I'm a Jelly Donut! (Part 4) (Berlin Day 2)

Now we start getting to the Berlin wall and separation between East and West Berlin. Well, Randall pulled us off the to the side, and did a pretty bad drawing (he said that he was more of an Engineer) of Germany. Well, from this drawing Randall started explaining what happened with Berlin and Germany right after WWII. Talking about how everyone was leaving initially, and the steps that the USSR took to keep the citizens from fleeing. And then the tank standoff, between the Americans and the USSR, which if I remember correctly had about 30 tanks. Seeing that I'm a little bit aware of the History of the wall, (slighty), a bit of the information was repeative for me, so I took the time to take a couple of pictures of the "Squeeker" toy that was given to us on the bikes themselves. Randall said that the toys could be used to annoy little animals. We didn't see too many, so therefore, couldn't annoy nearly that much. :-) Well, back to the wall, after the explaination of the separation, Randall allowed us to roam around Checkpoint Charlie. Got in a few photographs. They had also put up some signs on the side of the street that showed everything that was going on at the particular checkpoint. Took a few snapshot of them, but there were just too many there. Plus, only had a short time before we got back on the tour, so I took the few that I thought mattered. If I wanted more, I could have taken the Berlin Wall tour, but I already explained myself earlier, so no worries. If you have a chance to take a look at Checkpoint Charlie, I would recommend it.

Well, we did go to another location which was right next to a section of remaining wall, and Randall was explaining that the building that we were standing next too WAS a Nazi building that remained intact. Supposedly it held prisoners there, if I remember correctly. I think it was also the sight where Hitler executed the one (Colonel?) that tried to kill him with a bomb. There was also some balloon rides being offered right next to the building, which was cool. Too bad I didn't remember the spot afterwards to go up in it. Oh well, maybe next time I go to Berlin (whenever that would be). :-) Got a couple of shots of me in front of the Berlin Wall, and then next to the "Friendship" Bears (or something like that, you'll see a few of them around).

Well, our next stop was the last remaining watch tower for the wall. These towers were used as sniper towers to warn escapees with the first shot, then to kill on the second. Randall expanded that some of these soldiers even had to shoot their own countrymen. I believe around the Berlin Wall explaination, Randall mentioned that JFK said "Ich bin ein Berliner!" ("I'm a Jelly Donut!"). Everyone knew that he was trying to say "Ich bin Berliner!" "I'm a Berliner", but he didn't say it right. Funny as it might be, most understood what he meant, and most still loved him for it. When JFK was assasinated, Berlin (if not Germany itself) held a candlelight vigil for him.

Next stop, apartments! Yes folks, #48 through #50 is a lovely location, home of Katerina Witt at one point, not too mention, that it was the same location where Hitler killed himself! Don't they look lovely?! :-) We were standing in a location where Hitler had his personal bunker, the same one that he killed himself in. Well, when the Russians took the area over, like most buildings they tried blowing up the bunker, but it didn't work. So what did they do? Just like everything else, they collapsed in the roof of the bunker and made it a parking lot. Or at least, that's what Randall said. I'll have to confirm that at some point, but for now, I'll believe him. :-)

Well, after that we went past the Jewish Memorial "Holocaust Mahnmal", (I went there on Day 3, so don't worry, I HAVE pictures) and we get to the Brandenburger Tor, aka The Brandenburger Gate. Why didn't I get a closer picture? Well, come to find out it was... wait for it... FASHION WEEK IN BERLIN!!!! Oh my God, all those models, and the dresses, and the mod... Yeah, not so impressive in my opinion. They decided to have the walkway right down the center of the gate!!! Well, I came back around later for some more pictures, but yeah, couldn't get the Gate in ALL of its glory. So we continued down the... (forgetting the street right at the moment, (its called "Strasse des 17.Juni?" Eh, oh well, figured there would be more.)) and we come upon the Russian Monument for all of the Russian soldiers that died in WWII, the "Soviet Honorary Memorial". It had a few authentic tanks, a few artillary, (all I think were bronzed) and a statue of a man that had too much of a rush job on him. Big body, big hands... tiny head. You can see that in picture #56. I'll be getting a closer view of the monument on Day 3, but at snapped off a few pictures #52-56.

Well, we finally get to the "Beer Garden" or something like that (I'll have to look it up (Schleusen Krug, it was called Beer Garden by Randall)), Randall was talking about it for most of the tour, you know hints here and there about how it was the reason why everyone was on the tour. Or something along those lines. :-)

Well, it was also a place that LOVED its pork. They had this one menu item (they had a list in English) that had meatballs, so I asked... just to make sure. Yup, not surprisingly it was made out of schweinefleisch (aka pork), so I tried ordering the cooked duck which was right below it. Well, they heard "Sure, I want the meatballs!". Little bit of a mix up, but it was resolved and I got #57. It was... delicious!