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Having fully recovered from the transition of the time difference, Cole and I felt rejuvenated today and ready for a little adventure. So, with map in hand, we stepped out on our own to wander Berlin. The Bahn (metro) is so convenient —we just went from one train to the next in search of the desired locations. Naturally, this is more difficult for non-German speakers than it sounds. But we managed through team work and by the end of the day we were rather proficient, learning many of the stops without the need to read them from our map. In fact, we find ourselves picking up a little German here and there, with the help of little lessons from Parker.
We walked up and down a long street, Unter De Linden, which means “Under the Linden,” lindens being a type of tree. So the street was lined in lush lindens, along with cafes and brightly colored bear statues. You see, Berlin means “land of bear,” so, of course, like our very own frogs in Angels Camp, you can find beautifully painted bears everywhere. We came across an eccentric antique store which was absolutely brilliant. The furniture and the rooms were fashioned in a neon version of Marie Antoinette décor. Floor to ceiling mirrors were around each corner as were mannequins in bright, elaborate dresses straight from the 18^th century with fake faded roses and frilly blue lace. In actuality everything was collected from various theaters, or so that is what we understood from the yellow fliers covering the outside of the store. Also, we ventured into a book store, offering everything Berlin from the graffiti to the history.
Then, we began our journey to the east. It was long and complicated at times, but we manage to take all the right trains and though it was pouring rain, we arrived at the East Berlin Gallery. The gallery is a long stretch of remaining Berlin Wall. Vivid artwork covers the expanse—images of peace, controversy, freedom, oppression…truly, the history spoken in the loud paintings is moving and surreal. The wall itself is surreal—the idea in its entirety.
And then we arrived home in time for dinner. Overall, I would say it was a most enriching day.