Sunday at Sachsenhausen and at Sea

The final day of our crazy-fast weekend trip to Germany ended with a two-hour guided tour of the Sachsenhausen Memorial, located right outside of Berlin.  As someone who has read a decent number of books about the Holocaust, I was glad I would be getting the chance to see the concentration camp as part of our tour.

Nevertheless, my peers put it best when I overheard one asking, "You didn't actually think it'd be fun, did you?"  Going to a historical site that holds such a cruel past was a powerful experience but not a happy one.  Maybe the fact that I'm living in Copenhagen has gotten to me (surely), but going that long not smiling but simply observing, listening and following along with the tour was a bit of a downer.

Putting into words any feelings about our visit can be difficult to do in such a context.  The pictures I took capture a bit of what Sachsenhausen was like during its time as a slave labor camp under Nazi Germany from 1936-1945 and later as a Soviet concentration camp (1945-1950).

Tower A, the entrance and base of the triangular-shaped area of the camp.

"Work makes [you] free" 

As depressing as parts of our tour were, the experience was eye-opening and educational.  Our friendly guide did a great job informing us about Sachsenhausen, but I also enjoyed talking with him about Spain, where he's from (since I plan on spending a semester in Alicante!).  Overall, Sachsenhausen Memorial was a site worth going to once, and I am happy in that respect that I went.

After the walking tour and before boarding the bus, we all were given sandwiches, apples, and water.  Especially with the hot water, the refreshments were happily welcomed.

Later, I couldn't say no to dessert.  Sitting in the top-middle of a double-decker bus with no air conditioning (of my part of the bus) on a hot day, I felt as if I was trapped in a sauna.  When we stopped at a Shell in Germany still, everyone rushed to the convenience store and bought Magnum bars and cold refreshments.. anything to try and cool down.  The thermometer on the bus at one point was around 37 degrees Celsius plus (roughly 100 degrees Fahrenheit)!  Other than being really uncomfortable, I was worried about my Fassbender & Rausch chocolate from the day before!  The heat definitely made for some memories.. and a bit of humor when Nelly's voice started playing over the microphone: "It's getting hot in heeeereeee" (so extremely appropriate it was funny).

The ferry ride home was refreshing, sitting on the deck in the wind.  It was even a bit cold--talk about change in body temperature!  Here was looking back to Germany.  Who knows when I'll be there next.

Ich Bin Ein Berliner... For A Day

After continental breakfast at Hotel Meininger on Saturday morning, the group gathered for a three-hour walking tour.

Being in Europe instead of North America, I ate a meat-and-cheese sandwich for breakfast (with peaches and yogurt).  This must be a sign of adapting to the culture here, since never would I eat a sandwich for breakfast back home!

Sights on our walk to our walking tour.  The sun was shining!

Our group was split into three smaller groups for the tour.  My tour guide, Laura, has been living in Berlin for the past few years but is from England/France.  She was very nice and knowledgeable about the city and its history: teaching us about the history of East and West Germany and Berlin.  All the while, she kept us in the shade as much as possible, which was something we all appreciated immensely.

The US Embassy

Brandenburger Tor (the Brandenburg Gate)

Hotel Adlon, a famous hotel where celebrities and important figures have stayed...  AKA the hotel of the balcony scene where Michael Jackson held his child.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.  Interestingly, this memorial isn't what one might expect to commemorate the lives of those murdered in the Holocaust.  There is no significance to the number of rectangular blocks comprising this site (2711), which was designed by an American. 

No two blocks are the same size.  They are lined up in neat rows, though, designed with room for reflection.

Now a carpark, this site is where Hitler's bunker was.

The Finance Administration building, a typical example of German architecture, was designed to make others feel small and inferior.  It used to be a headquarter location of the Nazis.

More Berlin Wall

Trabis, old and inefficient cars of East Germany.  People used to have to place their names on waiting lists to purchase these cars years later.

Checkpoint Charlie

The divided history of Berlin

Not exactly a German tourist attraction, but look at this section of McDonald's.  This was most definitely the fanciest and best McDonald's I have ever been to, and although I didn't buy anything, I appreciated the separate McCafe (totally apart from the typical counter and with a vast assortment of options).  Also, machines allow guests to place orders instead of waiting in line and talking to the cashier, though that is done as well.

Laura was sure to recommend this place for chocolate...

...so, thinking smart, I took a picture of the street signs where it was located.  I knew I wanted to return!

Looking across to the French Cathedral (with the Berlin Concert Hall on the left)

The German Cathedral had to be built bigger than the French one, of course.  One thing I appreciated about this building as with the country in general is how Germany embraces its history.  Bullet holes on the cathedral, for instance, have not been repaired and are not covered up.

Humboldt University of Berlin, the site of the famous book-burning.

As Heinrich Heine prophesied in 1820, history repeats itself sometimes.  "That was only a prelude; there where they burn books, they burn in the end people."

The tour ended at Museum Island, where I am pictured standing in front of the Berlin Cathedral.

After the walking tour, we were free for the rest of the day; everyone split up to continue experiencing the city.  I successfully navigated my way back to my hotel to and met up with my German friend Denis and his friend Soren, who drove over to Berlin for the day.  It was nice to reunite after more than a year and in Germany, no less.

Our first destination was Curry 36, since I wanted to try currywurst.  Although the workers did tease me for being American (not that I would know what they actually said), I appreciated dining here for the more "authentic" German feel the vendor had.  All around were people speaking German, and it didn't feel like a tourist spot (though I saw one other woman take a picture of the restaurant, like I did). 

It ended up being really good!  Don't tell the Danes, but currywurst is much tastier and more flavorful than the hot dogs I've had so far in Europe.

Holocaust memorial statue I saw in a street leaving Curry 36.

Being with actual Germans in Germany, we did what locals might do in the city: shop.  Well, the boys bought clothes at this mall, which had an Eiffel Tower statue in the middle of it.  In exchange, I made a deal that we would go to the chocolate store next.

Leaving the mall, we were approached by a man who (I later found out) was demonstrating as part of a group wanting to form a political party.  The man talked to Denis and Soren about joining while I stood there wondering what the sign that mentioned Obama said.  Later, the fact that I was American came out, and I was handed an article about how the group wants to impeach Obama.  Not knowing how to react in this situation, I didn't say much, but this definitely was an interesting experience that occurred in my day in Berlin.

Finally, I was back to the chocolate store!  Depicted here is a chocolate version of the Reichstag, the German Parliament building.

Fassbender & Rausch is the world's largest chocolaterie.  The retail location was a chocolate heaven, full of goodies to buy and chocolate monument replicas to see.

Though I'm not big on candy or chocolate (unless it's baked in a dessert), I loved Fassbender & Rausch and was compelled to make a purchase.  There was so much to choose from, though, that I admit I left and came back while the guys got something to drink.  Tough decisions were made!

Then, it was back to the hotel.  Had to take my chocolate back in hopes that it wouldn't melt!

Later, I got dinner with a nice group of ISUP peers.  We went to a restaurant by the canal that I had seen lit up the night before.  I ordered a ciabatta sandwich with chicken and melted cheese (and even ate a few bites of the salad that came with).

Despite how much more I wish I could have done and seen during my day in Berlin, I enjoyed spending some time with these two!  Visiting European friends was actually something I considered when deciding to study abroad in Copenhagen, so it was cool to see a foreign friend in his country.

Hallo, Deutschland!

This weekend by far was a whirlwind--not unlike my time studying abroad in general--but I have few regrets.  Though my time in Germany was short, I am happy to say I've traveled to another country: one I have imagined visiting for quite some time now.

On Friday, July 18 at 6:30 am, our group met at CBS to depart on our trip to Berlin.  This meant first taking the metro to Frederiksberg then walking the rest of the way to Dalgas Have, so I had to leave Tietgenkollegiet fairly early.  Waking up by 4:15/4:30 in the morning worried me, but thankfully, I didn't oversleep.  Plus, once we boarded the bus, I was lucky enough to get a seat to myself, which was great for stretching my legs, storing my belongings, and sleeping some more.

Gotta love bus rides!

To cross from Denmark to Germany, our group took a ferry across the sea.  Of course, traveling is always an adventure, so our planned ferry did not work out.  Thanks to some miscommunication, another bus already had our spot, so we drove another hour or so to get on another ferry.  This shortened the boat ride to only about 45 minutes compared to 2 hours.

When I woke up and looked out the window, pigs were right in front of me.  Opening my eyes to a triple-decker bus of pigs was so strange, but hey- it's not so surprising knowing that Denmark is a HUGE pork-producer.

Saying goodbye to Denmark from the deck of the ferry (approximately 10:45 am).

Germany, another supporter of green energy.  It's great seeing all of these windmills in Europe!

Our first stop in Germany was actually a rest stop, thanks to Danish laws for bus drivers.  They can only drive so long, and breaks are needed sometimes.  However, the next stop we made was to the East Side Gallery.

Study abroad has taken me from the Great Wall to the Berlin Wall.

One of my favorite pictures from my summer, undoubtedly.  The Berlin Wall.  Berlin, Germany.  July 18, 2014.

We arrived in Germany a bit later than scheduled, so our time at the East Side Gallery was limited to 15 minutes.  However, I enjoyed checking out some of the Berlin Wall.  This part resonated with me a bit: the fact that I was in Berlin in 2014 as well as the remark reminding viewers to enjoy life.

Bright, colorful teddy bear statue near the East Side Gallery!

After checking out a bit of the Berlin Wall, we went to our hotel to check in.  Our time was limited, so all I could do was change into a skirt and try to freshen up for dinner.  Roughly half an hour later, we took the bus to our restaurant that evening, Löwenbräu.  There, I enjoyed dining out for the night with some friends.

As part of our trip price, we received our choice of dinner with soup, a drink, and dessert.

The options we had for our meal included pork schnitzel, chicken, and vegetarian German noodles.  Hoping to eat as the Germans do, I ordered the schnitzel (which came with fries and cucumber salad).  I absolutely did not regret my order, as my meal as a whole was very delicious.

Walking back to our hotel from dinner, we saw several monuments lit up at night.  Very pretty.

Across the canal from where we were walking home, a rather large crowd was gathered.  It turns out that a movie about Germany's history was being projected on the side of a building.  Naturally, we sat down and watched for a few minutes, catching the very end of the film!

Even closer to our hotel, we noticed people hanging out down by the water for the night.

City skylights from my window in Berlin--night one.