.
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ReplyDeleteSo even though I am pretty much in tune with the German culture, emercing myself in German history has been something that I have been experiencing for the past couple of days while here in Berlin.
ReplyDeleteVisiting the Reichstag exposed me to the German parliment, complete with an expansive dome at the top of the building that was encircled with a gorgeous spiral staircase, allowing access to the highest views of the city. Not to mention the TV Tower, located hundreds of meters in the air, which provided perfect views of the entire city. But my favorite so far has been the walk into the inner city to see the gate and stern.
We also visited various beautiful churches and different statues. Very amusing, yet something I would never wish on my worst enemy, was a scavenger hunt that led us around the entire city of Berlin for four entire hours.
After an exhausting day of sight seeing and pastry scarfing, I was finally getting used to the jet lag.
We also visited the Concentration camp in Sachsenhausen. The effect of what really happened during the Holocaust was not completely made aware to me until today, when we walked through a Holocaust memorial, complete with pictures of emaciated Europeans who were suffering, or dead. Reading about the Holocaust is one thing, but really entering a sight that was once used to kill innocent people, such as the gas chamber at the concentration camp, really causes one to reflect and think.
Berlin has been by far, the dirtiest city in all of Germany that I have ever seen. Usually the Germans are pretty good at keeping their streets and sidewalks clean, but for some strange reason it seems Berlin just doesnt get the memo. So far back in Deutschland...awesome, amazing, inspiring... and the taste of Streuseltalers in my mouth makes me look forward to what tomorrow brings.
I know I was desperately needing a Red Bull!! Although it was a very cold day, the sites were beautiful. Seeing the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag were good starts to our trip in Berlin. Today, which is Tuesday, the start of the day wasn't as much fun. Visiting Sachsenhausen today made everyone take a step back and think about what really happened I think. The thing that I couldn't get over was the fact that just outside the gate to the camp were houses. I know that during that time the houses probably weren't there but people still lived within a close proximity to the camp. Just imagining that what was happening and nothing was being done about it shocks me. Although I will never forget how visiting the camp made me feel, going to see the Olympic Stadium made me forget a little. It was a good ending to the day. Oh yeah and going to KaDeWe was amazing! I think I could have stayed for hours. So far the trip has been a lot of fun, especially the scavenger hunt, so I'm looking forward to what the rest of the week looks like.
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