8/28/19-8/31/19 Berlin Germany

Leaving lovely Dudeldorf, we had a seven hour drive on the Autobahn to Berlin. Contrary to popular belief, there is a large portion of the autobahn that has a posted speed limit, it’s 130 km per hour, or about 80 mph. There are sections however where German law is fast enough for the road conditions, or as fast as you want. Germany is the land of high performance autos, and they let the dogs out on the autobahn. They come up on you so fast they literally ” blow your doors off”! The wave of air that hits you when you are passed by someone going over 150 mph is amazing 😳

Before we see pictures of our three days in Berlin, I think we need a little history lesson on why Berlin is the city it is today. When the United States entered WWII in 1941, England had already defeated Germany in the air battle know as the Battle of Britain.

With the defeat of the German Air Force, the USA and England started to bomb German war sights in Europe and moved further and further inland into Europe as plane technology grew and ultimately started to bomb Berlin. As The Allied invasions into Europe / Africa and Italy and then Germany progressed, the Russian forces entered a bombed out Berlin before U.S. forces could. The Russians brought two million hardened troops to Berlin and seized the city, basically destroying or burning every building in the city. The entire city was destroyed. The Soviet army took no prisoners, every German soldier they encountered was killed. So basically the city of Berlin was completely destroyed and burned to the ground in 1945.

After the surrender of Germany, the allies divided Germany into four different sectors, with France, England and the USA joined together to create West Germany. The Russians formed East Germany. The Soviet’s started building the Berlin Wall in 1961 and it was demolished in 1990 when the Soviet Union collapsed.

We are staying in an Airbnb in what once was East Germany. The buildings were all built in the 60’s and 70’s. They all look alike and it isn’t very pretty. The site of the old West Germany looks pretty much the same. Row apartments built in the 60’s and 70’s. Now you know why.

Berlin is a huge city and has a massive tram and subway system, not many buses, but trams everywhere. We took the tram and subway over 25 different times here👍

Very few people own cars here. Everyone gets around on mass transit. The city’s population is very, very young and has a huge graffiti issue. They look at it as art, we, ourselves, don’t find it very attractive. The city reminds us of Multnomah country in Portland, lots of homeless people, but drunks, instead of drug addicts. Tattoo art is right there with Portland and I couldn’t see any real business here, only retail and tourists. The parks are overgrown and weeds grow in the road. Remember, we use Airbnb and stay in the neighborhoods, not where the tour buses drop you off😳 All things said, not our favorite place 😜

However, if you are a WWII buff, this is your spot. The Third Reich rises to power here in 1933. They were elected by a German public that hate the WWI retributions and followed Hitler to the end.

Lots of history to see, so let’s go! Remember, all these sights were blown up in WWII and have been rebuilt.

Brandenburg Gate, the historic city gates and once, home of no mans land.

The famous Fernsehturm TV tower in the old East Germany, widely recognized to us old folks😜

Lots of great sights!

Reichstag building, Germany’s seat of government, rebuilt in the 90’s when Germany was reunited. Hitler’s seat of power in the 30’s and 40’s.

Memorial to Murdered Jews by the Third Reich.

Berlin Wall, built to keep people in East Germany the 60’s, as they were leaving the East and headed West by the thousands. Torn down when communism/socialism collapsed in 1990.

Check Point Charlie, the East-West handoff spot, now home to McDonalds 😳

And the Fuhrerbunker, only a sign in a parking lot. The Russians put this place about -200 meters down with explosives. Hitler was burned here after he killed himself. The bunker is filled in and is now a parking lot. More than he deserves.

We did have a little fun here, Hofbrauhaus.

Don’t want to disrespect Berlin. It’s a very historic city, however we much, much prefer southern Germany, especially the area of Bavaria and Munich to Berlin.

Off to Warsaw Poland tomorrow. That should be interesting!

FYI, it’s 90 degrees here with 60% humidity, I’m a bucket of goo. We are walking 8 miles a day, I need another beer 👍😎🍺